Poor America doles our substandard social policy

Published

Cox, E (2004) Gender equality in Australian schools. Cited on internet http://www.education.tas.gov.au/equitystandards/gender/framewrk/cox.htm

Richard Titmus wrote in his concept of social policy about what he called the 'stranger'. He said the ultimate in social policy is to give to the stranger because you recognise that she or he is the same as you. You don't give to the stranger because they are hungry or because they are tired but because you recognise the problems of hunger and tiredness. In other words you see them as part of yourself and part of what you are responsible for. If you see them as 'the Other, you don't get that sense of responsibility.

John Rawls, who talks about justice, also uses a similar sort of model by saying that if you punish other people you always have to work on the basis that it might happen to you, which is another formulation in a slightly different format.

It is a fact in the USA that 64 million people do not have health insurance, which means there is a third world country within a country that boasts to the world that it is apparently the best.

How does this affect nursing care?

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Specializes in Critical Care/ICU.

It is a fact in the USA that 64 million people do not have health insurance...

Sadly and embarrassingly, it is a fact.

Uh huh, and look at this:

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/hexpense.htm

It's about the big guy making the money in this country. Not about the people who really need the care.

Here's some more (pdf):

http://dll.umaine.edu/ble/U.S.%20HCweb.pdf

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Cox, E (2004) Gender equality in Australian schools. Cited on internet http://www.education.tas.gov.au/equitystandards/gender/framewrk/cox.htm

It is a fact in the USA that 64 million people do not have health insurance, which means there is a third world country within a country that boasts to the world that it is apparently the best.

How does this affect nursing care?

Well I really wouldn't call it "third world". At the hospital I work at I would say the majority of clients we have don't have insurance. How does this affect nursing care?........IT DOESN'T!!

We treat everyone equal if they have insurance or not. I work in an ICU and have a lot of dialysis patients. We make sure after discharge they have transportation to their dialysis appointments. A lot don't go...they just don't have time or what ever the exuse and just end up going into the ER sick as a dog....have dialysis spend a couple days in the ICU......go home do it again.

That is just one example I could go on all day if I had the time......we also have drug overdoses....cardiac arrests from the drug overdoses (a lot of cocaine ODs). I would say less then half have insurance but they are treated just like the pts with insurance.

Most of the time our ER looks like a Drs office...runny noses....tummy aches they've had for 3 mos. We do have clinics that do take care of the people without insurance but guess its not convenient to go to.

I took care of a woman the other day........40 years old perfectly healthy. She didn't have insurance because she just didn't have a job. She was in a MVA and needed back surgery is why she was there. She was treated like any other patients.

I don't think this would happen in a third world country. When I hear of this "national health" plan thats thrown out every now and then I just gotta think........We already have it.

Sorry for rambling

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It is a fact in the USA that 64 million people do not have health insurance, which means there is a third world country within a country that boasts to the world that it is apparently the best.

This is an interesting statement. I've seen that number bandied about, but would you care to cite a credible reference?

Kevin McHugh

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
Well I really wouldn't call it "third world". At the hospital I work at I would say the majority of clients we have don't have insurance. How does this affect nursing care?........IT DOESN'T!!

We treat everyone equal if they have insurance or not. I work in an ICU and have a lot of dialysis patients. We make sure after discharge they have transportation to their dialysis appointments. A lot don't go...they just don't have time or what ever the exuse and just end up going into the ER sick as a dog....have dialysis spend a couple days in the ICU......go home do it again.

That is just one example I could go on all day if I had the time......we also have drug overdoses....cardiac arrests from the drug overdoses (a lot of cocaine ODs). I would say less then half have insurance but they are treated just like the pts with insurance.

Most of the time our ER looks like a Drs office...runny noses....tummy aches they've had for 3 mos. We do have clinics that do take care of the people without insurance but guess its not convenient to go to.

I took care of a woman the other day........40 years old perfectly healthy. She didn't have insurance because she just didn't have a job. She was in a MVA and needed back surgery is why she was there. She was treated like any other patients.

I don't think this would happen in a third world country. When I hear of this "national health" plan thats thrown out every now and then I just gotta think........We already have it.

Sorry for rambling

The uninsured do have options. They are not left to die if they have a catrophic illness, or bleed in the streets.

I agree, when I have a patient under my care, I don't ask "are you insured". (Now the billing department and the case worker might (and they aren't turned away if the answer is no), but as a nurse, it doesn't affect me one way or the other.

But I also agree, there is something very inequitable and wrong with the health care situation in America.

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It would be very interesting to visit other countries and see national healthcare in action. But, from the friends I have who have come from Canada, they declare the system in America is by far superior. We do not have to wait for weeks to see a doctor, and then accept the services of whatever doctor is in rotation. We do have our problems, but in America, those who seek healthcare receive it, the poor tend to be non-compliant but not because of the lack of effort on the part of our social workers, just whatever it is going on with the patient, perhaps ignorance. Please walk a mile in our shoes before you criticize or accuse.

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It would be very interesting to visit other countries and see national healthcare in action. But, from the friends I have who have come from Canada, they declare the system in America is by far superior. We do not have to wait for weeks to see a doctor, and then accept the services of whatever doctor is in rotation. We do have our problems, but in America, those who seek healthcare receive it, the poor tend to be non-compliant but not because of the lack of effort on the part of our social workers, just whatever it is going on with the patient, perhaps ignorance. Please walk a mile in our shoes before you criticize or accuse.

Very true. When I lived in Washington state we would have Canadians come down for healthcare because they for one reason or another couldn't get it in Canada. Not to critisize Canadian healthcare but I'm just reporting what I saw.

I think what got me was calling our system "third world".....I don't know too many third world countries that give the healthcare that we do...insurance or not.

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This is an interesting statement. I've seen that number bandied about, but would you care to cite a credible reference?

Kevin McHugh

NUMBER OF AMERICANS WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE ROSE IN 2002,

The ranks of those without health insurance grew from 41.2 million in 2001 to 43.6 million in 2002, according to new data the Census Bureau has just released.[1] The percentage who lack insurance rose from 14.6 percent in 2001 to 15.2 percent in 2002.
http://www.cbpp.org/9-30-03health.htm

A percentage is too abstract - the truth about America is its a land full of inequalities and dollars don't grow on trees. There is also a lack of human rights - well that's what some of the rest of the world see!

At least in UK healthcare is for all

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, Home Health, Oncology.

Hi

The majority of the patients in my hosp.have NO insurance. They are all treated exactly the same. Same meds, same treatments. I work at large, big city hospital/trauma center.

Not perfect, but people do get care, all they need do is show up at the ER.

MaryAnn

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Just because someone doesn't have health insurance does not mean that they do not receive health care.

We take care of many acutely ill patients in our hospital that do not have insurance.

Our local county health department has a health clinic, vision clinic, women's health clinics, and other resources available to citizens that have no health insurance.

Sure, our healthcare system isn't perfect.....but people have opportunities available to them if they seek them out.

Last night we received a new admit who had gotten acutely ill while on honeymoon in Jamaica. The description of the patients' brief stay at the local "hospital" there sends shivers up and down my spine. Makes me proud of the quality of healthcare and quality of facilities that we have available here in the USA....for everyone.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
A percentage is too abstract - the truth about America is its a land full of inequalities and dollars don't grow on trees. There is also a lack of human rights - well that's what some of the rest of the world see!

At least in UK healthcare is for all

I 100% that healthcare for all is better and America is a land full of inequalities. (Can't wait for Michael Moore's take on this in his next documentary.)

I also think that in Britian and Europe there are inequalities between rich and poor and that rich is better. Europe, dispite all it's heavy taxes and social welfare system has a "ruling class" and the people that serve them.

Curious as to what "lack of human rights" the British see us as having. Not that I'll disagree, but just curious as to what you mean.

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Well, 43.6 million is a significantly different number than the 64 million you started this thread with, isn't it? And regardless of your statements to the contrary, percentages are not too abstract. 15% of the total population. Meaning that 85% do have healthcare insurance. Or, to put it another way, roughly 247 million of us do have healthcare insurance. And rest assured, none of those without healthcare insurance are turned away.

It's very easy to sit in judgement of the US from the UK. Especially when you don't know all the particulars of what you are talking about. Most of us feel as though we are taxed enough, thank you. How much of your annual salary is lost to your government? 45 -50%? I don't want to spend the first six months of every year paying off my tax bill. And, in light of the fact that I need a knee replacement at some point, I want to be able to pick the surgeon who will perform the procedure. I don't want to guess when I will be exactly two years from needing it. Last I heard, there was a two year wait in Britian for this procedure. And, as pointed out by Tweety, I'm quite sure there are differences between the rich and poor in your country as well.

Careful about who you choose to throw darts at, mate.

Kevin McHugh

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