The main objective of Uphill Medical Center is to provide quality healthcare to the residents in the community. However, it has not been able to target a majority number of people, especially those in the lower class. Therefore, it has taken further steps to provide free medical services to the less fortunate in society. The main aim of the initiative is to increase healthcare access to people in the community.
The opportunity presented by the initiative
The government is always keen at making sure that every individual has access to health care services. The initiative presents an opportunity at all levels to reform the care system so that there is quality care. It provides an opportunity for the government to work with the hospital so that there is adequate provision of care and medical equipment. The initiative is considered to be ethical because it will ensure that every person in the community has access to universal healthcare (Madden, 2015). However, the negative effect of the initiative is that it can harm the same people who are expected to benefit from the effects of increased tax if funding is mostly sourced from the government. More specifically, an increase in tax will result in higher cost of living among people. In addition, it is likely to encourage tax avoidance behaviors.
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The outcome of providing free healthcare
Free healthcare to people has the advantage of making sure that every individual in society has access to health care despite their social status. In addition, it ensures that the same standard of care is provided to every person at low costs. Free healthcare also results in a healthier community because preventative care decreases the need for emergency room use which can be expensive (Cutler, 2014).
Factors Influencing the Implementation of the Initiative
The main factor that encourages the implementation of the initiative is the increase in the demand of health care among people especially, those who are not able to afford it. It is also influenced by the need to ensure that there is universal care in the community (Truong, 2014).
Demand and Supply of the Initiative
The discussion relating to health care is a crucial focus to many people today in terms of lowering the costs of healthcare. An increase in health care costs has been linked to a decline in economic growth and poor health among people in the community. The supply and demand for the proposed economic initiative is as follows;
The demand for the initiative is based on the fact that healthcare needs to be available to every person despite their financial status (Hiroo, 2017). The healthcare is currently receiving cases of many people who need health care but are not able to afford it or even afford the medication. This clearly indicates that there is a demand for free services. On the other hand, the success of the initiative depends on the ability of the government to collect the taxes. An increase in the taxes means that the government would be able to partially fund the initiative (Cantro, 2015). Even though an increase in tax initiative is expected to reduce the cost of health care among individuals, there is still uncertainty on if the initiative can be effective. There is also uncertainty on the ability to make sure that there is cost-effectiveness. It means that the effectiveness of the initiative will depend on the data collected to ensure that is cost effective and to ensure that it is accepted among people.
Conclusion
The initiative would ensure that every person in the community has access to the healthcare services provided by the facility. It will also make sure that the same standard of care is provided to every person at low costs. It also means that every person will be able to afford the health care and no one will be turned down because of lack of finances. Free healthcare will results in a healthier community because preventative care decreases the need for emergency room use which can be expensive.
References
Cantro, M. N. (2015). Health care quality: A question of supply and demand. American Journal of medical Quality , 30 (5), 491-492.doi: 10.1177/1062860614557514
Cutler, D. (2014). The quality cure: How focusing on health care quality can save your life and lower spending too. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Hiroo, S., D. Et. Al. (2017). Estimating and evaluating of future demand and supply of healthcare services based on a patient access area mode. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health , 14 (11), Pp. 1367.doi:10.3390/ijerph14111367
Madden, E. F. (2015). Cultural health capital on the margins: Cultural resources for navigating healthcare in communities with limited access. Social Science & Medicine , 133 (1), Pp. 145-152.doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.03.006
Truong, M. Et. Al. (2014). Interventions to improve cultural competency in healthcare: A systematic review of reviews. BMC Health Services research , 14 (1), Pp. 99.doi:10.1186/1472-6963-14-99
