Structural-Functionalist Perspective On The Cost Of Health Care

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If you talk to anyone today, you will likely hear complaints about the cost of healthcare. Whether it is the expense of premiums, the high deductibles, or cost of medications, the majority of middle to low income families are left deciding between ensuring food is on their table and roof over their head or obtaining the medical services they desperately need. This is true of both medical and mental health services. Due to the fact hospitals are required to provide care, regardless of whether or not a person has insurance, many lower and middle income families utilize the emergency room for basic healthcare, as opposed to a primary care physician or urgent care. For those who have insurance, many illnesses occur later in the evening or on …show more content…
The structural-functionalist perspective looks at how the failure of healthcare for the individual also impacts others, such as the economy and the family (Mooney et. al, 2015, p. 39). An example of this would be unclean living conditions can lead to further health problems for the individual and the family, both on a physical and mental health are an. When one member of the family is ill, other members of the family must fill additional roles. From the conflict perspective, one might see the most powerful individuals who control the money have the greatest influence on healthcare (Mooney et. al, 2015, p. 39). This has the potential to establish a system where profits and greed override patient care. In the symbolic interactionist perspective, medicalization may cause one illness to be automatically expected to be the same of all people with the illness because the behavior or illness has been labeled (Mooney et al, 2015, p. 40). This may cause physicians to overlook potential solutions to medical or mental health illnesses due to stereotyping behaviors. It is important to remember that each of these views has merit when looking to address a social problem. The best solution is one that takes all views into

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