Protecting the U.S. Population’s Health Against Potential Economic Recessions and High Unemployment and the Endemic Inflation of Health Care Costs

Protecting the U.S. Population’s Health Against Potential Economic Recessions and High Unemployment and the Endemic Inflation of Health Care Costs
Author: Fritz Dufour
Publisher: Fritz Dufour
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2019-12-15
Genre: Medical
ISBN:

This book has three main parts: (1) the challenges of the U.S. health care system; (2) the impacts of economic recessions and high unemployment on the U.S. population’s health; and (3) recommendations or a look into what might improve the health care system. Part I, through a dissection of the challenges faced by the U.S. health care system, exposes the particularities and the vulnerabilities of the system. It shows the role played by businesses and employment in the U.S. population’s health and describes major challenges of the health care system such as astronomical health care costs, the average family health spending – which is exceedingly high, wasteful spending, death due to inaccessibility to health care, and the hardships that medical costs created for more than half of Americans. Part II is an analysis as to why do economic recessions have health implications. That analysis is done by considering the health implications of economic recessions both at the micro and macroeconomic levels and by considering the societal costs of uninsurance or inaccessibility to health care due to economic recessions and high unemployment. Part III primarily focuses on what can make the system better, that is more efficient and more cost-effective. Ironically, as Part III argues, there are a myriad of feasible recommendations that are waiting to be fully explored, agreed upon, adopted and implemented nationwide: · Design labor and fiscal policies aimed at preventing economic recessions and high unemployment o Blend labor and fiscal policies into structural reforms · Create job security and take other steps that guarantee health care security during financial hardship · Improve health outcomes through nationwide permanent supportive housing to combat chronic homelessness during economic recessions and high unemployment · Prioritize the use of more cost-effective medical technologies o Promote telemedicine to reduce costs and improve accessibility to health care · Eliminate health disparities thanks to the democratization of health care · Promote health literacy and the valorization of communities · Design policies or procedures that 1) promote health care costs reduction and efficiency through affordable insurance coverage and 2) eliminate Wasteful spending: o Extend drug coverage and implement cost-effective pricing policies o Extend coverage of more medical procedures and implement cost-effective policies On the other hand, Part III also sells the idea of a thorough and bold revolution in our health care system, which would make health care a right of citizenship. It does so by analyzing the political, social, ethical, and economic aspects of the issue. Furthermore, it argues that the relationship between universal health care and economics justifies the notion of “health care as a right of citizenship.”

Is The US Electoral College A Polite Fiction That Should Be Abolished?

Is The US Electoral College A Polite Fiction That Should Be Abolished?
Author: Fritz Dufour, Linguist, MBA, DESS
Publisher: Fritz Dufour
Total Pages: 24
Release: 2017-12-04
Genre: Political Science
ISBN:

This article is an argument against the US electoral college as a concept. It looks at the policies and failures of the five electoral college-elected presidents – three of them in the 19th century and the other two in the 21st century. It explores the electoral college’s modus operandi and its hindrance to American democracy to deduct its irrelevance. Mr. Dufour looks at people’s expectations from democracy in the 21st century as well as the meaning of American democracy, which is linked to the American dream to infer the polite fiction nature of the electoral college. The merit of the article lies within the facts it explores and considers as irrefutable evidence against any kind of compatibility between the electoral college and progressivism.

Reflections and Observations on Mark Twain's "The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today"

Reflections and Observations on Mark Twain's
Author: Fritz Dufour
Publisher: Fritz Dufour
Total Pages: 433
Release: 2021-02-27
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN:

The Gilded Age: a Tale of Today is a depiction of those crimes committed in the United States in the late 19th Century which so frequently went unpunished and of the casualties which ought to be called crimes. The description severely winds up with the satirical verdict “No one to blame.” The project of Colonel Sellers for raising mules for the Southern markets is a satire upon the fraudulency and soap-bubble speculation of capitalists. The work is full of hints and descriptions that take their rise from the frauds and outrages under which the country had plagued for so many years. Family, social and national questions are all cleverly satirized. The monument erected to the memory of the Father of his country – a monument begun, but, of course, never completed – calls forth some strokes of bitter but not unjust humor. The means by which preferment is obtained in Washington are amply satirized. There are two views of this book: favorable and unfavorable. This essay considers both. For instance, while some critics think that it is incoherent, others suggests that the narrative departs from the traditional methods of concluding and is thereby more natural than most novels because every chapter of the book bears the marks of both writers and is therefore a novelty in its way. In this essay I argue that The Gilded Age is essentially a satire and should always be accepted as such. Of course, other good contemporary books did not make it to our time in terms of popularity and legacy. The Gilded Age did. We talk, write, and read about it to this day. Evidently, it is an integral part of the annals of American literature and fully contributes to Mark Twain’s reputation, legacy, and lasting influence.

Variation in Health Care Spending

Variation in Health Care Spending
Author: Committee on Geographic Variation in Health Care Spending and Promotion of High-Value Care
Publisher:
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2013-10-01
Genre:
ISBN: 9780309387514

Health care in the United States is more expensive than in other developed countries, costing $2.7 trillion in 2011, or 17.9 percent of the national gross domestic product. Increasing costs strain budgets at all levels of government and threaten the solvency of Medicare, the nation's largest health insurer. At the same time, despite advances in biomedical science, medicine, and public health, health care quality remains inconsistent. In fact, underuse, misuse, and overuse of various services often put patients in danger. Many efforts to improve this situation are focused on Medicare, which mainly pays practitioners on a fee-for-service basis and hospitals on a diagnoses-related group basis, which is a fee for a group of services related to a particular diagnosis. Research has long shown that Medicare spending varies greatly in different regions of the country even when expenditures are adjusted for variation in the costs of doing business, meaning that certain regions have much higher volume and/or intensity of services than others. Further, regions that deliver more services do not appear to achieve better health outcomes than those that deliver less. Variation in Health Care Spending investigates geographic variation in health care spending and quality for Medicare beneficiaries as well as other populations, and analyzes Medicare payment policies that could encourage high-value care. This report concludes that regional differences in Medicare and commercial health care spending and use are real and persist over time. Furthermore, there is much variation within geographic areas, no matter how broadly or narrowly these areas are defined. The report recommends against adoption of a geographically based value index for Medicare payments, because the majority of health care decisions are made at the provider or health care organization level, not by geographic units. Rather, to promote high value services from all providers, Medicare and Medicaid Services should continue to test payment reforms that offer incentives to providers to share clinical data, coordinate patient care, and assume some financial risk for the care of their patients. Medicare covers more than 47 million Americans, including 39 million people age 65 and older and 8 million people with disabilities. Medicare payment reform has the potential to improve health, promote efficiency in the U.S. health care system, and reorient competition in the health care market around the value of services rather than the volume of services provided. The recommendations of Variation in Health Care Spending are designed to help Medicare and Medicaid Services encourage providers to efficiently manage the full range of care for their patients, thereby increasing the value of health care in the United States.

Global Trends 2040

Global Trends 2040
Author: National Intelligence Council
Publisher: Cosimo Reports
Total Pages: 158
Release: 2021-03
Genre:
ISBN: 9781646794973

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic marks the most significant, singular global disruption since World War II, with health, economic, political, and security implications that will ripple for years to come." -Global Trends 2040 (2021) Global Trends 2040-A More Contested World (2021), released by the US National Intelligence Council, is the latest report in its series of reports starting in 1997 about megatrends and the world's future. This report, strongly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, paints a bleak picture of the future and describes a contested, fragmented and turbulent world. It specifically discusses the four main trends that will shape tomorrow's world: - Demographics-by 2040, 1.4 billion people will be added mostly in Africa and South Asia. - Economics-increased government debt and concentrated economic power will escalate problems for the poor and middleclass. - Climate-a hotter world will increase water, food, and health insecurity. - Technology-the emergence of new technologies could both solve and cause problems for human life. Students of trends, policymakers, entrepreneurs, academics, journalists and anyone eager for a glimpse into the next decades, will find this report, with colored graphs, essential reading.

The Economic Recession

The Economic Recession
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 7
Release: 2009
Genre:
ISBN:

While the recession increased demands on the health care safety net as Americans lost jobs and health insurance, the impact on safety net providers has been mixed and less severe--at least initially--than expected in some cases, according to a new study of five metropolitan communities by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). Even before the recession, many safety net providers reported treating more uninsured patients and facing tighter state and local funding. Federal expansion grants for community health centers during the past decade, however, have increased capacity at many health centers. And, programs to help direct people to primary care providers may have helped stem the expected surge in emergency department use by the uninsured during the downturn. Federal stimulus funding--the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act--has assisted hospitals and health centers in weathering the economic storm, helping to offset reductions in state, local and private funding. And, the economic downturn has generated some potential benefits, including lower rents and broader employee applicant pools. While safety net providers have adopted strategies to stay financially viable, many believe they have not yet felt the full impact of the deepest recession since the Great Depression.

The New Public Health

The New Public Health
Author: Theodore H. Tulchinsky
Publisher: Academic Press
Total Pages: 911
Release: 2014-03-26
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 012415767X

The New Public Health has established itself as a solid textbook throughout the world. Translated into 7 languages, this work distinguishes itself from other public health textbooks, which are either highly locally oriented or, if international, lack the specificity of local issues relevant to students' understanding of applied public health in their own setting. This 3e provides a unified approach to public health appropriate for all masters' level students and practitioners—specifically for courses in MPH programs, community health and preventive medicine programs, community health education programs, and community health nursing programs, as well as programs for other medical professionals such as pharmacy, physiotherapy, and other public health courses. Changes in infectious and chronic disease epidemiology including vaccines, health promotion, human resources for health and health technology Lessons from H1N1, pandemic threats, disease eradication, nutritional health Trends of health systems and reforms and consequences of current economic crisis for health Public health law, ethics, scientific d health technology advances and assessment Global Health environment, Millennium Development Goals and international NGOs

From Few to Many

From Few to Many
Author: Amanda Glassman
Publisher: Brookings Institution Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2009
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780815724797

"From Few to Many is the first comprehensive look at Colombia's 1993 health system reforms. It describes the implementation of universal health insurance, including a subsidized system for the poor, and examines the impact of this and other reforms during a time when Colombia experienced crushing recession and internal conflict that displaced half a million people." "Prior to the reforms, a quarter of the Colombian population had health insurance. Subsidies failed to reach the poor, who were vulnerable to catastrophic financial consequences of illness. Yet by 2008, 85 percent of the population benefited from health insurance." "From Few to Many describes the challenges and benefits of implementing social health reforms in a developing country, exploring health care financing, institutional reform, the effects of political will on health care, and more. The reforms have provided important lessons not only for continued reform in Colombia, but also for other nations facing similar challenges." --Book Jacket.

Key Concepts in Public Health

Key Concepts in Public Health
Author: Frances Wilson
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 350
Release: 2008-11-19
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 1446243559

"This is a very good text for undergraduate students as it gives a broad overview of the concept of public health, utilising case studies to illustrate practical application. This book would be also be an excellent way for practitioners to increase their own knowledge of public health and could inform their own continuing professional development." Julie Lemprière, University of Gloucestershire Key Concepts in Public Health identifies fifty key concepts used across the discipline of public health in order to give the reader a broad perspective of the core topics relevant to training and practice. From epidemiology to health promotion, and ethics to leadership, the book offers an exciting guide to the multiprofessional field. Each entry features: - a snapshot definition of the concept - a broader discussion addressing the main issues and links to practice - key points relevant to the entry - case studies to illustrate the application to practice - examples of further reading. Highly readable, with clear indexing and cross referencing, this is an ideal book to turn to for learning more about key issues in public health practice and education. The clever structure means the book can be read in its entirety to support a programme of study or readers can use it to dip into and update their knowledge of a particular concept. It meets the validation requirements of all allied health and nursing training programmes and will also be invaluable for policy-makers and healthcare practitioners continuing their professional education.

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 96
Release: 1966-06
Genre:
ISBN:

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is the premier public resource on scientific and technological developments that impact global security. Founded by Manhattan Project Scientists, the Bulletin's iconic "Doomsday Clock" stimulates solutions for a safer world.