Health Care System In Turmoil Essay Example

Health Care System In Turmoil Essay Example Health Care System In Turmoil Paper Health Care System In Turmoil Paper Patient access to care and the cost of care are two of the main reasons for the current turmoil in the health care system in the United States. With over 50 million Americans who are uninsured today patients continue to struggle in order to maintain their health care or trying to gain health care to comply with the new Affordable Care Act. With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passing in 2010 some seem to believe a solution to some of the health care system issues that people were facing would be fixed. But in June of 2012 the law or rather the taxes were challenged in the United States Supreme courts by being stated that the Act be repealed as it was unconstitutional. With that the supreme courts upheld the law stating that it was constitutional and upheld the taxes. According to HealthReform. gov many Americans are not given choices of affordable health insurance based on the areas that they live in. Fifteen percent of Americans in rural areas live in poverty, compared to 12 percent of people in urban areas, leaving many unable to pay for health insurance (U. S. Department of Health Human Services. , 2014) One major problem of health care and the impact that it has on the consumer and the community would be the cost according to the HealthReform. gov website. Those that live in rural areas where poverty is higher have the highest rates of diseases that are chronic. Most have no insurance and that gives limits to having access to primary care physicians. The main goal of the national health care tax of 2010 was to permit coverage to all the citizens of the United States, as well as placing the necessary health care facilities in places that they were needed the most, such as in the rural areas of the United States (U. S. Department of Health Human Services. , 2014) When asked of most Americans what they believe the most important health care issues that face the United States, access to care and cost remains the most common responses (Newport, Jones, Saad, 2012). Some Americans feel that the national health care tax is suppose to be the final answer to our health care issues, but others feel that our health care system is in turmoil and it needs to be reformed even more so than it already has been done. One of the biggest benefits of having the Affordable care act (ACA) would be that it ended the discrimination that insurance companies were permitted to have based on pre-existing conditions. Now with the ACA a person is able to have a pre-existing condition and not be turned down as they were before. Under the ACA choices of affordable health insurance is now obtainable due to the creation of health insurance exchanges that will allow a family to choose a plan that fits their needs. These same exchanges permit the Affordable Care act to provide a tax credit for small businesses to allow them to purchase coverage as well. The Affordable Care Act will also decrease out-of-pocket spending for Americans in rural areas. This reformed health insurance will put limits on how much insurance companies can expect an individual to pay out-of-pocket. (U. S. Department of Health Human Services. 2014). With the redesigning of the healthcare delivery system, another benefit to the system would be that emergency room visits would be reduced as well as a reduced burden for administration of healthcare by allowing the providers to get rid of methods of charging for unnecessary paperwork (Grumbach,2009) The Affordable Care Act of 2010 also has risk such as those in poverty levels still unable to afford health care due to their specific states not changing their Medicaid requirements. According to the New York Times statement from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, with the federal deficit lessening by $138 billion, the already weakened economy poses a great risk due to the cost of basic insurance coverage adding to the already expected cost of $938 billion in over a ten year period of time (The NY Times, 2012). Those risk of mandating that all Americans will face penalty if they have not purchased health insurance, even though there is no penalty defined in the Affordable Care Act, it is the posed risk that citizens are being forced by the government to purchase healthcare and makes people wonder just how much involvement does the government have in healthcare (Newport, Jones Saad, 2012) Reference Grumbach, K. , (2009). Redesign of the Healthcare Delivery System. JAMA, 302(21). Retrieved from http://jama. jamanetwork. com/article. aspx? articleid=184965. Newport, F. , Jones, J. , Saad, L. , 2012). Gallup Editors: American Views on the Healthcare Law, Americans are at best divided in support for the law. Retrieved from gallup. com/poll/155300/gallup-editors-americans-views-healthcare-law. aspx. The New York Times, Aug. , (2012). Health CareReform. Retrieved from http://topics. nytimes. com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/health_insurance_and_ managed_care/health_care_reform/index. html. U. S. Department of Health Human Services. (2014). More Choices, Better Coverage: Health Insurance Reform and Rural America. Retrieved from https://web. archive. org/web/20121014040852/www. healthreform. gov/reports/ruralamerica/index. html

Composition and Properties of Bronze

Composition and Properties of Bronze Bronze is one of the earliest metals known to man. It is defined as an alloy made of copper and another metal, usually tin. Compositions vary, but most modern bronze is 88% copper and 12% tin. Bronze may also contain manganese, aluminum, nickel, phosphorus, silicon, arsenic,  or zinc. Although, at one time, bronze was an alloy consisting of copper with tin and brass was an alloy of copper with zinc, modern usage has blurred the lines between brass and bronze. Now, copper alloys generally are called brass, with bronze sometimes considered a type of brass. To avoid confusion, museums and historical texts typically use the inclusive term copper alloy. In science and engineering, bronze and brass are defined according to their element composition. Bronze Properties Bronze usually is a golden hard, brittle metal. The properties depend on the specific composition of the alloy as well as how it has been processed. Here are some typical characteristics: Highly ductile.Bronze exhibits low friction against other metals.Many bronze alloys display the unusual property of expanding a small amount when solidifying from a liquid into a solid. For sculpture casting, this is desirable, as it helps to fill a mold.Brittle, but less so than cast iron.Upon exposure to air, bronze oxidizes, but only on its outer layer. This patina consists of copper oxide, which eventually becomes copper carbonate. The oxide layer protects the interior metal from further corrosion. However, if chlorides are present (as from seawater), copper chlorides form, which can cause bronze disease a condition in which corrosion works through the metal and destroys it.Unlike steel, striking bronze against a hard surface wont generate sparks. This makes bronze useful for the metal used around flammable or explosive materials. Origin of Bronze The Bronze Age is the name given to the time period when bronze was the hardest metal that was widely used. This was the 4th millennium BC about the time of the city of Sumer in the Near East. The bronze age in China and India occurred at roughly the same time. Even during the Bronze Age, there were a few items crafted from meteoritic iron, but the smelting of iron was uncommon. The Bronze Age was followed by the Iron Age, starting around 1300 BC. Even during the Iron Age, bronze was widely used. Uses of Bronze Bronze is used in architecture for structural and design elements, for bearings because of its friction properties, and as phosphor bronze in musical instruments, electrical contacts, and ship propellers. Aluminum bronze is used to make machine tools and some bearings. Bronze wool is used instead of steel wool in woodworking because it doesnt discolor oak. Bronze has been used to make coins. Most copper coins are actually bronze, consisting of copper with 4% tin and 1% zinc. Bronze has been used since ancient times to make sculptures. The Assyrian king Sennacherib (706-681 BC) claimed to be the first person to cast huge bronze sculptures using two-part molds, although the lost-wax method was used to cast sculptures long before this time.

Battles of world war II Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Battles of world war II - Essay Example In mid- November of 1942, a startling pincer assault by two Russian navies tore off the German Sixth Army, which was then confined to a bloody purge for the city of Stalingrad. Locked in a cauldron, the Sixth Army that was under the authority of General Friedrich Paulus was commanded by Hitler to seize its position rather than withdraw west to unite the forefront of the German forces. Hitler was optimistic that he could muster the Red Army after the crippling winter of 1942, informed on the verity that despite Army Group Centre had suffered a crippling blow after heavy assault west of Moscow the previous winter. The German summer odious to the south of the Eastern Front was fuelled by two main goals: material and time resources. Hitler was openly significantly unyielding to finish the offensive before the strength of the United States entered the war came into limelight and secondly, he was indomitable to lock oil resources in the Caucasus, which would refuse them the Soviet Union al though saving a supplementary petroleum reserve for Germany (Palmer 40-60). As German advanced to Stalingrad in summer, the Soviets had amassed sufficient warning of the German’s progress to ship practically all the city’s grain, rail-road rolling stockpile and cattle across the Volga. The â€Å"harvest triumph† left the town short of food supply still before the German assault started. Production persisted in some industries, especially the ones producing T-34 tanks. The battle of Stalingrad started with the grave shelling of the metropolis by Wolfram von Richthofen’s, which in autumn and spring of 1942 was the mainly prevailing single air configuration in the world. Over 1, 000 tons of bombs were dropped. The city was hastily turned into debris, although some industries continued manufacturing whilst employees joined in the fighting (Robbins

Puerto Rico History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Puerto Rico History - Essay Example The most significant among such encounters were the wars fought between Spanish territorial invaders and Americans (History). The continual aggression of these forces resulted in the slow elimination of Tainos culture by the end of 16th century. By the end of 19th century, the continually fought Spanish-American wars concluded with Americans claiming the control of Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico). The control of Puerto Rico by Americans started bringing considerable changes to the socio-economic and political conditions of Puerto Ricans. The stage was set for modernization and started creating a congenial atmosphere of American commercial growth plans. The initial step in this direction was rationalization of currency of Puerto Rico(Puerto Rico). The development and implementation of uniform polices for the government employees which included stipulated working hours of eight hours a day, along with the enforcement of freedom of assembly, speech, press and religion. In addition, steps to improve the educational system was initiated by starting public school and extended the US postal service to this island (Puerto Rico). The better transportation was planned, highways extended and bridges constructed across major rivers and canals to enhance the development. The better health care systems started reducing the child mortality rates and controlled various endemic diseases. The period also showed creation of new political parties - Republican Party and American Federal party (Puerto Rico). In order to get more democratic rights a new political party called Nationalist party was founded in the year 1922 (History). Being more politically aggressive, Nationalist party started intensifying its protests by boycotting the various collective political exercises. This resulted in distancing the party from the existing authorities. This led to the incident

How It Affects Economic Growth Essay Example for Free

How It Affects Economic Growth Essay In my opinion, supporting and promoting IT investment is one of the best ways to promote economic growth and stability with minimal side effects such as inflation, and easily overcome hurdles like unequal income distribution. While I don’t think you can really influence people’s personal ownership of computers, I do believe that offering tax incentives for IT investment and development will increase overall GDP, lower unemployment, and ensure an economically stable future. First and foremost, investment towards information technology increases productivity, and makes workers more efficient in what they do. With more resources such as faster word processing, 3D Model Rendering, and instantaneous transfer of data over the internet, laborers in every facet of the economy benefit from technology and enjoy greater productivity as a result. This increase in productivity means more products and services are produced with less time invested, and this means that Gross Domestic Product can go up. Furthermore, GDP is often defined as a function of both Capital and Labor. It is widely acknowledged that GDP growth can be measured by K/L, or Capital divided by Labor. Clearly, then, if each worker is using a higher value of capital (here in the form of fancier computers etc), then GDP is sure to go up. The concern then becomes, â€Å"what about inflation?† Surely, if GDP goes up, inflation will follow, no? Not quite. The accompanying graph gives us a rough idea of why. This increased efficiency will shift the Philips curve inward, meaning that for every unemployment rate, there is less inflation. More IT investment will mean that we will require more service technicians, troubleshooters, software programmers, etc, and we will see unemployment go down. Also, with more children learning about IT, they will also be more likely to get jobs when they grow up. When unemployment goes down, though, we typically see that there are less available â€Å"desperate† workers, and thus workers will have more power to bargain collectively. They will get wage increases, which will be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices on final goods and services. This is offset by increased efficiency, as it takes less worker hours to make those products and services. As the Philips curve below shows us, the decrease in unemployment WOULD cause higher inflation, but because of increased efficiency, this change in inflation is offset. It is important to note the short run and long run effects of tax incentives on both the macro and micro levels. Here is a graph to get us started: We know that in the short run Demand shifts out as IT becomes more and more necessary. Supply shifts out because manufacturing costs go down, and thus existing firms will produce more at every price. These reductions to cost shift MC and ATC down; we don’t’ know how much each of these shifts is, though. We don’t know what P2 is, but we know that costs go down, so there is abnormal short term profit, and we know that each firm is going to produce more. In the long run, more firms will enter (shifting supply out further) until each player in the market is operating at their lowest cost on the ATC curve, which is the point where long run profits are equal to 0. We know that long run market quantity is greater because there are more firms in the industry, and we know that each firm produces in the long run what it did before all the shifts. Each firm is producing more in the short run than in the long run. Assuming that the government offers tax incentives to BOTH SUPPLIERS AND BUYERS of IT, we can expect to see the same demand shifts and supply shifts as we did in the 90s, when demand shifted out and the cost to produce came down. The tax rebates to suppliers means a reduction of cost (same as in the last example) and the tax rebates to buyers will make the price they have to pay lower, which will increase demand. One of the few drawbacks to the subsequent increased IT spending, of course, is the negative effect on the environment, as computers become obsolete quickly and are usually just thrown out. In my opinion, the environmental effect is definitely a huge drawback to increased IT investment. I believe that the government should give further incentives to companies who donate old or â€Å"B-stock† products to schools (preferably those in bad areas) or charities when they buy new ones . Donating these slightly flawed or last-year-model computers to schools would be an investment in human capital, which would increase GDP in future generations, as children become more tech savvy and productive with computers. Since the government is reducing the cost of production with tax incentives, I think they could get away by contrasting these incentives with slightly stricter environmental regulations as far as waste goes. They should set requirements on the packaging (which is created solely to be thrown out) that comes with IT goods, and should give even more incentives to companies that collect and recycle re-usable components such as circuit boards, plastic cases, and semiconductors – all components that are not biodegradable and are a large part of the junk filling our nation’s landfills. Another set of short and long term effects you must consider is the effect of tax incentives on those already involved in the market: IT workers. Again, we have a graph to help us visualize these effects. For this discussion, because of inflation, we must assume that we are talking in terms of real dollars, and that these wage prices are adjusted for inflation. In the 1980’s (short run), as IT became more important to industry, we see the demand curve for IT work shift outward, causing an increase in price and quantity as more qualified people started doing IT. In the long run, more competitors enter and the number of CS majors doubles; supply shifts outward, but we’re not sure by how much. We know that real wages go back down, but we don’t know if they are above, at, or below the original prices. We just know that they are decreasing, and that the overall quantity is much higher. The last major concern would be the â€Å"Digital Divide† – the concept that low income families do not use computers and thus are isolated from their potential benefits. This â€Å"digital divide† essentially means that poorer families have less access to the computer and tech skills to compete in the modern job industry, such as word processing and online research. They also have less access to online educational resources, and thus have less human capital. This means they are less likely to rise out of poverty, and are at a disadvantage. Those fortunate enough to be able to afford computers internet access will get more educated and richer, and those who are not fortunate enough get poorer. I personally am against racial discrimination in all forms, and I think targeting out minorities and saying â€Å"here, you need a computer† is wrong. I do, believe, however, that there should be some sort of program to give less fortunate children of all ethnicities the IT skills and access to computers that they will need to function in the modern labor market. This is where my idea of offering tax incentives to companies that donate â€Å"last year model† computers to charities or schools in bad neighborhoods could really benefit these people and help them accumulate human capital. I think that offering tax incentives to people who put computers in their home will be too difficult to manage, and I also think that in many cases, people without the means to get a good job (no technical background) will not be able to afford a computer either way – thus, it’s a vicious cycle. Additionally, I think people who can’t afford $40/mo for DSL are in this predicament because they don’t have technical skills, and thus, probably don’t value technology as much as they should. They probably still won’t be interested in broadband. I think the president’s broadband initiative should focus more on getting faster internet and more technical training into schools, so that the next generation, who still has the desire and patience to learn about computers, can do so at an early age. Overall, you can see that there is a long list of benefits, and a short list of easily overcome problems with increased investment. In fact, even the Fed benefits. Normally, increased investment would make the Fed have to increase interest rates to prevent inflation and â€Å"cool off† the economy. IT is unique, however, in that it also provides greater efficiency, thus shifting the curve as discussed earlier. I would argue that it makes the Fed’s job easier – it’s promotes economic growth and employment, without jeopardizing economic stability. All in all, I say that giving tax incentives to producers and suppliers of IT goods and services is a great plan!

Mobile Phones Essay -- Technology

In their relatively short period of widespread use since their introduction in 1978 (Agar, 2003), handheld mobile telephones have had a significant impact across the globe on a social and economic level, however the long term impact of their use is difficult to predict. Despite this, mobile use in Australia has rapidly grown to rate of almost 130 phones per 100 people (MNO Directory, 2011), one of the highest in the world. Increasingly, consumers are purchasing smart phones, which have the same capabilities as computers in terms of internet access and processing power (Macmillan, 2007). These modern â€Å"smart phones† also allow for advanced features, such as mobile high-speed access to the internet and social media, and the ability to create, consume and share multi media all from the one device. This always on connectivity has, however, raised concerns regarding the outcomes of constant exposure to mobile phone radiation, but despite the potential risks, Australians continu e to use mobile telephones and their various features more than ever before. The use of social networking applications, such as Facebook and Twitter, on mobile devices has been rapidly rising, and it has been estimated that there are 925 million users of mobile social networking worldwide in 2012 (Meyers, 2008). With modern smart phones being able to access the internet in almost the same way as a desktop computer, the mobile phone has changed from a communication device, to something that constantly connects people with not only other people, but provides a constant source of new information and media. While current research suggests that use of the internet use can strengthen social contact, community engagement and attachment (Ellison, 2007), certain exper... ...ederal Communications Commission"FAQS - Wireless Phones". n.d.. http://www.fcc.gov/encyclopedia/faqs-wireless-phones#evidence (accessed 14/05/2012). Garnell, C. "Apps: the future of tech or a passing fad?". April 2011. http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/apps-the-future-of-tech-or-a-passing-fad--941212 (accessed 14/05/2012). MacMillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners. 2ed. Macmillan, 2007. Macrae, F. "Mobile phones CAN increase cancer risk: Shock finding by major study". The Daily Mail, 2011. Meyers, J. US Mobile Social Networking and the Millennial Generation. Scottsdale: InStat, 2008. MNO Directory"Australia Mobile Market Q1 2008 - Q1 2011, PDF Report". 2011. http://mnodirectory.com/Australia.htm (accessed 15/05/2012). Sigman, A. "Decline In Face-to-Face Contact Linked to Biological Changes in Humans". Biologist, 2009, 2.

Procedure for Protecting Clients Patients and Colleagues from Harm Essay

The Mayor’s role as the executive of the strategic authority for London is to promote economic development and wealth creation, social development, and the improvement of the environment. The Mayor also has a number of other duties in relation to culture and tourism, including responsibility for Trafalgar Square and Parliament Square. The Mayor has a range of specific powers and duties, and a general power to do anything that will promote economic and social development, and environmental improvement, in London. Before using many of his powers the Mayor must consult with Londoners, and in all cases, the Mayor must promote equality of opportunity. The Greater London Authority Act 2007 supplemented and updated the GLA Act 1999 and granted some additional powers to the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. The Mayor sets out plans and policies for London covering transport, planning and development, housing, economic development and regeneration, culture, health inequalities, and a range of environmental issues including climate change, biodiversity, ambient noise, waste disposal and air quality. These individual plans fit together to help deliver the Mayor’s policies. Between them, these plans must also contribute to sustainable development and thehealth of Londoners. The mayor of London has been accused of failing to deliver on a range of climate change policies during his four-year term in office, as new figures reveal he has spent just half of an  £84m green budget. London’s Green Party assembly member Darren Johnson today revealed that Boris Johnson will have underspent on environmental policies every year since being elected mayor in May 2008, meaning he has used  £40m of a total  £84m budget. But Jones said the mayor ditched the 2012 target because he had â€Å"blown the budget† by investing in eight new hop-on-hop-off Routemaster buses, at a cost of  £11.37m. â€Å"I think his new vanity bus has blown the budget for ensuring all buses are hybrids,† she said. â€Å"Instead of eight prototype buses, we could have had another 96 low-polluting hybrids on our roads. Pound for pound this is a bad deal for London’s environment.† The GLA Act 1999 gives the Mayor responsibility to produce a Municipal Waste Management Strategy for London. London’s Wasted Resource, the first draft strategy for consultation with the London Assembly and functional bodies, was launched on 18 January 2010. A second draft will be published for public consultation in summer 2010, and the final strategy will be published in late 2010/early 2011.