Instructions
Part A – Read about Free Universal Healthcare (last page of chapter 9). Answer the following questions.
1. Do you think the US healthcare system needs to change? Why or why not?
2. Should it change to a single-payer health care system? If yes, how will it be beneficial over employer-provided coverage or privately purchased health insurance? If no, then what is your suggestion for affordable healthcare?
Free Universal Health Care
Except for the United States, the largest advanced economies in the world all provide a heavily subsidized universal health care system, that is, a publicly funded system that provides primary health services to all, usually at a nominal fee only and with no exclusions based on income or wealth. Although these systems are not perfect, their continued existence seems assured, regardless of the cultural or political framework of the various countries. A logical question is why the United States would be an outlier on this issue, and whether that might change in the future. Even though these systems aren’t perfect, it seems likely that they will continue to exist no matter what the culture or government is like in each country. It makes sense to ask why the United States is different on this issue and if that could change in the future.
Some answers, as noted in the text, lie in the United States’ historical reliance on a mostly private system, with approximately 83 percent of health care expenses provided by the private sector through insurers and employers (in contrast, this percentage in the United Kingdom is 17). A solution that has gained traction in recent years is conversion to a single-payer system. How might this work? One article estimates that the cost of instituting a national, single-payer health care insurance program in the United States would be $32 trillion over ten years. If this estimate is accurate, would it be an exorbitant price tag for such a program, or would it be money well spent in terms of making good health care available to all citizens?
Critical Thinking
• Do you find it appropriate that health care costs be provided by a mix of private versus public sources?
• What advantages might single-payer health care offer over employer-provided coverage, care provided under the ACA, or privately purchased health insurance?
Part B – Read about any entrepreneur or business leader in Appendix B or on other online sites.
1. Write the name of the entrepreneur/ leader and the company he/ she is associated with.
2. How does/did this leader display ethical leadership? Provide any examples if possible.
50 – 80 words for each of the above questions.
