Economic Healthcare Critical Thinking Medicine Assignment

Economic Healthcare: Application of economic models, theories or assumptions
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Introduction
The US government has significant role to play in the public health. Through various public health actions, the government manages to apply economic models, theories and assumptions that ensure a high quality of health to its citizens. Though sometimes termed as oppressive and intrusive, the public health actions that the government undertakes goes a long way in minimizing health costs and resource allocation towards the improvement of the country's health status of its citizens. In bid to alleviate a direct manipulation of the right to privacy, the government comes with various way of indirectly altering elements that are harmful to the members of the society.
Economic role of the government towards improvement of health
The first economic model that the government applies entails the provision of open and free information to the public. This information helps the public to make informed decisions regarding their consumption (Frieden, 2013). The government has laws in place that compels various entities to disclose factual information, have a provision for government transparency, and desist from disseminating inaccurate information. In the health sector, these laws ensure that the public has the right information that can affect their health in one way or another. Additionally, it is possible for the government to make the right interventions in case of any violations. In line with the laws, there is an assumption that the public reduces their health costs though consuming quality products and avoiding products that increase the health burden such as high calorie foods. Even though the laws have a cost burden to the manufacturers of various products, they are to the interest of the public health since they lower the subsequent health costs of consuming some products.
The government also uses various economic models that prevent the public from harm that others can cause both individually and collectively. One of the ways that the government carries out this duty is through creating an environment that is not harmful to others. Prohibition of sale of contaminated product including food and water, and application of measures that reduce industrial toxins are some of the ways that the government indirectly protects public health (Frieden, 2013). The government usually limits the promotion of alcohol and tobacco in efforts to reduce the intake of the substances. This move reduces the economic, health and social costs that are associated with the excessive consumption of alcohol and tobacco. Even though the government affects the productivity of the manu...