The NAIC has asked some individuals about their take on health care spending as influenced by their economic situation. Most of them have rendered health care services to be too expensive for them to afford, limiting their ability to purchase their basic needs and demands as human beings, most especially their physiological needs. (Furhmans, 2008) With this in mind, we ask what our society has become. It was impossible to think about living without health care, as it is the answer to a long and healthy life after all.
However, it has become difficult to think about why individuals would neglect one of their most obvious and major sources or reasons for living and not consider how it will affect them physically, mentally, psychologically, and emotionally. In general, the neglect for health care due to economic difficulties will result to an unproductive society. Health care professionals and police makers have looked into the potential risks and threats that will arise from the current situation of health care and the way of life of individuals.
They have determined that the neglect for health care services will only aggravate health-related problems and result to expenses that are much higher than addressing health concerns at once. (Furhmans, 2008) This thought suggests that individuals should not neglect their need to undergo health care services to prevent serious illnesses and diseases and lessen expenditure for health care services. The question however is how individuals will be able to do so, when there is no way for them to afford it.
The economic crisis has led to layoffs and unemployment, which in turn influences how individuals will be able to afford health care plans and services. The inability to afford health care plans will not provide them with health care coverage for their health-related needs and concerns. (Furhmans, 2008) Added to these problems, the economic downturn has also caused the increase in prices of goods and commodities, limiting the buying power of individuals. The neglect for health care services follows the emphasis provided for the purchase of basic necessities despite the urgent need for health care services.
Therefore, whether individuals may want to meet the expense of needed health care services, they are unable to as the economic crisis presents them with no options at all to survive the difficulties. The only possible but unaccommodating option there is for individuals who are unable to afford health care services is to avoid obtaining health problems, not until the economic crisis is resolved. (Kingsbury, 2008) However, it the nation will be unable to survive the economic crisis, then the health care situation will continue to worsen.
The rate of unemployment will increase. Therefore, the number of individuals who will be able to afford health care insurance will also decrease. The absence of sources of income and low salary for those who will remain employed will mean that limitations will be made to spending. Individuals will choose to spend for expenses that cover basic needs such as food and shelter. The escalation of prices, again due to the economic slump, will limit spending only to few expenses leaving scarce or no resources left for health care spending.
If people will get sick, they will not be able to afford health care services to get well. Illnesses or diseases will worsen, and without being cured, it will spread and infect other individuals who are also unable to afford health care services to prevent and cure it. People will get sicker by the minute, affecting their physical, psychological, mental, and emotional wellbeing making them unproductive and inefficient members of society. Consequentially, it will lead to the deterioration of society, due to incurable illnesses and diseases, and even deaths.
It is appalling to learn how the state of the economy will determine the health care situation of the nation, and identify the quality of life and the kind of society that will arise from two possible situations. However, since the nation is undergoing the worse case of the two, it is but logical to point out that the health care crisis is tied to the economic slump, and in order to resolve the situation, the government should look into fixing the economy in order to restore order and alleviate health care problems that highly influences life and society.
References
Fuhrmans, V. (2008). Consumers Cut Health Spending, As Economic Downturn Takes Toll. Retrieved November 15, 2008, from D2Hawkeye, Inc. Website: http://www. d2hawkeye. com/D2_WSJ_9-22-08. pdf Hockenberry, J. , Udoji, A. & Merz, C. (2008). What the Health of the Economy Means for Healthcare. Retrieved November 15, 2008, from The Take Away. Website: http://www. thetakeaway. org/stories/2008/oct/09/what-the-health-of-the-economy-means-for-healthcare/ Kingsbury, K. (2008).
Failing Economy Predicts Worse Health. Retrieved November 15, 2008, from Time Inc. Website: http://www. time. com/time/business/article/0,8599,1737546,00. html “Scrimping on Medical Care. ” (2008). Retrieved November 15, 2008, from The New York Times Company. Website: http://www. nytimes. com/2008/10/26/opinion/26sun3. html? _r=1&oref=slogin Center for Economic and Social Rights. (2004). The Right to Health in the United States of America: What Does it Mean? Retrieved November 15, 2008, from http://cesr. org/filestore2/download/733/health%20report%20final%20on%20website%20(oct%2028). pdf