Assignment Task:
Who should pay the cost of healthcare for preventable illnesses? This is a hot topic of debate in healthcare today. Preventable illnesses include the following:
Smoking cigarettes and its link to cancer
Obesity and its association with hypertension and type 2 diabetes
Use of immunizations to prevent disease or reduce the likelihood of serious infection or hospitalization
Insurance companies did not charge patients for out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 during the early days of the pandemic. It is estimated that "some 88% of people with insurance coverage would have paid nothing if hospitalized" (Hart, 2021). That may change. Vaccines are now available, free, and proven effective at preventing serious illness and hospitalization. Many insurance companies are shifting the cost of COVID-19 treatment back to the patient (Hart, 2021).
Review the health and economic costs of chronic diseases in this article.
Who do you think should pay for the cost of treatment associated with a preventable disease?
What specific examples support your choice?