Question

If you were meeting a delegation of nurses from ten different countries, how might you use political philosophy to explain: a. the US healthcare system (access, quality, and financing) b. the role of the US welfare state c. the position of certain national nursing organizations on related issues. Briefly explain each.

Answer 1

a. The U.S. health care system is unique among advanced industrialized countries. The U.S. does not have a uniform health system, has no universal health care coverage, and only recently enacted legislation mandating healthcare coverage for almost everyone. Rather than operating a national health service, a single-payer national health insurance system, or a multipayer universal health insurance fund, the U.S. health care system can best be described as a hybrid system. The US government does fund two kinds of health plans though: Medicare and Medicaid. They are specially designed for the elderly, disabled, poor, and young.

However, many Americans have their healthcare paid for by their employer. It's often included as a fringe benefit in job packages.

In 2014, 283.2 million people in the U.S., 89.6 percent of the U.S. population had some type of health insurance, with 66 percent of workers covered by a private health insurance plan. Among the insured, 115.4 million people, 36.5 percent of the population, received coverage through the U.S. government in 2014 through Medicare (50.5 million), Medicaid (61.65 million), and/or Veterans Administration or other military care (14.14 million) (people may be covered by more than one government plan).

b.

• Social welfare as having five components:
• health care spending
• education spending
• cash retirement benefits
• other government cash transfers such as unemployment insurance and the earned income tax credit (EITC)
• non-cash aid such as food stamps and public housing.

In the U.S., government health care spending is targeted to elderly and low-income persons; the American middle and working classes rely primarily on employer-provided health insurance. The U.S. government health care system is, therefore, more redistributive than the systems of most other developed nations.

c. Professional organizations and associations in nursing are critical for generating the energy, flow of ideas, and proactive work needed to maintain a healthy profession that advocates for the needs of its clients and nurses, and the trust of society. The nursing profession emphasizes nursing advocacy by professional organizations as outlined in the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics for Nurses With Interpretive Statements.  These organizations contribute to the accountability and voice of the profession to society.

American Nurses Association (ANA); ANA is the only full-service professional organization representing the interests of the nations. The ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on healthcare issues affecting nurses and the public. Its mission: Nurses advancing our profession to improve health for all.

International Council of Nurses (ICN); ICN is a federation of more than 130 national nurses associations; ANA is the U.S. representative, along with other nursing associations, representing the more than 13 million nurses worldwide. Founded in 1899, ICN is the first and most wide-reaching international organization for health professionals. Operated by nurses and leading nurses internationally, ICN works to ensure quality nursing care for all, sound health policies globally, the advancement of nursing knowledge, and the presence worldwide of a respected nursing profession and a competent and satisfied nursing workforce. Its mission is to represent nursing worldwide, advancing the profession, and influencing health policy