Discuss The Pros And Cons Of Today's Medical Industrial Complex

2. Compare the structure and financing of today's “medical–industrial complex” to your mental image of the nineteenth- and early twentieth-century hospital. Outline your arguments—both pro and con—for this debate topic: Resolved, that government shall eliminate all favorable tax treatment for not-for-profit healthcare organizations.

My mental picture of hospitals in the 19th century comprises of small establishments owned by medical graduates or physicians which is the direct comparison to today’s rural clinics. Most of the hospitals in the 19th century and early 20th century were majorly public owned structures and financially funded by nonprofit organizations, churches and were majorly visited by the poor since the rich could afford to have

Also, there has been competition for superiority in the field, and so privately owned medical facilities have embarked on research to try and improve medications. This has led to better healthcare at the end (Gold, 1998) Another advantage is, with the medical-industrial complex, there has been a steady increase in proprietary facilities, nursing homes, home cares, laboratories and other privately owned facilities which offer up to standard healthcare. This releases the pressure from public hospital setting like in the 19th centuries where hospitals would be flooded with sick people with lesser personnel hence compromising healthcare provisions. I think the only con of the medical-industrial complex is an increase in medical costs. With new and improved medications comes, a price to pay for it and so higher payments are that prices. Otherwise, the rise of private medical institutions has led to improvements in the healthcare industry as compared to the 19th century and early 20th

Due to lack of merit to determine what exactly charity is, many of these organizations have interpreted these the laws as they like (Owens, 2005). This has led to many offering poor services, charging the needy and poor hospital facilities. I think the government should eliminate tax exemptions from not-for-profit health organizations and instead use the tax money to support private institutions to help the poor and uninsured access quality medication in their