The United States' hospitals began as charitable organizations funded by religious ordinances or charitable individuals/leaders and the staff running the hospital were, either volunteers, or the founding religious order. The hospitals were historically located in the larger towns in association with the organization who founded them. Currently, hospitals are funded by state government; for profit and non profit health organizations; health insurance companies; or the more historical charities, and are largely staffed by professional physicians, surgeons and nurses. Health Care has evolved from the more historical charitable organizations and are now focused more toward their economic objective.
Just as a society's collective education level, income, and employment rates can influence policy, so can a society's collective level of health. A major issue discussed throughout the various authors' works has been the problem of an aging population. An again population occurs when less people die at earlier ages from diseases and other infections, combined with lower levels of fertility; both in terms of the population as a whole.
United States
United States
Published by the American Psychiatric Association,...This becomes a major issue in terms of disease and longevity because, as with any aspect of a society, if it is to succeed it must be well planned. Planning, in terms of a society, is achieved and addressed through public policy. And just as the needs of a population change, as it ages, the policies must as well. The greatest issues pressing for reform in United States health care are diseases, mental health, an aging population and/or the need for more managed and well-planned care as a population. Until insurance companies started to pay for patients care, the idea of what constituted a disease was not something that was discussed as much in the public and political realm. But decisions about what should be covered by insurance, and exactly what kind of...