The rising number of uninsured individuals in the country poses mainstay challenges to stakeholders in healthcare. When uninsured patients cannot pay for the needed medical services, physicians are faced with an ethical dilemma of whether to incorporate the financial needs of the patient or not and thereby turn down the client (Weiner, 2001). This seriously affects the physician-patient relationship, and therefore calls on the physician, as well as the patient, to make difficult choices. Some patients may declare that the care is unaffordable, despite the healthcare personnel being aware of the dangers of avoiding treatment, or the consequences of offering the needed services. When faced with such a circumstance, a physician may opt for several alternatives which include: referring the patient to more affordable care such as a public clinic, reducing the billing fees or offering substandard care that matches the patient’s financial ability. In the first alternative, more affordable service might be hard to come by, or the condition might not give enough time or convenience to seek such care (Weiner, 2012, p. 412). Adjustments in the billing may be against the employer’s policy while offering substandard care increases liability risk.
Referring the patients to a more affordable clinic or offering services at subsidized fees is more ethical (Schmitt, 2012). However, it can only be achieved through a plan that incorporates effort from all stakeholders, spearheaded by the government and with contributions from the healthcare personnel, social activists and the uninsured population. Implementing this plan will iron out the mishaps of dilemmas associated with the issue of uninsured, and narrow down the alternatives to addressing the problem to the more acceptable one. First, the government should play a central role in providing subsidized healthcare services through public clinics and impose policies and regulations that will help the industry. Second, physicians should take on an approach that individualizes each patients dilemma, which will assist in finding the best solutions them. Third, social activists should promote a culture of understanding and commitment to healthcare plans among the uninsured.
References
Schmitt, J. (2012) Health-insurance Coverage for Low-wage Workers, 1979-2010 and Beyond.
Center for Economic and Policy Research. Retrieved from: http://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/health-low-wage-2012-02.pdf
Weiner, S. (2001) “I Can’t Afford That!’ Dilemmas in the Care of the Uninsured and
Underinsured. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 16(6): 412-418. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1495228/pdf/jgi_00519.pdf
