Medical Ethics - - Politics Forum and Political Blog discussing and debating political and social issues.

Tete123 · #1 (**permalink**) 10-07-2008, 02:56 AM

Recent debates on this forum have defended both the private and publicly funded health care systems.

The debate is a worthy one, with many believing that an American style system of insurance to cover medical costs, provides quick, efficient and higher quality treatment. The opposing view that a publicly funded health care system, while overly bureaucratic, at least guarantees that all medical costs are covered by the state, although long waiting lists and postcode lotteries, are in fact condemning people to death!!

The question is not which system is better, but which method should developed countries implement and which hold the most ethical value?

Both systems seem to need the support of the other to ease pressure and provide safety nets in certain eventualities. Is it therefore inevitable that to provide maximum efficiency, a mix of both public and private must exist?

The American system, having Medicaid and Medicare, among various other State run programs to provide medical care to those that cannot afford private health insurance.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

Is it ethical to make profits from the health industry? Should your expectation of higher standards of health care increase according to wealth, or should everyone be entitled to a universal standard of health care? Should countries, particularly those that claim to have special relationships, trade in health care, with priority to the patient, rather than the investor? Is money paid to insurance companies, better used to fund medical research, rather than sit in investment funds, only to reach the health service when required?

The UK favour the publicly funded NHS. I can't imagine anybody defending the service with impunity, yet even the most scathing critic must see that in essence, the concept was born with noble ideals.
NHS Choices

With long waiting lists, what reforms are required to provide a higher quality service? Despite huge increases in funding in recent years, is the system destined to fail, if so what reason(s) can we ascertain to be the cause?

There are many more questions that need both asking and answers, please contribute with any thoughts you may have.

The main question I believe is which system has the higher moral/ethical standards compared to the level of care it provides?

Hopefully this will prove to be a useful debate, with contributions that strengthen the position of both systems, as well as critical analysis!!

Tete

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