| The American Health Care system prides itself | | | | system. Many serious health problems |
| on providing high quality services to | | | | |
| | | | -- such as lead poisoning and drug-resistant |
| citizens who normally cannot afford them. | | | | tuberculosis -- are handled |
| It's been in place for years and until now | | | | |
| | | | inefficiently or not at all.Perception of |
| has done a fairly decent job. The problem | | | | family physicians is another leading problem |
| today is money; the cost of hospital | | | | in health care. Under our |
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| services and physician fees are rising | | | | current system, specialists can take any |
| faster than ever before. Government has been | | | | patient they want without a referral |
| | | | |
| trying to come up with a new plan even | | | | (assuming insurance/payment is guaranteed), |
| though strong opposition against the idea | | | | further, that specialist can provide a |
| | | | |
| of a new Health Care system exists.There are | | | | patient with primary care in addition to |
| arguments to be made for both sides of the | | | | their own specialty.The reduction in the |
| aisle, but money seems to be | | | | number of primary care physicians has |
| | | | resulted in specialists |
| the common concern. Both sides want to save | | | | |
| money, but in different ways. The | | | | taking on some of the workload left behind. |
| | | | But the question remains, are they truly |
| movement for change believes that there is a | | | | |
| need because the system was not | | | | the best qualified to provide primary level |
| | | | care? One could argue that since a |
| designed to face the problems it does today. | | | | |
| Every month, 2 million Americans lose | | | | cardiologist has had some training as an |
| | | | internist before their fellowship, that they |
| their insurance. One out of four or 63 | | | | |
| million Americans, will lose their health | | | | are qualified as general practitioners. |
| | | | Conversely, a physician trained specifically |
| insurance coverage for some period during | | | | in |
| the next two years. 37 million Americans | | | | |
| | | | primary care cannot legally, ethically, or |
| have no insurance and another 22 million | | | | morally provide cardiology based services. |
| have inadequate coverage.Losing or changing a | | | | |
| job often means losing insurance. Becoming | | | | But is the cardiologist really suited to |
| ill or living with a | | | | handling a patient's primary care needs?The |
| | | | more a specialist sees patients for primary |
| chronic medical condition can mean losing | | | | care purposes (and they do, because |
| insurance coverage or not being able to | | | | |
| | | | economically, it adds to their practice) the |
| obtain it. Long-term care coverage is | | | | less time they have to pursue knowledge |
| inadequate. Many elderly and disabled | | | | |
| | | | and research in their respective field. In |
| Americans enter nursing homes and other | | | | the United States, the whole idea of having |
| institutions when they would prefer to | | | | |
| | | | specialists is having "the best and |
| remain at home. Families exhaust their | | | | brightest in their field."If a new crop of |
| savings trying to provide for disabled | | | | primary care physicians could be cultivated, |
| | | | they could focus more |
| relatives. Many Americans in inner cities | | | | |
| and rural areas do not have access to | | | | on community health and expand practices (in |
| | | | general, not just a few) to house |
| quality care, due to either poor | | | | |
| distribution of physicians, nurses, | | | | calls, free clinics, and off-hours clinics. |
| hospitals, clinics | | | | In this way health care could be made more |
| | | | |
| and/or support services. Public health | | | | accessible and affordable to those who |
| services are not well integrated and | | | | typically need it most: the low-income, |
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| coordinated with the personal care delivery | | | | elderly, uninsured or underinsured. |