Politcal Stance

Special populations include ethnic minorities, uninsured children, women, people in rural areas, the homeless, those with mental illnesses and disabilities and those with HIV/AIDS. These populations face great hurdles in the health care system.

Our team aligns with President Obama. He is familiar with special populations and the problems they face. President Obama often spoke of his mother’s battle with ovarian cancer. She battled the disease and the insurance companies who refused to pay for her treatments. Obama said, “I know what it is like to see a loved one suffer, not just because they are sick, but because of a broken health care system.” Obama is requiring insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions so people regardless of illness or disability can receive health care. President Obama understands there is a large underinvestment in preventive medicine. He understands that screenings and immunizations are vital for change from an illness to a wellness system.

Our group values life and care of special populations. We value the quality of care that is delivered; that health care is equal and appropriate and not diminished due to disabilities or race. We also believe in wellness and not just the lack of disease. Special populations have greater risks of health problems and having a wellness approach reduces these risk.
We believe in equal access for special populations. Special populations are disadvantaged and usually do not have access to medical treatment. We believe that health care should be a public resource. Special populations receive and obtain less medical care due to costs and access. As a public resource they would receive the proper care when needed. Lastly, we believe that heath care should be affordable even if you have a disability or need special care as special populations do.
Our beliefs and values will influence cost, access, and quality. Costs will rise because it is more expensive to care for special populations. Special populations require more specialized care including long-term care at the tertiary level. Also, it will cost more to pay for the millions of more people that will be receiving care. Between 9.2 and 9.7 million children are without health insurance and as a result of receiving services, costs will increase. As a public resource there would be an influx of new patients, equaling higher prices and effecting access.
Access for special populations will also be influenced. Special populations do not have the same access to health care as the rest of the population. Many immigrants do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. With the influx of special populations it could result in longer waiting lists for health care services.
We hope that the quality of health care services improves over time. We strongly believe in prevention which will eventually lead to healthier lives. By valuing the care and lives of special populations we believe that their overall quality of healthcare will be improved and appropriate.

A study in 2008 interviewed adults with chronic conditions from eight industrialized countries who received health care. The countries participating in the survey represented a mixture of insurance designs and systems. The U.S stood out for the most expensive system and gaps in coverage. The U.S also ranked the highest for negative patient experiences and lowest for access, care, and patient-reported safety concerns. U.S. patients indicated the most that the primary care system had problems with errors, delays, duplications, and higher use of the ER.
People may believe that our political stance may not work in our society. Many Americans value capitalism and entrepreneurism. The possibility of loosing the private sector of health care to the government goes against those two values. Health care is seen as a good or services provided by the people that the individual makes their own choice on. Also, there is a chance that taxes could rise to cover costs and people have expressed many times that they are not interested in higher taxes.
You ask yourselves, why should I believe in this group’s stance towards health care and special populations? According to our text, Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach, a health care delivery system should have two objectives: to enable all citizens access to health care and those services should have quality standards that are cost-effective. Our fragmented system fails on both levels and it greatly affects the special populations. We need to place these individuals at the front of improving our health care system since most of them share a disproportionate amount of national spending.


Sources:

Bivesn, J. & Gould, E. (2008). Obama Health Plan Out Performs McCain Plan in Coverage and Efficiency. Retrieved February 12, 2009. from Economic Policy Institute. https://uwlax.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.epi.org/publication/entry/pm126/

Obama-Biden. (2008). Healthcare. Retrieved February 12, 2009.
From https://uwlax.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.barakobama.com/issues/heatlhcare/

Shi, L., & Singh, D. (2008). Delivering Health Care in America: A Systems Approach (4th ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.


The Health Center Program: Special Populations (2008). Retrieved February 12, 2009, from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://uwlax.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://bphc.hrsa.gov/about/specialpopulations.htm

The Number of Uninsured Americans Is At An All-Time High.(2006). Retrieved February 12, 2009, from Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
https://uwlax.edu/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cbpp.org/8-26-08pov.htm