Health Policy Questions

For Econonomics 496, Health Economics, Spring 2000.
  1. Should government hire doctors, etc. and provide free health care to all comers?
  2. Should governments limit in any way what medicine or care they provide for free?
  3. Should costs be considered regarding what care to provide?
  4. Should governments subsidize health care, instead of directly hiring doctors, etc.?
  5. Should government paid-for care be limited to the elderly, the poor, and children?
  6. What level of government should pay for health care?  Counties? Nations? The United Nations?
  7. Should goverments run water and waste services?
  8. How much health research should governments pay for?  What government level should pay?
  9. Should governments hire researchers or subsidize research?
  10. Should folks be allowed to buy additional health care, beyond what  government provides? 
  11. Should businesses be required to pay for employee health care? 
  12. Should all individuals be required to buy health insurance?
  13. Should businesses be allowed to limit the kinds of care they pay for, such as via an HMO?
  14. Should employer-provided health care be tax-free?  Should other health care be tax free?
  15. Should insurance companies be allowed to use everything they know when setting insurance rates?
  16. Should an employer be allowed to use it knows about risk when choosing to hire or fire employees?
  17. Should every hospital be required to treat anyone in an emergency?  Every doctor?
  18. Should government pay for the education of doctors and nurses?
  19. Should everyone be required to take health education courses, such as sex education?
  20. Should a government license be required to offer any advice on health, medicine, or nutrition?
  21. Should government permission be required for a hospital to add beds?  To take them away?
  22. Should only non-profit organizations be allowed to provide health care?
  23. Should governments set maximum prices for some drugs or treatments? Minimum prices?
  24. Should governments ban public unhealthy behaviors like smoking, skiing, surfing, driving fast?
  25. Should governments ban private unhealthy behaviors like smoking and promiscuous sex?
  26. Should people be allowed to eat foods high in fat and salt?   To not exercise regularly?
  27. Should people be allowed to smoke?  To drink alcohol?  Smoke marijuana?  Snort cocaine? 
  28. Should people be required to get vaccinations?  To get all health care doctors think they need?
  29. Should more such bans and requirements be placed on children than on adults? 
  30. Should government permission be required to sell a new drug?  To do a new medical procedure?
  31. Should governments be able to ban cars, planes, lawn mowers, etc. they say are unsafe?
  32. Should governments be able to require large warning labels on products they say are dangerous?
  33. Should you be able to sue a doctor for not doing the best possible job?  For accidental deaths?
  34. Should you be able to sue a neighbor for passing a disease along to you?
  35. Should the identities of those with diseases like AIDS be reported to central authorities?
  36. Should stores, employers, or schools be allowed to exclude people with deady communicable diseases?