About Health Care Law

The concept of universal health care started with the term of President Bill Clinton when he pushed the concept of a united healthcare plan for Americans. The topic has so much social implication that it has been made a point of discussion in every election campaign and which further stresses the current healthcare crisis in the United States. The government needs to step up its efforts in order to curb the growing expenses in healthcare services which are eating into the Nation�s budget.

There are no arguments that every government is responsible for maintaining the health of its citizens. However, the debate ensues on the manner on how to implement such a worthy cause with far reaching implications. The sooner this issue goes from the floor debates into the implementing laws the better for everyone.

The Healthcare Law from a European Perspective is a graduate course that hopes to bring together teachers, health policy makers and law graduates from all over Europe for an exchange of ideas and foster cooperation among neighboring nations. It involves various topics on healthcare law including medical ethics. They also expect to tackle solutions to common problems in the continent.

No scope has yet been defined since it is a relatively new study although broadly, healthcare law is defined as the study of all laws passed that affects healthcare issues. By this definition, healthcare law possesses certain legal specialization which may cross over to administrative, civil or even penal law.

Do you remember the game you played when you were kids? The game wherein you had to save only 5 – 10 people (placed inside the boat) out of, say, 20 (depending on the rules of the game), and lay off the others who are “worthless”, all of which have special cases?

Doctors in Chicago are pretty much doing the same right now. A group of medical professionals, together with some prominent people in the academe, have come up with a list of who won’t join the boat if ever something like that will happen. They included in their list the elderly, victims of trauma, patients who have had 3rd degree burns and those who are mentally challenged. They actually did this list so that all hospitals will adopt the same roster of patients.

Sounds familiar? It’s like the 3rd sequel of the Titanic.

Photo taken from http://www.geocities.com/sachem01890

The Microsoft HealthVault Fund has increased from $3 million to $4.5 million to give more substantial awards for the winners of the online health applications contest. This contest encourages the creation of solutions that address health issues such as childhood obesity, diabetes management, medication reconciliation and health management. The judges represent leaders from the health field, including Adam Bosworth, Newt Gingrich, Mark Liponis, M.D., Valerie Montgomery Rice, M.D., Leslie Nowralk, Mark Pierson M.D., and Brent Ridge, M.D. The winners will be revealed at the Microsoft HealthVault Solutions Conference which will be held from June 9 to June 10 in Bellevue, Wash.

There are actually 7 types of Health Insurance in which an applicant can apply for in US. But usually, it depends on the status or occupation of the applicant. The types of Health Insurance are as follows:

1. Group Health Plans – This kind of insurance provides health care coverage for employers, student organizations, professional associations, religious groups and the like.

2. Individual Plans – This kind of plan is sold directly to individuals that avail of the insurance plan by applying personally to have one.

3. Fee-For-Free Insurance Plans – This is actually a way of some companies to compensate with the access of their employees to health care service. This plans offer reimbursements or refunds for their paid bills on hospitals from their company.

4. Managed Care Plans – These are sold to either group or individual clients. This insurance is manage by an insurance company wherein it has 2 subdivisions:
a. Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) – This is a prepaid plan in which people who avails this kind of insurance will pay a premium every month.
b. Preferred Provider Organization- This is a combo of fee-for-free insurance plans plus health maintenance organization plans

5. Government Health Plans – There are actually two types of Health insurance plans US offers:
a. Medicare – The coverage of this insurance is hospital insurance where it aides in paying for hospital stays and other bills consumed during hospitalization.
b. Medicaid – is designed to provide help with the beneficiaries of the person who applied for it. It covers lab test, consultation fee and x-rays
•TRICARE – health insurance plans for military

6. Supplemental Insurance – this covers the expenses that an individual failed to pay using the regular insurance

7. Worker’s Compensation – this is a kind of insurance in which the basis is if the injury is job related this insurance will cover it.

The code of ethic in the Philippines is formulated by the Philippine Medical Association promulgated or known as Republic Act 4224. This Code of Ethics includes the duties, responsibilities, obligations of Filipino Physicians to the recipient of their care.

The Code of Ethics of Physicians is subdivided into two Articles. Article I, in which in states the General Principles. There are six Sections in this article. Meanwhile, in Article II, it states the duties of the physician to their patients or to the recipient of their care.
Here is the Code of Ethics in Medical field in the Philippines (pinoy.md – a website for Filipino Doctors)
Read the rest of this entry »

But what the consumers don’t know and the marketing directors take advantage of, is that the product doesn’t necessarily have to be free for Americans to scoop it up. The people just have to believe in their own minds that it’s free. A highly successful selling technique is the “free gift” technique, offered on items that range from perfume, a product already being sold in numbers with outrages mark-ups, to cars, where cunning dealers lure customers with something “free” worth something tempting while the consumer in fact, pays the company the transaction which originally included the price of the so-called “free” giveaway.

With respect to the health care system proposals from the current administration that has seen a lot of resistance and was met with skepticism when it entered deliberations. He did make it a point when he introduced the bill that he was not going to accept any compromise. But reality comes and hits hard with him now accepting some revisions for the law to come back down to earth for with the US economy getting worse, there is not much support for the stern stand he was taking. With the help of congress and the senate, the administration is working hard to get these laws into implementation for Americans are getting very much impatient with the progress or lack of it the administration is currently in.

President Obama promised to overhaul the US’s health care system ever since he ran for office for it is one of the most pressing social issues that is plaguing the US. Many people who voted for him are in fact hoping for the “CHANGE” he so promised that was the norm of the political system for quite sometime. He has worked with his staff to get with a proposal on how the reform to the health care system if to take shape but as soon as it went into deliberations with lawmakers, stiff opposition was the unanimous voice. Funding is one of the key issues to be addressed and with many States already on the brink of bankruptcy, not much cash is available the proposed changes. Time will tell if a proper and acceptable compromise will be found, which ever way it goes the funds would have to come from somewhere.

This is the approach being taken by the Obama administration for the industry can be compared to a chunk of Swiss Cheese, riddled with holes and headaches. The health care system in the US is not only damaged but the whole health system is in so need of a revamp, touching one side of the spectrum without addressing the other would quickly land them in hot water, enough to scald them with the following legal battles. Read the rest of this entry »