Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

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Recommended: Income and social status as determinants of health

Social Problem

The Problem our policy is intended to address is the lack of affordable health insurance as well as the lack of affordable health insurance to persons with pre-existing health conditions.

The Extent of the social problem reaches to numbers of persons and populations in the United States. Living without health insurance are in excess of 50 million people in the United States, which is roughly equivalent to 16.7% of the population, or one in six U.S. residents (Wolf, 2010). Defining this as a problem are those most affected by the inaccessibility barrier which includes illegal immigrants, the elderly, and those persons unable to attain insurance coverage due to a pre-existing medical condition.

Who disagrees?

The Related Social Values pertaining to this social problem certainly center on the dignity and worth of the person. Accessibility to health care via affordable health insurance would be considered more than a civil right but indeed a matter of human rights. This problem also touches one of the key American social values, which is social responsibility. The value is self-descriptive and is opposed by the competing American social value of Individualism. In terms of social values as they relate to social work and the implication relating to the profession, the NASW, the National Association of Social Workers, outlines Social Workers’ ethical responsibilities to that of broader society (Social Work Search, 2003).

The Competing Social Values would include the opposing key American social values of Individualism and Self-care whereby the focus would be on private interest instead of public purpose. This competing value is significant because in times of private interest, acquisition of essential human needs w...

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...r, Henry J. Family Foundation. (2011, April 22). Re: Health Reform Implementation Timeline [website]. Retrieved from http://healthreform.kff.org/timeline.aspx

Segal, E. A., & Brzuzy, S. (1998). Social values and cycles of history. In Brieland, D., Social welfare policy, programs, and practice (p. 43). USA: Peacock Publishers.

Social Work Search. (2011, April 22). Re: NASW code of ethics [Website] Retrieved from http://www.socialworksearch.com/html/nasw.shtml#SOCIETY

Trumbull, M. (2010, March 23). Obama signs health care bill: who won’t be covered. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved from http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0323/Obama- signs-health-care-bill-Who-won-t-be-covered

Wolf, R. (2010, September 17). Number of uninsured Americans rises to 50.7 million. USA

TODAY. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-09-17- uninsured17_ST_N.htm

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