chapter 8 discussion

Chapter eight talks about how the U.S. and how they have three economic accesses to health services. The three economic accesses to health service are Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance. Medicare is where for selected groups only. They are for the elderly and disabled who are eligible for social security. Medicaid is for children and adults who need help when it comes to insurance. Private health insurance is where an employer provides for their workers. These three economic accesses do not “fit” together but they do help people in today’s society. Social workers can help people understand what the protocol is when it comes to health insurance. I believe that if you have a medical social worker there at hospitals to explain insurance to the patients then it will clear a lot of questions that they might have.  One thing that is not fair is that not everyone can afford insurance and sometimes people have a hard time to be seen by a doctor because they do not have insurance. More people are becoming uninsured and health care cost is becoming more and more expensive. It is really sad in my opinion. One good direction we could do is to make sure we inform everyone on how to live a healthy lifestyle and try to exercise when they can. That can help them by not getting sick as often. Hopefully one day we will have a society where everyone was eligible for health care and we can all make sure that everyone gets the help that they need.

Fort Cowles, L. A. (2003). Social Work in the Health Field: A Care Perspective (2nd Ed.) Binghamton, NY: The Haworth Press.