Family Perspective
Monday, October 29, 2007 by dev
-
The health of one family member can affect the health and well-being of the family as a whole. For example, an uninsured parent may delay seeking care and suffer sufficiently debilitating ill health that it is difficult to continue working or caring for children. Even if there is only one uninsured member, if that person has a serious illness or accident, it could generate medical bills that threaten the economic stability of the whole family.
-
Publicly financed health insurance usually covers individuals. Examining the complicating effects on families broadens the perspective of public policy debate.
-
Within the family, parents make decisions for their children about seeking care. Whether and how they use the health system for themselves may affect whether their children receive needed, timely care.
-
A family’s health care and insurance needs change over time as its members grow up and mature. Many common aging and family transitions, such as retiring after a lifetime of work, can affect coverage of individual members and the whole family.