HEALTH OF THE NATION; HEALTH OF THE PLANET

Health care is one of the most important—and one of the most controversial—areas of public policy. Unlike most other industrialized nations, the U.S. has no government-run system of universal health care. Nations that do offer universal health care typically use a single-payer system, in which most medical costs are paid by and through the government. There have been a number of proposals to reform our health care system. The issues relating to health care are so complicated, however, that no significant action has been taken.

Learning objectives:

• Discuss how health care coverage works in the United States, and describe how that system compares to those in other industrialized nations.
• Describe and compare the views of Adam Smith and Karl Marx on government’s proper role in regulating the economy, and explain the concepts of equity and efficiency as they relate to the economy.
• Explain how the government regulates the economy in the United States and outline the politics behind that regulation.
• Understand universal health care coverage and the single-payer system.
• Discuss the government’s role in protecting the environment.
• Describe the Medicare and Medicaid programs and explain their similarities and differences.