Domestic and Foreign Polices

Beier Li
Political Science 1
Sara Butler
October 11, 2015

Domestic and Foreign Polices

In our society, some evidences showed there are many hospitals charge very high prices
for the common procedures. For privately insured patients and uninsured patients, the high prices
can be ruinously expensive. These patients dont get their chance to be hospitalized because of
the existing health insurance is not enough for their high price medical fee, and they cant afford
any extra charge. As a result, I believe the improvement of the health insurance will give these
patients better opportunity to receive health care. In the news Sticker Shock in For-Profit
Hospitals1 posted on New York Times, a study published the fifty hospitals with high prices that
charge ten times of the Medicare allowed, and it mentions hospitals complain about the Medicare
pays too little. Most of these hospitals were for-profit institutions. Under the Affordable Care
Act, nonprofit hospitals are required to provide charity care or discounts to low-income people,
but that mandate does not apply to for-profit hospitals. Even though some states have regulations
requiring all hospitals, including for-profit hospitals to offer price discounts to eligible uninsured
patients, it still not help much. There is no federal law regulates what hospitals should charge,
and the typical reaction of the hospitals is their list prices are not relevant to most patients in
order to deal with the patients dont pay the full prices. One of the reason is the two biggest
government insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid pay far less than the list prices, and the
private insurers typically bargain for discounts, so the high prices drive up the premiums for
1 "Sticker Shock in For-Profit Hospitals." New York Times Company. Last modified June 16,

2015. Accessed on October 11, 2015.

http://search.proquest.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/news/docview/1688365260?accountid=28371

many privately insured patients. At the end, it mentions market forces are not strong enough to
restrain abnormal high price so dominant hospitals and chains can charge patients whatever they
want. Also, it gave a suggestion the best remedy could be pass law at the federal and state levels
in order to limit the hospitals prices that shouldnt relate to the cost of delivering the service.
The cold war changed the world forever. After cold war, the connection between countries are
established closer. Because of the developed technology in transportation and communication,
the world is more interdependent than before. In the article IMF sees modest, uneven growth in
global economy 2by Los Angeles Times, it mentions global economic growth is likely to remain
modest and highly uneven, and the longer-term prospects are soberly. The IMF sees the U.S
economy expanding at 3.1% this year, up from 2.4% last year. Even though this is less optimistic
than the first predict which is 3.6%, the U.S. is still expected to be the main locomotive for the
world economy. Base on global standards, these are moderate rates and well below pre-recession
levels. One big reason of the divergent trends is the price of energy and other commodities
getting lower. For example, the prices of oil and metals such as copper is generally decrease in
the U.S. and Europe, but it the price is getting higher in Russia and Brazil. Meanwhile, the
biggest developing nation in the world, China keep slide down from 7.4% to 6.3% this year. In
long term, the world economic outlook paints a picture of lowered expectations. Also, the IMFs
managing director, Christine Lagarde mentions the new reality for the global economy might be
2 IMF sees modest, uneven growth in global economy Los Angeles Times. Last modified

April 14, 2015. Accessed on October 11, 2015.http://www.latimes.com/business/la-imf-globaleconomy-20150414-story.html

harmful, unless nations act with structural reforms and policies that boost infrastructure
spending. However, these reforms have been lagging for these countries, and it might be the
reason make the economy worse.

Work Cited
"Sticker Shock in For-Profit Hospitals." New York Times Company. Last modified June 16,
2015. Accessed on October 11, 2015.
http://search.proquest.com.ezp.pasadena.edu/news/docview/1688365260?accountid=28371

IMF sees modest, uneven growth in global economy Los Angeles Times. Last modified April
14, 2015. Accessed on October 11, 2015.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-imf-global-economy-20150414-story.html