The plight of the elderly in managed care systems.
Are we in danger of knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing? The historical values of nursing such as compassion, patient advocacy, tolerance for others, and providing help for the less able all appear to be in danger of being cast out and replaced by an extreme view of cost-effectiveness. Are elders to be seen as a commodity to be used and discarded when they displease those who are currently fit and powerful? Is nursing's emerging view one that advocates for insurance companies? This is a troubling idea, because nursing's social contract with society was and is based on other historical values. Surely the early values of insurance to share the risk and provide humane care will serve to influence our obligation to senior citizens. Recently, a Wall Street Journal article suggested the need for public disclosure to oversee the quality of managed care. It is hoped that a spectrum of societal values will be used to judge the quality of such care for older populations.
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D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014481:United States