Biomaterial Database

Government intervention in health care markets is practical, necessary, and morally sound. 2012

Len M Nichols

George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA.

This essay makes the affirmative case for health reform by expounding on three fundamental points: (1) one moral case for expanding access to coverage and care to all is grounded in scriptural concepts of community and mutual obligation which continue to inform the American pursuit of justice; (2) the structure of PPACA springs from an appreciation of and approach to channeling market forces that was developed and proposed by a coalition of moderate and conservative Republican U.S. senators almost 20 years ago; (3) the most humane path to a better and more sustainable health system lies in implementing (and amending where appropriate) PPACA as fast and fully as we can. The purpose of this essay is to articulate why it is not possible to make our health system better, sustainable and serve us all without government playing specific and limited but absolutely crucial catalytic roles.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011057	Politics	Activities concerned with governmental policies, functions, etc.	Political Activity,Conservatism,Decentralization,Liberalism,Political Factors,Activities, Political,Activity, Political,Factor, Political,Factors, Political,Political Activities,Political Factor
D002835	Christianity	The religion stemming from the life, teachings, and death of Jesus Christ: the religion that believes in God as the Father Almighty who works redemptively through the Holy Spirit for men's salvation and that affirms Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior who proclaimed to man the gospel of salvation. (From Webster, 3d ed)	Stigmata,Christian Ethics,Christian Ethic,Ethic, Christian,Ethics, Christian
D003363	Cost Control	The containment, regulation, or restraint of costs. Costs are said to be contained when the value of resources committed to an activity is not considered excessive. This determination is frequently subjective and dependent upon the specific geographic area of the activity being measured. (From Dictionary of Health Services Management, 2d ed)	Cost Containment,Containment, Cost,Containments, Cost,Control, Cost,Controls, Cost,Cost Containments,Cost Controls
D004465	Economic Competition	The effort of two or more parties to secure the business of a third party by offering, usually under fair or equitable rules of business practice, the most favorable terms.	Competition, Economic,Competitions, Economic,Economic Competitions
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012935	Social Justice	An interactive process whereby members of a community are concerned for the equality and rights of all.	Food Justice,Common Good,Justice,Obligations of Society,Good, Common,Justice, Food,Justice, Social
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D017048	Health Care Costs	The actual costs of providing services related to the delivery of health care, including the costs of procedures, therapies, and medications. It is differentiated from HEALTH EXPENDITURES, which refers to the amount of money paid for the services, and from fees, which refers to the amount charged, regardless of cost.	Medical Care Costs,Treatment Costs,Costs, Medical Care,Health Costs,Healthcare Costs,Cost, Health,Cost, Health Care,Cost, Healthcare,Cost, Medical Care,Cost, Treatment,Costs, Health,Costs, Health Care,Costs, Healthcare,Costs, Treatment,Health Care Cost,Health Cost,Healthcare Cost,Medical Care Cost,Treatment Cost
D058991	Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act	An Act prohibiting a health plan from establishing lifetime limits or annual limits on the dollar value of benefits for any participant or beneficiary after January 1, 2014. It permits a restricted annual limit for plan years beginning prior to January 1, 2014. It provides that a health plan shall not be prevented from placing annual or lifetime per-beneficiary limits on covered benefits. The Act sets up a competitive health insurance market.	Affordable Care Act,Affordable Care Act (ACA),Health Care Reform Act,Obamacare,PL 111-148,PL111-148,Public Law 111-148,111-148, PL,Act, Affordable Care,Acts, Affordable Care,Acts, Affordable Care (ACA),Affordable Care Acts,Care Act, Affordable,Care Act, Affordable (ACA),Care Acts, Affordable,PL 111 148,PL111 148,Public Law 111 148
D018166	Health Care Reform	Innovation and improvement of the health care system by reappraisal, amendment of services, and removal of faults and abuses in providing and distributing health services to patients. It includes a re-alignment of health services and health insurance to maximum demographic elements (the unemployed, indigent, uninsured, elderly, inner cities, rural areas) with reference to coverage, hospitalization, pricing and cost containment, insurers' and employers' costs, pre-existing medical conditions, prescribed drugs, equipment, and services.	Healthcare Reform,Health Care Reforms,Healthcare Reforms,Reform, Health Care,Reform, Healthcare,Reforms, Health Care,Reforms, Healthcare