The practice and ethics of risk-related health insurance
Article Abstract:
Risk rating may be a costly and unfair means of determining health insurance coverage. Risk rating is the practice engaged in by all US health insurance companies that places individuals in certain risk groups to determine their insurance coverage. But many conditions that are denied coverage are minor, common ailments, as well as disabling, chronic ones. Consequently, those with the greatest need for medical services are denied coverage. Insurance companies also try to reduce their payments by requiring copayments and excluding certain tests and procedures. Risk rating may be responsible for skyrocketing health care costs and inadequate coverage, yet insurance companies have never been challenged on this practice. Risk rating may be a result of American individualism, which leads to the idea that it is unfair to force people to pay for the health care of others. But it undermines the basic function of insurance, which is to spread the cost of health care among the general population.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1992
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Examination gloves as barriers to hand contamination in clinical practice
Article Abstract:
Use of examination gloves may prevent microbial contamination of health care workers' hands during different types of routine hospital procedures. Latex gloves may be more protective than vinyl gloves. A study examined microbial contamination of 135 gloves that touched a patient's mucous membrane during a procedure. Among 86 gloves contaminated externally by different types of bacteria, 44 were latex and 42 were vinyl. The hands of 11 health care workers were contaminated in the 86 events in which a glove was externally contaminated. Only one health care worker with contaminated hands had worn latex gloves, but 10 had worn vinyl gloves. Vinyl gloves had significantly more leaks than latex gloves. Gloves still prevented hand contamination in 77% of the situations in which a leak occurred.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1993
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Wanted: a clearly articulated social ethic for American health care
Article Abstract:
Americans need to engage their policymakers in an open debate about the need for universal health insurance. About 40 million Americans do not have health insurance, and an estimated 10 million are children. The US is the only industrialized country that continues to ration health care based on the ability to pay. Some who want to maintain this system claim that the government cannot afford to subsidize health care for people who will not be economically productive. However, about $100 billion in tax subsidies is already provided to people insured through their employer because premiums are paid from pretax income. That money could insure all uninsured Americans.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1997
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