Ethics in Healthcare

Sample Nursing Essay: Ethics in Healthcare Delivery

The field of healthcare research and nursing practice encompasses principles and standards that outline the anticipated ethical behavior of practitioners. Additionally, they contribute to safeguarding human participants by optimizing advantages and minimizing adverse effects of medical interventions. An influential historical event that shaped the development of ethical guidelines for clinical research occurred during the mid-20th century.

Scientists and medical researchers in the 1940-1950s witnessed the horrific actions of the Nazi dictatorship, which had an impact on their scientific and medical experiments (Metcalf, 2014). Preventing the experiments of the Nazi doctors became difficult due to the lack of established research ethics. Consequently, the researchers brought the issue to court, where they raised awareness about the problem's presence. Additionally, they established the standard for developing subsequent ethical codes and policies (Metcalf, 2014). The tragedy influenced the current ethical standards of behavior by highlighting the urgent issues in medical research.

Additionally, it offered recommendations on the most morally upright approaches to address these challenges, drawing on the successful strategies employed by the researchers and the unsuccessful ones. The United States has consistently been at the forefront when it comes to embracing ethical ideals. The American Nurses Association adopted the initial Code of Ethics for Nurses in 1950, preceding numerous other countries (Bernstein, 2017). During the 1960s and 1970s, a significant historical event occurred in Western Europe and the US, which prompted the global need for the establishment of ethical rules. The incident also constituted a research scandal that questioned the efficacy of the Nuremberg Code and other contemporaneous rules (Metcalf, 2014). The event had a significant influence on ethical codes, leading to both revisions of existing principles and the creation of new legislation. The effectiveness of the newly created laws was enhanced by their incorporation of anticipated legal norms of ethical behavior and practical enforcement mechanisms. 

Healthcare Insurance

The expenses associated with healthcare services in the United States are escalating on a daily basis. Consequently, insurance providers are actively seeking methods to mitigate these costs. One method is the utilization of managed care plans, which effectively limit expenses by establishing provider networks (Speights, 2018). These healthcare providers enter into special pricing agreements and, as a result, deliver services at reduced prices. Another important method is usage management, where the individuals responsible for paying for healthcare services evaluate the necessity and appropriateness of care prior to receiving it (Speights, 2018). Such assessment helps people avoid paying for unnecessary procedures that needlessly inflate their hospital expenses.

In addition, managed care strategically utilizes preventative medicine to minimize healthcare expenses. The programs prioritize regular exams and screenings to enable early detection of diseases, rather than waiting for an ailment to progress and incur higher treatment costs. Managed care plans ultimately offer financial incentives that help cover the price of some services, enabling members to have greater control over their healthcare expenses. An illustrative instance is the implementation of tiered pricing, in which members are charged a lower fee for generic prescription prescriptions in comparison to branded medication. Proper implementation of managed care systems ensures that the quality of healthcare remains uncompromised. The providers must satisfy particular criteria of exceptional quality to be included in the managed care plans (Speights, 2018). In addition, managed care contributes to enhancing the quality of medical services by advocating for preventative medicine. The patients' problems can be gradually addressed, hence decreasing the likelihood of clinical errors. Insufficient assessment of the necessity for medical attention or choosing to forgo certain services to cut costs might undermine the overall standard of healthcare. In any event, if utilization management is implemented in a variable manner for each instance, it precludes the possibility of making generalizations, so ensuring that there is no sacrifice in quality. Every patient is regarded as an autonomous entity with distinct need for healthcare.

Health insurance can be categorized into two types: employer-sponsored and private or individual coverage. Although both of them contribute to cost reduction in healthcare, they include distinct dissimilarities. Employer-sponsored insurance is contingent upon the employment agreement, therefore terminating coverage upon an employee's departure from the organization. Furthermore, personal underwriting is not permitted as the insurance coverage is assured for the entire duration of one's employment (Merhar, 2013). In contrast, private plans are not contingent on employment, allowing individuals of any occupational position to apply.

Furthermore, under employer-sponsored insurance, the employer contributes to the cost of premiums. This gift additionally alleviates the economic strain on employees. Conversely, private plans incur higher costs as the policyholder is responsible for paying the entire premium amount (Merhar, 2013). Nevertheless, if an individual meets the necessary criteria, certain governments provide subsidies for individual plans, thereby reducing their cost and increasing affordability.

Moreover, employer-sponsored insurance is selected by the proprietors of enterprises. They are also responsible for conducting research on various covers and assessing possibilities prior to choosing the most advantageous plan. In contrast, private insurance empowers consumers to select the most suitable coverage plan that aligns with their specific requirements (Merhar, 2013). Individuals can choose their chosen hospitals and healthcare providers when buying insurance, either directly from corporations or through reputable brokers or agents. While the process of making these decisions may be time-consuming and difficult, particularly for individuals who are not familiar with health insurance, private plans do not impose restrictions.

However, it is important to note that the premium for employer-sponsored insurance is subtracted from pre-tax income, whereas the premium for individual plans is not. Considering these disparities, the suitability of each insurance coverage type depends on individual taste and circumstances. Nevertheless, private healthcare plans are gradually becoming more popular as a result of the escalating healthcare expenses. This situation has posed challenges for employers, particularly those in small businesses, who find it increasingly difficult to bear the costs of providing insurance to their employees.

References

Bernstein, R. (2017). The history and application of nursing ethics. Online Husson.  https://online.husson.edu/nursing-ethics/  

Merhar, C. (2013). Employer health insurance vs. individual plans - Which is better? People Keep.  https://www.peoplekeep.com/blog/bid/305863/employer-health-insurance-vs-individual-plans-which-is-better 

Metcalf, J. (2014). Ethics codes: History, context, and challenges. Data Society. https://bdes.datasociety.net/council-output/ethics-codes-history-context-and-challenges/  

Speights, K. (2018). What is managed care? Fool. https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/10/06/what-is-managed-care.aspx