Assignment task: When a 58-year-old employee, Sam, loses his job because his company is downsizing, he is unable to maintain his health insurance premiums for more than 6 months. He also finds it impossible to find employment with similar pay and benefits. His wife, receiving care for cancer, is now left without insurance. Sam pays more than $160,000 for his wife's care before her death, which occurred just 3 months after the health care coverage is lost. Sam is nearly bankrupt.
Q1. Were there any resources available to help with Sam's wife's care in this interim period of time?
Q2. What are the ethical issues that you see in this situation?
Q3. Can you think of any options that could have been offered to help in this situation - describe.