Healthcare Costs in Canada: An Analysis

Healthcare Costs in Canada: An Analysis Canada is one of the most advanced economies in the world. It is a member of the G8[1], the group of the richest nations on earth. It is also a member of the Commonwealth of Nations[2], which historically is a group of nations that were under the former British Empire. It also has one of the best universal health care practices in the world. Lately however there has been a noted rise in the cost of universal health care. It was also noted that these rise in the cost will eventually be a bane in the government as it will hamper the government’s ability to provide adequate service to other important service of the government like education, transportation and pension benefits, which are all equally important as health care. The Canadian Medical Association therefore got a poll among Canadians to determine and rather get their opinion on how the government can prevent skyrocketing cost in health care without sacrificing the quality that is currently being enjoyed by the citizenry. This particular poll showed that most citizens that have been asked are in favor of fixing the system or looking for ways to maintain the quality of their health system. According to the poll, nearly half of the respondents favored an increase in taxes provided it goes to improving the health care and nearly half also agreed that a portion of the bill should be footed by the patient. A portion of those polled suggested that those who are living unhealthy lives should be penalized and those with good healthy lifestyles will be rewarded. The biggest surprise in the poll showed that 69% suggested that a contribution based system much like the pension system is developed and almost the same no of people suggested that it be patterned after the retirement system. Overall though most Canadians would rather not raise their taxes but rather have these two types of systems be applied to the health care system to address the skyrocketing costs of health care which seems unsustainable in the lo ng term. This poll was taken to determine whether Canadians were open to the idea of helping the government curb the unsustainable rise in health care cost and what would be their ideas on how the government should deal with this problem. This also shows the government is proactive and that it is determined to maintain the highest standards of health care for its populace. More importantly it shows that the people are willing to take part in shouldering the expense of the government when it comes to health care and this is proven in this poll in that nearly 70% of those polled have ideas on how to make the health care system be as functional and as efficient as possible. This finding would enable the government to formulate policies that would sustain their universal health coverage at the highest quality levels of care and sustaining it and containing the skyrocketing costs of health care. Once this policy is adopted other countries which have universal health care supported by the governmen t with similar problems of skyrocketing costs may adopt this system and modify it to suit the needs of their constituents. One of the options that came out of the poll conducted by the Canadian Medical Association on how to fund health care spending is the development of a savings system similar to the pension facility that it has in place. This will serve as a buffer fund for those medicines and laboratory tests and other services that are not covered by the health care system. It is one way of encouraging people to shoulder some of the expenses of their health bill without burdening them with the high costs as this will be gradually deducted from the income that they make and it can be deducted either on a monthly basis or a quarterly basis whichever would be more convenient to the patient. This would be much better than raising taxes as raising taxes usually denote a negative impression on the populace. This scheme would encourage the populace to save as they know it is something that they can use in the event that they get sick and it won’t be a burden to their pockets as they know it is for a good cause. Furthermore, it would help the government maintain the high quality of care for the patients without sacrificing the other services that would be affected by increasing the funding for health care. It is because if the government were to shoulder all the costs for health care, one of the ways is to either increase taxes which is unpopular or decrease the budget of other sectors and pour it into health care which is also unpopular among the populace so either way the constituents will suffer. Coming up with this idea would be meeting the government halfway and that the populace will also be an active part in maintaining the quality of health services. Likewise the amount that the patient will be giving will be predetermined by the government and that it would not appear that the patient will be shouldering a big bulk of health care costs. It should also be bracketed as to which cost will the patient shoulder or it can be a universal one, meaning the patient will shoulder whatever is not covered by the health system. This would help maintain the high standard of care to the patient without burdening the patient and without additional cost to the government and no other service need be sacrificed. All in all it would be good for everybody, all that are involved in health care. One of the measures that the government can use to encourage people to shell out a little extra money for health care is giving them tax benefits instead of increasing their taxes. How will this be done? For every amount that the patient gives to his/her health fund, this will be deducted from their taxes that are due to the government. This way it is certain that the money they spend is for their future use in health care. Another way of tax benefits are for healthcare facilities like clinics and hospitals be given tax incentives if they invest in new technology and purchase new equipments for better health care services. This would encourage clinics and hospital alike to invest in newer technology without thinking of passing the burden of recovering costs to the consumers. The first thing that comes to mind in buying newer equipment and technology for better health care is the cost and how long it would take to recover the investment. One of things that would help the price of newe r equipment is taxes and once these taxes are turned to incentives it would be cheaper for the investor to buy these equipment and it would not be a burden to the consumer the cost of this newer technology. Another way of containing the skyrocketing cost of health care is to regulate payments to caregivers. Regulating means setting a uniform set of charges or fee for a particular service being rendered to the client. One of the reasons costs of health care is skyrocketing is because most caregivers demand a higher compensation which is unregulated. These costs are passed on to the consumers thereby making the cost of health care services to rise. The most common reason for the demand of these caregivers for increased fees is that they are not paid commensurate to the services that they offer or give. This can be remedied if the government and the service providers come to and agreement on what is the proper amount that the service provider is given without degrading their capacity and without burdening the consumer with high costs. In short, they should meet halfway after all they have the common goal of giving the best care to the patient without necessarily coming at a high cost. Furt hermore, these caregivers are also future patients themselves and it would a big irony that they would be complaining of the high cost of services that they once demanded. Hence, it is but practical that the cost of payments to the caregiver be regulated by the government at an amount agreed by all parties involved. With the growing cost of health care and the prospect that the client will eventually shoulder part of the expenses it is but logical that the clients income should also be increased. This may come in varied forms like tax incentives, performance incentives or it may come in other non cash forms like allowances or other means possible that will enable the client to have more money to spend other than health care. Incentives on healthy lifestyle were one of those mentioned in the poll conducted by the CMA and penalties for those who are not living healthy lifestyles. Although only a small percent agreed to this it is noteworthy that some of the respondents agreed to this. If this scheme can be properly though of and all affected parties be allowed to air their side. An agreement will be made and this will be one form of additional income for the client. Those who will be having healthy lifestyles will be given incentives and those who are not will be penalized. It will also encourage people to live healthy lifestyles. But then again if improperly implemented people may think of it as an authoritarian form of enforcing health policies. Aside from these incentives, other forms of income supplements should be studied so as to keep the health system in good condition, meaning service are not affected and the client are not burdened by the increasing costs of health care. [1] The CIA World Fact Book. (www.cia.gov/library/publications) [2] Annex b: Territories forming part of the commonwealth her majesties civil service 1911 (www.civilservice.gov.uk)

Anthropology and Gender Essay -- Feminist Anthropology

Though women have played an integral part in the history of the discipline of anthropology, it was not until the early 1970’s that the field of anthropology and gender, or feminist anthropology emerged. Sex and gender roles have always been a vital part of any ethnographic study, but the contributors of this theory began to address the androcentric nature of anthropology itself. The substantial gap in information concerning the study of women was perceived as a male bias, a prejudice made more apparent because what little women-centered fieldwork was done received insufficient attention from the academic community. While anthropology was considered one of the more egalitarian fields of study, it was dominated by white, Western males who focused primarily on the study of men within a society. The women seen in fieldwork were merely identified in regard to their gender specific roles, something these feminist anthropologists hoped to rectify. Those women deserved to be accuratel y portrayed for the part they played in the human experience. The 1960’s and 70’s belonged to a tumultuous period in American history, characterized by an array of social and political movements including anti-Vietnam war activism, the origination of a â€Å"counterculture† which strove for societal liberation, the civil rights movement, and the rise of feminism (McGee & Warms 2011: 396). Women began to question the limitations of their gender, rallying to promote their own rights and interests. Women’s liberation became encompassed within a variety of disciplines, including anthropology, exploring themes found cross-culturally such as patriarchy, discrimination, and objectification. In addition to the cultural anthropological focus on gender inequality, feminis... ... and views of studied societies. Basic anthropological assumptions were questioned when it became evident that the male-centered field had neglected to document women and gender as important aspects of social life. While it is clear that several feminist anthropologists sought to correct the imbalance of knowledge by focusing solely on women and their significant impact upon the development of humankind, the theory has evolved to focus on gender as it relates to power, class, societal construction, and sexuality among others. Works Cited Kuklick, Henrika. 2008 Women in the Field in the Twentieth Century: Revolution, Involution, Devolution? A New History of Anthropology. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Pub. 277-292 McGee, R. Jon, and Richard L. Warms. 2011 Culture and Personality. Anthropological Theory: an Introductory History. New York: McGraw-Hill. 396-436

Dickens & education in Hard Times Essay

In Hard times we see two versions of the world of education. The first view is that of Thomas Gradgrind’s and his â€Å"model school†. A place where facts are valued and imagination is regarded as unimportant. This is the utilitarian view. The second view is contrasted with the utilitarian view and is that of Mr Sleary’s circus. This is a place with much knowledge valuing both imagination and education. A place without the wealth of the Gradgrind’s but much in humanity. This is the â€Å"fanciful† world. I think Dickens is telling us that there are many different ways of bringing up and educating children. It is about getting the right balance between education and imagination. For example Sissy was brought up by her father and didn’t go to school but was quite well educated as she â€Å"used to read to him,† but her father let her use her imagination as she read the â€Å"wrong books† from Gradgrind’s point of view. Which were about â€Å"Fairies †¦ and the Hunchback and the Genies. † But when she went to Gradgrind’s house to live there she was cut off from having an imagination, as so was struggling to learn facts. The reader knows this as Sissy says, † I am – O so stupid! † when really she isn’t stupid at all, it is just that she has been forced to be brought up the utilitarian way, which is the wrong way for her, as she is used to having a balance between education and imagination but Gradgrind hasn’t allowed it. She â€Å"became low – spirited, but no wiser. † This is because she has an emotional memory and so she can’t learn the facts because she is being taught with a utilitarian view and so she can’t attach a feeling to what she is being taught. This is how Dickens implies that different people learn different ways and at different rates. For Gradgrind it could be argued that it was the right way for him as he was educated by his father the utilitarian way. He became a model pupil and owned a school. The reader knows that he was a model pupil as Dickens tells us â€Å"five young Gradgrinds †¦ were models everyone. † And â€Å"They had been lectured at from their tenderest years. † And in Gradgrind’s eyes this had worked so â€Å"He intended every child to be a model†. But what Gradgrind doesn’t realise is that all children are different and need to be brought up different ways, which is what Dickens is suggesting to the reader.

Muslim Women Rights

Muslim Women Rights The human right awareness in the world has taken a quite interesting shape in the attempt to achieve sisterhood and recognize women rights as human rights. This has been a subject of debate and extensive criticism as it is perceived as having potential to â€Å"homogenizing the issues that might be different to different women. There is also the risk of universalizing feminist ideas that are practiced in the western countries and use them to solve the problems facing all women around the globe. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Muslim Women Rights specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Societal development and political maturity of a society is currently appraised by the extent the women rights are being enforced. In my opinion, is support that women problems should not at all be homogenized or feminist ideas universalized because the problems of women are not similar around the world and different women take different cou rse in addressing their problems. The issue of women rights has brought about hot debates in the world especially regarding veil put by Muslim women and other issues like polygamy. As presented in this essay, the issue of veil which is a discursive issue in the world is discussed as described by Leila Ahmed. Leila Ahmed tries to seek the discourse about women and gender in the Islamic has emerged and exploring what is the root cause of such debates in current worlds. She seeks from the debate whether the Islamic culture and societies are really oppressive to women. Te center of her concern was the discourse of veil where women in the Islamic societies were required to appear in veils and other clothing that are connected to the Islamic traditions. The mail question that lingered in her mind is whether the issue of veil and the traditional clothing was meant to boost pure Islam favoring both sexes or otherwise. Ahmed first focuses on the gender pattern in the Middle East prior to th e emergence of the Islam in order to gain ground to describe the Islamic doctrine on women that were practiced in the past. She describes how the Arab societies propagated the debates about women and gender within the Islamic societies that have become so prevalent in the world today. She explores the issue of women and gender both in Islamic contexts, social and also the historical background. She conducts an extensive study of debates and ideologies about women within the Islamic societies and demonstrates how the debate is so prevalent in the current world. She advocated tat unveiling women could be a great step to transforming the social status of the Islamic societies. His survey acted as a strong onset of the feminism within the Arab culture. According to Ahmed (23), Muslim men and women have expended a lot of effort in the attempt to discard the veil from their culture but others believe that the veil is important for feminist struggle. She demonstrates that the veil was a w ay used by the colonizers in order to promote their cultures in other territories forcing them to undermine their native culture. It is among other things a strategy of colonial domination in an area.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some Muslim women in different part of the world demand it as their right to be allowed to choose whether to veil or not. The concept explored by Leila Ahmed is very vital and closely connected to the Inderpal Grewal’s â€Å"the regime of human rights†? According to Grewal (1), similar to Ahmed argument, oppression of women by global feminism comes in form of universalization and generalization of women issues and approaches. This is oppressive because the women issues are not the same in all places in the world. There is very high correlation between the issues presented by Ahmed and that by Grewal because they both discuss issues r elated to women rights. They both argue that human rights are based on western notion that is generalized. The international organization present the western women as superior and they spill over their feminism notions to their third world counterparts without considering the cultural differences. To achieve â€Å"a radical complexity in the practice of feminist politics† as termed by Grewal, women should be allowed to pursue their demand for women rights their own way depending on their culture. Homogenization and universalizing women problems deprives some women the right to deal with their issues the best way they can by forcing them to adopt the western culture. Women oppression should not be homogenized or universalized because women in different countries differ in culture, politics or have social system that only suits their own problems. According to Ahmed, these are strategies to achieve western domination and erode the culture of women in minority communities. Ahme d, Leila. â€Å"The Discourse of the Veil†. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992. Grewal, Inderpal. Women’s Rights as Human Right: Feminist Practices, Global Feminism and Human Rights Regimes in Trans-nationality. (PDF) Citizenship Studies 3, no. 3 (1999): 337–54

Prohibiton essays

Prohibiton essays Prohibition, which was also known as The Noble Experiment, lasted in America from 1920 until 1933. There are quite a few results of this experiment: innocent people suffered; organized crime grew into an empire; the police, courts, and politicians became increasingly corrupt; disrespect for the law grew; and the per capita consumption of the prohibited substance-alcohol-increased dramatically, year by year. These results increased each of the thirteen years of this Noble Experiment, and they never returned to the levels that existed before 1920. Prohibition did not happen instantly, it settled on the country gradually, community by community, town by town, and eventually state by state for almost a century. The onset of National Prohibition in 1920 was merely the final blow. The first of the laws, such as the one in Virginia in 1619, through New Hampshire's law of 1719 were against drunkenness, not against drinking. The first law that limited liquor sales was implemented because of the religious beliefs of citizens. This particular law was passed in New York in 1697; it ordered that all public drinking establishments be closed on Sunday because, on the Lord's day, people should be worshiping the Bible not the bottle. In 1735, the religious had a prohibition law enacted for the entire state of Georgia. The law was a complete failure and was abandoned in 1742. For the most part, however, during the 1700s and early 1800s, those opposing liquor on religious grounds used sermons and persuasion rather than politics and laws to make their point. These persuasive efforts were known as the Temperance Movement, and its goal was to get everyone to voluntarily temper use of spirits. Maine went completely dry in 1851 and, by 1855, so had New Hampshire, Vermont, Delaware, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York Alabama passed a Prohibition law in 1907 which became effective on January 1,...

Movie report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Movie report - Essay Example The sacrifices of the Jesuits in the movie closely mirror the life that Jesus lived in the Bible. â€Å"The Mission† is a movie written by Robert Bolt and directed by Roland Joffe. Produced by Fernando Ghia and David Puttnam, it stars Jeremy Irons as Father Gabriel, the head of the Jesuit mission, Robert de Niro as a former Spanish slaver who becomes a Jesuit, Liam Neeson as a young Jesuit, Ray McAnally as the Spanish cardinal sent by the Catholic Pope to look into the Jesuit missions, and Chuck Low as the Spanish Governor Cabeza who led the Spanish troops to attack the Guaranis. The setting of the story is in the 1970s. The movie’s historical background suggests that under the Treaty of Madrid, the Portuguese were given the power to take over the Guarani community, which at that time was run by Jesuit missionaries. The natives themselves resisted and many died including the Jesuit missionaries headed by Father Gabriel. The introduction presents an example of how the Je suits risk their lives in their mission to convert non-Christians. The scene in which one priest is salvaged by tying him to a cross and letting him run down through the Iguazu falls depicts how cruel the Guaranis could be towards the missionaries. In fact, history recounts Jesuit missionaries in different countries who died for their belief. Martinez (73) reports the death of eight missionary Jesuit priests in an attack in Mexico. Tylenda (372), Butler (68) and Molinari (26) also report the sacrifices of the Jesuit missionaries in different parts of the world especially in Japan, China and Southern America. The scene in which Fr. Gabriel plays his oboe in a river illustrates the courage and determination that Jesuits should possess in order to enter the mission. This is despite the death of the other missionary priest in the falls. Fr. Gabriel plays his instrument to capture the hearts of the Guaranis. Soaked in the river, he positions himself on a rock and plays his oboe until the Guaranis pay attention to him and ask him to come with them. Fr. Gabriel uses music to communicate and bring peace to the people because that is the only way to communicate with them. In sending his disciples, Jesus did not mention the use of music but he equipped them with different languages in order to spread the Word. On the part of the Jesuits, music serves as the way to capture the hearts of the people. In the latter part, we see the people singing in harmony, a scene that touches even the heart of Cardinal Altamirano. This shows the strategy of the Jesuits in converting non-believers. The music of Fr. Gabriel communicates peace and harmony with the people. Until now, Jesuits are known for the beautiful music they make, which one can hear from mass in Catholic churches. The movie also sets the example on how the Jesuit missionaries deny themselves of material pleasures in life. Mendoza, the Spanish slaver, leaves his armor and other personal belongings behind when he follows Fr. Gabriel. The scene is momentous because leaving his sack signifies Mendoza’s preparedness to enter the mission by denying his personal needs and embracing the missionary life. It is also in this scene that the Jesuits and the Guaranis welcome him as their brother. Based on his reaction, Mendoza experiences true happiness and finds relief from the pain caused by his

An Exploration of Beethoven and Haydn Music Careers Essay

An Exploration of Beethoven and Haydn Music Careers - Essay Example Beethoven was born in a place then called Cologne which is the Germany at present. During his youth Beethoven moved to Vienna and stayed there. It is in this phase of his youth that he met another influential icon Joseph Haydn. Beethoven experienced a meteoric rise in his career as a virtuoso pianist although his youth was later plagued by the deterioration of his hearing capabilities. The predicament did not annihilate his career as he continued conducting and performing even when he had gone totally deaf. While Joseph Haydn developed his music career as an isolated musician a condition which as he put it, â€Å"forced him to be original†, Beethoven on the other end stemmed from a musically endowed pedigree. He was named after His grandfather Ludwig by his mother Ludwig Maria. Davies, Peter J, states that,†His grandfather was a musician at Roman Catholic Flemish lineage and was at some point Kapellmeister at the court of Roman Clemens August of Bavaria.† Beethoven’s father was Johann van Beethoven who lived from 1740-1792. Beethoven got his initial orientations into music from his father who was a natural tenor singer at the electoral court at Bonn. The development of Beethoven's music career was later supervised by Tobias Pfeiffer, a friend to Beethoven's father Johann. Like Haydn' Beethoven's music endowments were noted when he was of a tender age and this is well illustrated by the fact that by 1778 the youngster was already learning the organ and the viola upon his piano mastering endeavors. Haydn parents noted that Haydn had a musical endowment and reckoned that he would not get proper training in the place they were living in then Rohrau thus they accepted the offered by a relative Johann Matthias Franck to have Haydn trained as a musician by Franck from his home in Hainburg. On Beethoven's part, one of the most noted mentors of Beethoven was Christian Gottlob Neefe, the court organist. Neefe is particularly remembered for helping Beethoven make inroads into the classical music pedestal by assisting him to get his first compositions published. The compositions were an assortment of some keyboard melodies and variations. Musicians like other artists are custodians of a society's culture and history. This is so owing to the undeniable sensitivity of artists to the influence of various factors that charcterise their place and time settings. Traces of cultural, political, economic and social influences can be identified in an artists work and Beethoven's works are not an exception. A close exploration of His music indicates illuminant influences of values of Enlightenment and the surge of Romanticism which dominated the European society in his time. As Davies, Peter J, (Opcit) concurs this is glowingly illustrated by the composition and dedication of his music piece the Eroica which is Italian term for 'heroic" to the Leader Napoleon whom the musician had admired for his ideals of democracy and republicanism values of the French Revolution. Haydn's mettle in his isolated music career development earned him the label of "father of Symphony' and also father of "String Quartet". Haydn and Beethoven shared similar inclinations to the values of enlightenment in music. Beethoven later retracted the dedication to Napoleon when the Leader shifted into embracing imperial ambitions