Economical Issues in Health Care

Essay by nsx405University, Bachelor'sA+, March 2004

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Economy plays a huge role in our everyday life and especially in health care industry. The modern medical markets have developed in such a way that any economical change will almost certainly effect middle and lower class population in the negative way. The increased availability of more effective medical care programs have changed expectations about what physicians could do and highly increased the demand for medical services while simultaneously increasing the price of these services. The one indication of this change is a reproductive medicine, which clearly shows a direct link between economic issues and health care.

Economic issues affect many decisions that are essentially ethical in nature. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), in particular, presents one such ethical dilemma. For example, economics influence the number of IVF attempts that a couple may undergo. Consequently, a couple's financial status may affect a physician's judgment on how many embryos to transfer. Economical and ethical issues are also present in the area of egg donations.

As one can expect, the couples are paying higher and higher prices to egg donors. One potential solution to the high cost of undergoing repeated IVF attempts that have encouraged ethical questions might be the concept of a refund program when the treatment is unsuccessful.

Another medical issue that is affected by economics involves advising couples when to stop treatment. It is difficult to watch couples exhausting their financial resources on multiple IVF attempts, possibly leaving themselves unable to pursue other means of family building, such as adoption. When is it appropriate for a health care provider to suggest that quitting IVF may be the best way for a couple to realize their dream of actually raising a child?

Through agencies like The Center for Surrogate Parenting and Surrogate Parenting Services, couples from all over the world...