Question

Health Care in the United States—For Better or Worse?

The final hours came as no surprise to his wife and family, who made daily visits to the hospital where Sam had been treated on and off for the final year of his life. His doctor had spared no expense to give him the most effective treatments available.

But wouldn’t it have been nice if he could have died at home? they thought to themselves as they gathered at the funeral. At least he held out until after the baby was born.

Sam’s diagnosis of colon cancer did not shock him. His father had died of colon cancer, and he had been thinking for some time that it was time to be checked. Surgery went well and he and his doctor were optimistic about the future. The surprise came about 18 months later, when during a follow-up examination, he was told that there might be a recurrence.

Chemotherapy seemed to do more harm than good. There did not seem to be a good answer. Sam’s physician sought out the newest treatment, but it did not seem to help. The final shock to his system came after he received a dose of the wrong medicine administered by a nurse who was new to the unit. She was hired in response to the recent accreditation review, which criticized the hospital for understaffing.

Though his death was no surprise, the bills from the hospital and physician were an unexpected burden in the months and years that followed. The health insurance that was offered through Sam’s employer did not pay for screening for the colon cancer that killed him. In addition, its loopholes, caps, and copayments left the family with bills that would require years to repay. It was not just the uncovered expenses that they had to pay out of pocket; it was the mountains of paperwork that arrived in the mail.

Nonetheless, the family understood. The doctors had done everything possible, treated Sam and them with respect, and responded quickly to their calls and continuous questions. Maybe things were not ideal, they concluded, but at least they did everything they could.

Discussion Questions

1. What strengths of the U.S. healthcare system are illustrated in this case?

2. What limitations of the U.S. healthcare system are illustrated in this case?

3. How would the Affordable Care Act affect the services provided in this case?

4. What steps would you recommend to improve the delivery of preventive and curative services to better serve patients like Sam?

5. How might Sam’s health care have been different in other developed countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom? In what ways might it have been better and in what ways might it have been worse?

Answer 1

Answer: The strength of the U.S Health care system are mentioned such as there are highly qualified and well experienced healthcare professionals. These healthcare professionals are expert in their area. Th healthcare professionals were eligible enough and tried harder to bring out better and positive results. The healthcare professionals provided cultural competence environment to the patients. The use of the improved technology which provided enhanced results.