Beliefs, Values, and Political Stance...

Inpatient care is at the heart of our healthcare system. Other healthcare elements such as the workforce, technology, financing, and managed care systems, center on the question of cost and access of inpatient care. In a disease focused system that also values market justice, profits are made off of new expensive technology, which may not be necessary or may even be harmful for individuals. These situations increase costs for inpatient care. One example of such technology is drug companies. According to Peterson, “experts estimate that more than a hundred thousand Americans die each year not from illness but from their prescription drugs…making medicines one of the leading causes of death in the United States”3. In the United States in 2005 we spent $250 billion on prescription drugs. However Peterson goes on to describe that, “only about 10 percent of the price of most brand name pills goes to cover the cost [of making prescription drugs]”, the rest is used for marketing and salaries of executives3. Left in a market justice system, this could be allowed to continue. This produces high cost for individuals who use prescription drugs. This includes individuals who use those drugs to stabilize their conditions (which decrease costs of care in an inpatient facility) but also for those experiencing inpatient care. If these technologies were not left to a market system then the profit could be returned back into the system it was originally intended. In this current system managed care systems are allowed and feel justified in focusing cost cutting on hospital stays. For instance, one initiative policy provided by one managed care system was “authorizing just one day of hospital care for new mothers who had normal deliveries”1. Inpatient care would only NOT be a vital part of the system if there was never any incidence of injury, accidents, mental illness, disability, or disease. While, I am sure that is a world we would all like to be a part of, it is not one that we fathom actually existing. Therefore inpatient care remains at the heart of healthcare.


That is why, when it comes to inpatient care our group values 1) social over market justice5. Healthcare should not be determined by companies looking for profit but, should be a community working together to improve health. 2) We value a shift from a disease focused system to a wellness focused system5. 3) Thirdly and most importantly we value the right of all individuals to access quality treatment options that they choose in cohesion with their doctors—not chosen by a company considering costs before individual needs.


We believe 1) in order to improve cost and quality we need to put forth public health efforts to lessen the number of individuals needing inpatient care, 2) that you and your doctor, not insurance companies, HMOs, or PPOs, should be responsible for determining what medical care is necessary for you, and 3) that all options should be available for your inpatient treatment and after choosing one, should be covered/affordable to you.


We believe our beliefs and values most closely align with the Democratic Party. The GOP does have initiatives that sound reasonable and exciting for healthcare reform, such as focus on preventative measures. This would help decrease the costs of inpatient care by lowering the amount of people needing it. However many aspects revert back to market justice. For instance, they suggest bonus for states with 90% vaccine rates as part of their initiative to lower chronic disease2. They use the flu shot as an example of the importance of vaccines. Vaccines are now a part of the “drug company” community and new vaccines are not always safe to get. Besides taking away the choice of individuals (and the fact that chronic disease isn’t prevented by vaccines) but the Huffington Post notes that that the GOP’s suggestion to invest $50million annually to increase vaccine availability would actually increase costs4. Let alone the fact that this could increase the number of people needing hospitalizations if not considered closely. (see the following link for more information: http://naturalcommunitiesmag.com/?s=vaccines&cat=3)


We support the increase consumer choice when it comes to treatment and the guaranteed coverage that government insurance can offer. We support improved public health initiatives to lower chronic disease and increase wellness in our nation. We have been using a market justice system that isn’t providing access, quality, or cost efficient inpatient care. This is why our idea of reform believes in a socially just answer to our inpatient care issues.



-Lindsey Purl



Works Cited in MLA
1) Cohn, Jonathan. Sick: The untold story of America’s health care crisis—and the people who pay the price. New York: HarperCollins, 2007. Print.
2) “GOP Solutions for America: Common-sense health care reform our nation can afford”. Gop.gov. Web. 14 February. 2010. .
3) Petersen, Melody. Our Daily Meds: How the pharmaceutical companies transformed themselves into slick marketing machines and hooked the nation on prescription drugs. New York: Sarah Crichton, 2008. Print.
4) “Republican Health Care Unveiled”. The Huffington Post.com. 20 May. 2009. Web. 14 February. 2010. .
5) Shi, Leiyu, and Douglas A. Singh. Delivering Health Care in America: A systems approach. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett, 2007. Print.