2 pages writing about some questions and sources searching

Evaluating Sources

1. Write out the research question you're pursuing through writing Project 3. My research question: should health care in the United States be subsidized by the government? Despite that I had already listed two other questions for the last week’s assignment, I realized that health care is far more relevant to me than the other two subjects I listed. Before moving to the U.S I had enjoyed a subsidized health care system, and hence I am more curious to research this topic and see what I can find.

Consider your first source: write out the name(s) of the author(s) (if given), the article title, the name of the publication, the date of publication, and the page numbers (if given) for this source, along with the name of the library database from which you found the source. Then write two paragraphs about this source: one paragraph in which you summarize what the author is saying, and another paragraph in which you respond to what the author is saying (e.g., discuss whether you agree or disagree, whether the source is helpful to your own thinking about your research question, etc.). Name of author: Thomas Bodenheimer. Title: High and Rising Health Care Costs. Part 1: Seeking an Explanation. Publication: Annals of Internal Medicine, May 2005. Page number: 847-854. Library database: Academic Search Complete. Summary: In this article the author is talking about the health care system in the United States and asserts that our system is by far the most expensive in the world. The author determines to present an explanation to the soaring expenses of our health care and delve into that matter. The lack of regulation and freedom of the health market are part of the reason, according to the author, our health care expenditures are soaring. He provides different perspectives on the health care issue in attempt to explain or shed light on the matter. The first perspective counter argues that the rising costs of health care is in fact a good sign, since it means that it provides income, more jobs, and delivers the service people desire. The second perspective claims that the rising costs of health care are in fact due to external reason that are not related to the health care system, and therefore needed to be addressed rather than pointing finger at the health care system. The third perspective talks the absence of a free market that increases competition and may lead to a fair and decent decline in costs.

Response: The author talks about the rising costs of health care in the U.S and compares it to other countries in the world. He presents three major perspectives regarding this matter and thoroughly elaborates on them. The first perspective presents a counter argument that supports the rising costs. I think that such counter argument can be very helpful for my research, because it presents another side or opinion on the matter. In addition, the second perspective talks about other factors that are no related to the health care system that affect the costs of care like the economy. This point is helpful as the latter, since it provides another explanation why health care is expensive and presents another aspect on the matter. I think

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that it is very helpful in answering my question and can serve as another factor to explain my readers why health care should be subsidized. Finally, the author uses a third perspective to present the absence of a free market for the health care system. He explains that if there was competition, prices could go down and consumers would be able to enjoy those benefits. This point is helpful in answering my question since it proves that something needs to be done with our health system, and I can use it to propose subsidizing health care to my readers in addition to allowing free competition.

2. Consider your second source: write out the name(s) of the author(s) (if given), the article title, the name of the publication, the date of publication, and the page numbers (if given) for this source, along with the name of the library database from which you found the source. Then write two paragraphs about this source: one paragraph in which you summarize what the author is saying, and another paragraph in which you respond to what the author is saying (e.g., discuss whether you agree or disagree, whether the source is helpful to your own thinking about your research question, etc.).

Name of author: Donna M. Nickitas. Title: The Cost of Care in America: $2.7 Trillion. Publication: NURSING ECONOMIC$, July- August 2013. Page number: 161. Library database: Academic Search Complete.

Summary: In this article the author talks about the enormous amount of money spent in the United States on health care -$2.7 trillion. She talks about how expensive our health care system is and uses various basic care procedures and their costs in the U.S to compare with other countries. As it turns out, we pay three to four times more than many other countries in the world for many basic and simple medical procedures. She explains that the medicine is exactly the same, here and in other countries, and that the issue is with the unregulated health system that allows every party to choose their prices. The consumers, as a result, are left to pay and deal with the burden.

Response: I think that this article is a great resource to answer my question, as it clearly states that we have a problem in our health care system. It is too expensive. I can use this to argue for a reason why the health should be subsidized and why there should be a change. She says that we pay more than other countries, because there is no control on the costs where doctors and insurance companies negotiate between each other on the price they want to get, while the patients are left to deal with the rest. It would be very helpful to use such information and I think that it would make my points even stronger in the eyes of the reader, since I clearly present a problem that is costing all of us great money.

3. Consider your third source: write out the name(s) of the author(s) (if given), the article title, the name of the publication, the date of publication, and the page numbers (if given) for this source, along with the name of the library database from which you found the source. Then write two paragraphs about this source: one paragraph in which you summarize what the author is saying, and another paragraph in which you respond to what the author is saying (e.g., discuss whether you agree or disagree, whether the source is helpful to your own thinking about your research question, etc.).

Name of author: Patricia W. Stone. Title: Determining Value in the U.S. Healthcare System. Publication: NURSING ECONOMIC$, May-June 2017. Page number: 142-144. Library database: Academic Search Complete.

Summary: In this article, the author talks about the health system in the U.S and points that our health system has by far the most expenditure, due to high costs. She further stresses that, unfortunately, our population has poorer health outcomes and higher health risks than many other developed countries. She uses a table to provide clear information on the health outcomes and risk factors in the U.S versus other modern countries. The table shows that the U.S has the lowest life expectancy at birth, the highest infant mortality, the highest percentage of people older than 65 that have chronic problems, and the highest obesity rates. She says that more research should be done on cost-effective practices as well as method and comparative- effectiveness. The latter is a direct comparison of existing health care interventions to determine which work best for which patients and which pose the greatest benefits and harms. According to the author, such research could help improve our health system and drive the results of health care.

Response: I think that this source is helpful as well and can help shed more light on my question. It talks about the low health outcomes and higher health risks that are in our population. I could use it to present another reason for subsidizing our health care costs and connect it to the poorer health outcomes and higher health risks, by suggesting that such results are also due to the rising costs of health are. This can be used to persuade readers that there is in fact a problem with the health care system that needs to be resolved, which by making health care more affordable would allow people to get treated more often and thus reduce those health risks.

4. If you have additional sources, write out summaries and responses for them now.

Name of author: Timothy Stoltzfus Jost. Title: HEALTH CARE IN THE UNITED STATES AND THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. Publication: Human Rights, 2018. Page number: 6-9. Library database: Academic Search Complete.

Summary: In this article the author talks about the health care in the U.S and explains thoroughly all the different initiatives and acts the government had passed in order to improve affordability and accessibility for people in need. The author talks about Medicare and explains what kind of health insurance that is and who may be eligible for it. He talks about Medicaid and explains about this insurance as well. He uses that to bridge his introduction to the affordable care act that was passed by former President Barak Obama and explains the nature of that act. The act was meant to allow more people in need to gain access to health care service and ensure affordability for people in need. The author uses those services to explain the readers how the health care system works in the U.S and how people can get care in times of need. The U.N declared in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that "Everyone has a right to a standard of living adequate for health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and the right to security in the event of sickness [and] disability." Such declaration states that every person has the right to get medical

or a proper health care. According to the author the U.S does not recognize that deceleration, since many poor families still cannot obtain proper access to health care service and the issue remains unsolved. He says that despite those services and affordable act, there are still many limitations and people are still struggling to afford getting proper care.

Response: I think that this source is a great foundation for my paper, since it provides background information on the health care system in the U.S as well as the different ways citizens can obtain health care. It provides a background on the problem families with low income face through the inability to access normal health care services and can be used as necessary background information to begin my paper. I think that this paper is very helpful and may serve as a tool to explain the readers why there is a problem with our health care system and why I am even asking my question in first place.

5. Looking back over all your sources, respond to these questions:

o What have you learned about your overall topic after reading these sources? Overall, through reading these sources I have learned many new things regarding the health care system in the U.S and gathered information to assist me in answering my question. To begin with, through these sources I was able to see how much exactly the health care system is more expensive, in the U.S, than in other developed countries. This is vital information, as it provides a reason for subsidizing the health care system in the U.S. and can be used as a strong point for my paper. In addition, I also learned how low the health outcomes and how high the health risks are in the U.S compared to many other developed countries. This is very important, as it could be used to start a debate or a paragraph that can be intriguing for the readers. It could be used to make readers wonder why we spend so much money on health care, that even some people cannot allow themselves to get proper care, but yet the results of such care are considerably low. Furthermore, I learned through my sources about the different initiatives and government acts that were passed in order to rectify and accessibility and affordability of the health care system. I learned about affordable care act and the expansion of Medicaid, however there is more that can be done to improve those systems within our health care, as many more people are left uninsured and there are numerous restrictions that inhibit people from receiving proper care.

o In what specific ways could these sources help you answer your question for Project #3? These sources could help me answer my question in many different ways. Firstly, my fourth source provides a background to my question and discusses about all the ways citizens can obtain health care in the U.S. The first and most expensive way is without insurance, the second way that is moderately expensive is through private insurances, and last way is through Medicare or Medicaid. The latter option is the most affordable and least expensive. The source also talks about the affordable care act and how it made some change for families with low income who cannot afford receiving care. There are however restrictions and harsh limitations, which can be used to introduce the readers the problem with our health care –it is too expensive. This can be used as a background, necessary information, to present the health

problem that I focus my paper on and use this to bridge to my reasons or points that will allow me to develop my paper better. In addition, the sources help me see that there is in fact a rising cost problem in our health system like the $2.7 trillion in one year that Americans spent on health care. The sources also provided a comparison between health care expenditures per capita in the U.S and other developed countries. Ironically, we again pay twice as much and even three times more than other developed countries. This showed me that health care is in fact expensive, if not one of the most expensive in the world. I can use this to support my question and support that our health care in fact does require some form of change. Finally, I learned through my sources that our health outcomes are significantly low compared to other developed countries, and that we have the highest health risks in our population. Such information helps me see that there is a problem in our health care system, since people clearly do not get the proper health they need, whereas in other developed and modern countries people do. Why is that so? It could be because the costs are too high and people are avoiding getting full care every time they might need and wait until the very last minute. If costs were low people would be encouraged to get checked every time they felt ill or were in pain, and thus problems or sicknesses could be treated more effectively.

o Of all the sources you read this week, which do you think you'll use in your Project #3 paper? Why? I will be using all four of my sources. I think that all of them provide very rich and elaborate information on our health care system and present most the problems or reasons why it should be regulated or subsidized. I can use those resources to provide an adequate background to the health system and its problems, use the statistical and numerical evidence that our costs are amongst the highest in the world, and that our health care system is not providing adequate outcomes and increasing health risks due to people avoiding care when needed. This could be helpful and resourceful for my paper, and together with personal experience I could write a paper that presents coherent points and counter arguments that can effectively answer my question.