Caesarean section and financial aspect
This paper will explore the issues that pertain caesarean method of delivery. This practice is found to be on the rise in America. This topic has been chosen because of the relationship that this has with the issues of health in America. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the source of payment for the surgery every day. The financial aspects of the practice come in two flavors: the practice acting as a source of incentives to the doctors performing the operation (Gruber, & Owings, 1994) and the method that the patients use to meet the heavy medical bills (Randall, 1990). Many patients opt to use caesarean section as a method of delivery because of the complications that might be experienced in the normal vaginal delivery. One motivating factor that leads to the use of this method is the availability of private healthcare insurance that is found to be on the increase. The adoption of this mode of payment to medical bills is a fact that makes many people to go for this medical option whatever the costs that are incurred.
Although this is the case, there is yet another issue that is seen to be on the increase. That is the fact that doctors recommend patients to go for the caesarean section because of the financial incentives they are going to get (Gruber, & Owings, 1994). This is another issue that is causing ripples in the medical field. Doctors are blamed for high rates of caesarean births that are experienced of late.
Caesarean Section as a source of incentives to doctors
The objective of the research was to find out the relationship that existed between the incentives that the doctors got and the rate of Caesarean Section in America. The target group is to the general public. The information that is published in this article shows the rate of Caesarean Section and the increase in the income of the physicians in the genealogy. In their article, Gruber and Owings (1994) argue that the high ratesof caesarean section in America is due ot the effort by gaenologists to have their patients go through this process so that they get more pay. With the finacial times in which these physicians were going through, the option of using this method became apparent. With the financial times and challenges that doctors are facing given the hard financial times, most doctors prefer using methods of payments which are more reimbursed by private insurance covers. They show excess care of their patients in order to qualify for this method of payment. A study that was carried out by Gruber and Owings (1994), shows that the relationship between the the adoption of use of Caesarean Section in most births and the increased income pressure of most doctors is in indication that doctors are responsible for this increase in Caesarean Section.
Private insurance and caesarean section delivery
The decision to go for caesarean section is influenced by a myriad of other factors which are not related to medical issues. One of the factors is that of financing. It has been found that the availability of private healthcare insurance financing is the main reason as to why patients go for this practice.
Similarities
i. Both od the researches were done in America
ii. Both researches dealt with the financial aspect of Caesarean Section
iii. Both researches had the objective of finding the rate of caesarean section
Differences
Was published by National Bureau of Economic Research
Was published by American Journal of Public Health
Qualitative
It was quantitative
Targeted the economists
Targeted the government
References
Belizan, J. M., Althabe, F., Barros, F. C., & Alexander, S. (1999, November 27). Rates and implications of caesarean sections in Latin America: Ecological study. Retrieved December 09, 2011, from BMJ: http://www.bmj.com/highwire/filestream/389873/field_highwire_article_pdf/0.pdf
Gruber , J., & Owings, M. (1994, November). Physician financial incentives and caesarean section delivery. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from National Bureau of Economic Research: http://www.nber.org/papers/w4933.pdf?new_window=1
Randall, S. S. (1990, March). Cesarean section use and source of payment: An analysis of California Hospital discharge abstracts. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from American Journal of Public Health: http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/pdf/10.2105/AJPH.80.3.313
