Initial reply to Sharma Ndum

It is unfortunate to see that our healthcare is one of the most expensive in the world and

our patient outcomes are not the highest. Costs are continuing to rise, and a clear solution has yet

to be established. We cannot continue to let our patients suffer due to the increasing costs of

healthcare. I agree that Medicare involvement in medication coverage decision-making would be

an ethical dilemma. Deciding which medications are covered based solely on the cost is placing a

higher level of importance on the money spent versus the lives that are improved.

If you are asking someone who is a young and healthy about their views on the topic,

they may feel that expensive medications are not necessary to fall into the level of covered

services. When you ask the same question to someone who is in need of a life-saving medication,

they will likely express that these medications should be covered at full cost. Everyone brings

their own personal views to the table when it comes to this topic. We cannot expect everyone to

come to a similar view, but we must somehow reach a compromise. Milstead and Short (2019)

shared that nurses who have been reluctant to become active in the political arena cannot afford

to ignore their political obligations any longer. We must work together to bring change

recommendations to the political arena, and we must allow our voices to be heard.

I feel that we all would want to extend the lives of those that we love. It is nearly

impossible to provide a dollar amount that would equal to what we value someone’s life. We

cannot expect people to come to an agreement on something this sensitive without going through

all of the avenues first. Although the ultimate goal was to reduce the costs of care and improve

patient access to care, the Affordable Care Act did not specify where these costs are to be

adjusted and how the care provided would improve in each situation.
 We must decide where we can make modifications and where we need to remain true to

the ultimate goal of health care. Knickman and Kovner (2015) shared that one potential problem

with any attempt to control costs, however, is whether the intervention lowers costs simply by

lowering standards. Patient care is the primary goal of our field. Although the cost of healthcare

and the medications provided are key components, the care that patients are receiving should

always remain the focus. Ethical and economic factors are blinding many of us of the importance

of the care that we provide. We are aiming to help patients live a healthier life, and the cost of

services and mediations should not sway us from doing that.

References

Knickman, J. R., & Kovner, A. R. (Eds.). (2015). Health care delivery in the United

States (11th ed.). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.

Milstead, J. A. & Short, N. (2019). Health policy and politics: A nurse’s guide (6th ed.).

Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.