We have in this country a fee-for-service medical system organized to provide acute and curative care. At least since the late fifties --more than a quarter of a century ago--there has been widespread feeling that this system needed to be reformed. In this course we examine the historical development of our medical care system and critically discuss the array of problems that have given rise to the demand for change. In so doing we will contrast: 1) illness as an individual responsibility with illness as a social responsibility; 2) a fee-for-service system with national health insurance and/or a national health service plan; and 3) a delivery system which focuses on the detection and the control or the alleviation of disease with a broader conception of health and illness where the focus is on primary care and the prevention of disease. In sum, we will discuss a range of topical issues and address the potential implications for policy decisions.
COURSE FORMAT: Seminar
Level: UG Credit: 1.00 Gen Ed Area & Dept: SBS SOC
Prerequisites: SOC 151
Last Updated on MAR-22-1999
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