1. Health

2.  Health care expenditures were more than $2 trillion in 2006  Everything from hospital visits to insurance premiums have risen in recent years  Hospital care is one of the biggest factors in rising healthcare cost  Advances in technology have also led to increased rates  Doctors often order many tests to protect themselves against lawsuits  Increased spending on prescription drugs

3.  Managed care plans-for a set annual or monthly charge, plan members receive benefits, must use specific doctors, get approval for treatments and setting limits on prescription drug  Lower quality of care  More difficult to see specialist  Less time with doctors  Fewer doctors in poor inner-city and rural areas  More doctors becoming specialists, not general practitioners

4.  About 16% of the population is uninsured  Popular debate is about whether the government should run a public, centrally planned healthcare system like in GB and Canada ◦ Quality of care? ◦ Cost to taxpayers? ◦ Private or public insurance?  Poor people are less likely to receive adequate medical care ◦ hunger, higher infant mortality rates, no health insurance for children ◦ Uninsured are more likely to postpone procedures, even for serious conditions

5.  Alternative Medicine ◦ Many patients seek other treatments for disease and chronic conditions  Acupuncture, acupressure, biofeedback, massage, meditation, yoga, herbal remedies, and relaxation techniques

6.  Pg. 249 #1-5