Assessing and Regulating Healthcare

The three principles of medical ethics are autonomy, beneficence, and justice. Even though these principles provide a guide in medical decisions they are applied by the public and private sectors differently. Issues that affect the population are the concerns of the public health and the issues that affect the individual are the concerns of the private health. This creates many ethical dilemmas for the public in the delivery of health services. As the healthcare system continues to deal with budgets cuts, more insured people, and restructuring of managed care and integrated systems there will be an emergence of ethical questions. Such dilemmas will have to be evaluated and submitted for analysis by the public sector in the future.

In 1990, congress passed the Patient Self Determination Act (PSDA). This gives the patient the right to choose what type and to what extent of medical care they want for themselves. Along with this act the patient also has the right to accept or refuse any medical care. If a patient has an urgent decision to make in regards to their healthcare they can appoint a legal representative which has the authority to make decisions for them if they cannot make their own decisions because of illness itself. All hospitals, long-term facilities, home health agencies, hospice programs, and HMOs that do receive Medicare or Medicaid dollars are regulated and assessed with the passage of this act.

In 1996, congress passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). This gives the patient the right to be treated for preexisting medical conditions. Along with this act the patient also has the right not to be discriminated against for employment because of medical conditions. In 1990, congress passed the Civil Justice Reform Act. This gives the patient the right to a speedy and inexpensive resolution of any civil dispute in our nation's federal courts no matter if they are rich or poor, an individual or a corporation, the plaintiff or the defendant.

It all comes down to the person making the decision; they have to ask themselves if it is ethical or unethical. We deal today with the issue of whether abortion is ethical or unethical. Ethics have to be taught we are not born with them. Education is where it all needs to start if it hasn't already.

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American InterContinental