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.
As I am only a nursing student, I cannot speak for how it affects nursing as well as I'd like to. But, from my pharmacy experience, I can point out one way. I cannot tell you the number of chronically ill patients who were non-compliant on their medications. The reason was, of course, that they simply could not afford it. I'm talking about elderly patients, depressed, psychotic, asthmatic kids...the list is endless. And they could not get their medicine. Or they could only afford it every 2 months, so they took it every other day, etc. I'd imagine this would have a big effect on nursing care, simply because all of these patients typically become acutely ill and have to be seen in the ER - since they don't have to pay upfront for that. Most of these patients would have been alright had they been able to take their medication. But when unable to, there are strokes, heart attacks, psychotic episodes (even violence), required in-patient hospitalization that could have been prevented, kids on vents, transport care...it seems like this would detract from the time nurses are able to spend with patients as well as putting a financial strain on the healthcare system.
We also have the same problems here - patients are not compliant. They need to know the reason that they are taking medication. Elderly people may need a dosset box (a 7 day box) from which to take their tablets if forgetful. They may need a care assistant to prompt them. They may also need their medications reviewed.
But when I think of the waste going on the federal gov't, and the money spent to care for people who are NOT even citizens, I cannot help but wonder why we are not doing more to care for our working citizenry. It's a natural question that increasingly concerns more of us, whether we like it or not.....
I agree. I have lived in border states most of my life. I have lived and worked as a nurse, 6 miles from The U.S./Mexico border.
The free rides and abuses of the system by illegals are mind boggling. And our country is stupid for allowing it to happen.
For instance- did you know that illegals from Mexico get in-state tuition at many Texas colleges?
As a U.S. citizen, living in Texas for 9 mos, I had to pay out-of-state tuition. But I sat next to illegals in class who not only got in-state tuition AND Hispanics-only scholarships- they also got free child day-care, medical care, tutoring, etc.
One weird situation was the humanities vs language classes thing-
I needed humanities credits and wanted to take Spanish for this- here is the deal: in Texas, Spanish counts as a humanities class only if you are a native spanish speaker. If you are not, it's a language class. I didn't need language credits. I took the class anyway, Spanish for Beginners, and sat next to pre-nursing students from Mexico taking the easiest humanities class (for them) that they could ever find, and all of them paying hundreds less that I was for it.
I worked at several Adult Day Care facilities, where seniors who had been in this country nearly all their lives, but never became officially legal or got ss#, or paid income taxes, got all their medical and ADC, etc. paid for by Medicaide.
Compare the above situation to my friend, the working LPN, with no health ins.
I'm not saying I have the answers- I don't.
I just cannot understand the logic of providing so much for non-citizens (especially paid medical care) while neglecting our own WORKING U.S. citizens.
Larry
88 Posts
We also have the same problems here - patients are not compliant. They need to know the reason that they are taking medication. Elderly people may need a dosset box (a 7 day box) from which to take their tablets if forgetful. They may need a care assistant to prompt them. They may also need their medications reviewed.