Conflict Perspective On Health Care

Harrison College

9/9/15

Mini Project 3/Final assessment

There are many different social problems in our society today. Many of them revolve around money and or status. Healthcare is one of the top social and economic problems facing Americans today. The rising cost of medical care and health insurance is impacting the livelihood of many Americans in one way or another. The inability to pay for necessary medical care is no longer a problem affecting only the uninsured, but is increasingly becoming a problem for those with health insurance as well. The average annual premiums for single and family health insurance under employer-sponsored coverage was $5,615 and $15,745, respectively, in 2012. (Source: Kaiser/HRET Survey of

The conflict perspective also focuses on how the profit motive influences health issues, illness, and health care. The profit motive underlies much of the illness, injury, and death that occurs from hazardous working conditions and dangerous consumer products. Conflict theorists argue that the high costs of medical care in the United States are a result of a capitalistic system in which health care is a commodity, rather than a right. The conflict perspective views power and concern for profits a the primary obstacles to U.S. health care reform. Insurance companies realize that health care reform translates into federal regulation of the insurance industry. In an effort to buy political influence to maintain profits, the insurance industry has contributed millions of dollars to congressional

Social changes can have a huge impacts. As we all know health care is not cheap, and it much more unaffordable when you only make minimum wage and barely making rent. The cost of living is not cheap either, and it is not getting any better as our world develops and technology grows. One idea for a social change to help with health care costs is, raising minimum wage. This social plan can be explain in three theories; macro, meso, and micro. Raising the minimum wage will reduce poverty. According to economic estimates, raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour will reduce the poverty rate for non-elderly Americans to 15.8 percent by 2016 from current 17.5 percent levels (Boushey, 2014). This increase would bring about 6.8 million people out of poverty. Congress should also take care to make sure that other benefits for low-wage workers provide a full package for low-wage workers and their families as families will also need help with access to affordable and quality health care, childcare, and housing, even at a higher minimum wage. Raising the minimum wage will have positive economic effects above and beyond lowering the poverty rate. Economic research points to the conclusion that a higher minimum wage does not cause greater unemployment, boosts productivity, and addresses the growing problem of rising income inequality. The minimum wage debate currently underway tends to narrowly focus on those workers making exactly the minimum wage. This approach misses a large number