Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

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The Center of Disease Control and Prevention (2013) reported that, more than 35% of U.S. adults are obese and suffer metabolic syndrome which can include heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and a variety of cancers, causing the US more than hundreds of billion dollars for their medical care. It makes some wonder whether the health care Americans have chosen to support our country was the right choice. A managed health care system might not be the most efficient at times but compared to a Universal plan, Managed care looks golden. America’s managed health care dates back to the 19th century when rural American workers agreed to a set fee for physicians to deliver care to them and their families. After World War II however, hospitals and clinics started popping up all over our country enrolling more than half a million people. By the 1970’s healthcare became common place and the choice of HMO, PPO etc... were formed. Employers began to see managed care as a necessity for their employees and now healthcare comes as a job benefit (Tufts Managed Care Institute, 1998). Having a health care plan through work The alternative choice to a managed healthcare is a Universal healthcare which is a government-funded program. This health care system dates back just as far as managed health care however, this has never been much of a success in the American System (Karen S. Palmer,1999). Defined by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (1990) managed healthcare systems are: Health insurance plans intended to reduce unnecessary health care costs through a variety of mechanisms, including: economic incentives for physicians and patients to select less costly forms of care; programs for reviewing the medical necessity of specific ser... ... middle of paper ... ...… Works Cited Bancroft (2013). Overview. Retrieved from: http://www.bancroft.org/about-bancroft/#.UsRNtvRDtEN Center of Disease Control and Prevention (2013). Adult Obesity Facts. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html National Center for Biotechnology Information (1990). Managed Care Programs. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh?term=managed%20care Schwartz B. (2008). “Universal” Health Care Kills. Retrieved from: http://www.patientpowernow.org/2008/03/universal-health-care-kills/ Transcribed from a talk given by Karen S. Palmer (1999). A Brief History: Universal Health Care Efforts in the US. Retrieved from http://www.pnhp.org/facts/a-brief-history-universal-health-care-efforts-in-the-us Tufts Managed Care Institute (1998). A Brief History of Managed Care. Retrieved from: http://www.thci.org/downloads/briefhist.pdf

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