Red Flag Laws Definition

Red Flag Laws Definition Red flag laws are gun violence prevention laws that allow courts to order the temporary confiscation of firearms from persons deemed to pose a risk to others or themselves. Key Takeaways: Red Flag Laws Red flag laws are state gun violence prevention laws which allow police to confiscate firearms from persons deemed by a court to pose a risk to others or themselves.As of August 2019, 17 states and the District of Columbia had enacted red flag laws.After deadly mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, President Trump and a bipartisan group of Congress members have indicated their support for red flag laws. Along with gun control proposals, such as universal gun-buyer background checks, raised in the aftermath of shootings like those in Sandy Hook, Parkland, El Paso, and Dayton, demands to enact â€Å"red flag† laws have become common. As of August 2019, 17 states and the District of Columbia had enacted red flag laws. Red Flag Law Definition and Mechanics Red flag laws permit police or family members to ask a state court to order the temporary removal of all firearms from persons believed to present a danger to others or themselves. In deciding to issue such orders, known variously as Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) or Gun Violence Restraining Orders (GVROs), the courts consider the past actions and statements- including those posted on social media outlets- made by the gun owner in question. If the court decides to issue the order, the gun owner must surrender all firearms to the police for a specified period of time. In addition, the person named in the order is banned from buying or selling guns during that period. Refusing to fully comply with a red flag protective order is a criminal offense. Guns seized under the order are returned to the owner after a set period of time unless that period is extended by the court. Examples of evidence required by the courts to justify granting gun confiscation orders include: A recent act or threat of violence (involving a firearm or not)Evidence of serious mental illnessHistory of domestic violenceReckless use of a firearmEvidence of substance abuse or alcoholismSworn testimony by witnesses The specific legal provisions of red flag laws and how they are enforced vary from state to state. Are Red Flag Laws Effective? Connecticut was one of the first states to enact a red flag law in 1999. According to a 2016 study published in the journal of Law and Contemporary Problems, the 762 gun removals under Connecticuts â€Å"risk warrant† law from October 1999 through June 2013 resulted in one suicide prevented for every ten to eleven gun seizures executed. The study concluded that â€Å"enacting and implementing laws like Connecticut’s civil risk warrant statute in other states could significantly mitigate the risk posed by that small proportion of legal gun owners who, at times, may pose a significant danger to themselves or others.† Are Red Flag Laws Constitutional? Many gun-rights advocates say that red flag laws infringe on gun owners’ Second Amendment right to â€Å"keep and bear arms,† as well as their right to due process of law as provided by the U.S. Constitution. Guns, they argue, are personal property, and both the Fifth and 14th Amendments specifically provide that the government- including the courts and police- may not deprive citizens of property without due process of law. The argument is based on the fact that the court hearings held to decide if an individual poses a threat are held ex parte, meaning that the person whose guns might be temporarily confiscated is not present at the hearing. This, critics say, violates the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of the right of accused persons to a face-to-face confrontation with witnesses against them.   However, hearings on all types of restraining and protective orders are typically held ex parte out of concern for the safety of the complainant and witnesses.   Red Flag Law Debate A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted in April 2018 found that 85% of registered voters nationwide support laws that would â€Å"allow the police to take guns away from people who have been found by a judge to be a danger to themselves or others.† States with red flag laws have reported similar levels of public support for the legislation. In March 2018, the National Rifle Association (NRA), which had helped defeat red flag legislation in Utah and Maryland, suggested it might be open to such laws under a strict set of conditions, including a court finding by â€Å"clear and convincing evidence that the person in question poses a significant risk of danger. Despite this statement, the NRA went on to help block red flag legislation in Arizona in 2019. In Congress, virtually all Democrats and a few Republicans are receptive to red flag laws. The day after the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, killed 31 people, President Donald Trump urged states to implement red flag laws to remove guns from â€Å"those judged to pose a grave risk to public safety.† In televised remarks from the White House on August 5, 2019, Trump stated, â€Å"We must make sure that those judged to pose a grave risk to public safety do not have access to firearms and that if they do, those firearms can be taken through rapid due process.† States With Red Flag Laws As of August 2019, red flag laws had been enacted in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Twelve states enacted red flag laws after the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on February 14, 2018, left 17 dead. The states of California, Connecticut, Indiana, Oregon, and Washington, had enacted red flag laws prior to 2018. The 17 states and District of Columbia (in red) that had enacted red flag gun violence prevention laws as of August 2019. Creative Commons With only slight variations, all current red flag laws allow family members and law enforcement to petition a state judge to issue ERPOs directing the confiscation of all guns from the individual they believe poses a threat to their safety. In all cases, the petitioner must present evidence of why the gun owner poses a threat to others, as well as to himself or herself. If the ERPO is granted, the named individual’s guns are confiscated and held by police for a set minimum period, after which the gun owner must prove to the court that he or she no longer poses a risk in order to get their firearms back. Here is a list of who is allowed to request the issuance of an ERPO gun removal order in each state: California: Family, household members, and law enforcementColorado: Family, household members, and law enforcementConnecticut: One state attorney or any two police officersDelaware: Family, household members, and law enforcementDistrict of Columbia: Family, household members, mental health professionals, and law enforcementFlorida: Law enforcement onlyHawaii: Family, household members, teachers, medical professionals, coworkers, and law enforcementIllinois: Family, household members, and law enforcementIndiana: Law enforcement onlyMaryland: Family, household members, certain health professionals, and law enforcementMassachusetts: Family, household members, and law enforcementNevada: Family, household members, and law enforcementNew Jersey: Family, household members, and law enforcementNew York: Family, household members, school administrators, and law enforcementOregon: Family, household members, and law enforcementRhode Island: Law enforcement onlyVermont: State attorneys or the off ice of the state attorney general only Washington: Family, household members, and law enforcement As of August 2019, the state legislatures of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina were considering red flag legislation. Federal Red Flag Gun Control Legislation In February 2019, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Democrat of California, introduced the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act (S. 506), which would offer grants to assist states in developing red flag laws and make possessing a firearm in violation of a state red flag law a felony violation of federal firearms law. On August 5, 2019- the day after the El Paso and Dayton shootings- conservative Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated that he would propose bipartisan legislation to encourage more states to adopt red flag laws. Sources and Further Reference Williams, Timothy (August 6, 2019). What Are Red Flag Gun Laws, and How Do They Work? New York Times.Parker, George F. (2015). Circumstances and Outcomes of a Firearm Seizure Law: Marion County, Indiana, 2006-2013. Behavioral Sciences the LawLaGrone, Katie. (July 30, 2018). More than 450 people in Florida ordered to surrender guns months after gun law took effect. WFTS Tampa Bay.Dezenski, Lauren. Trump backs red flag gun laws. What do they actually do? CNN. (August 5, 2019).Lindsey Graham pushes red flag bill to curb gun violence. Politico. (August 5, 2019).

Information and Facts About Elephant Babies

Information and Facts About Elephant Babies Elephants are interesting animals. Their size is awesome, and their strength is incredible. They are intelligent and affectionate beings. Amazingly, even with their large size, they can walk silently. You might not even notice them passing by! Fast Facts: Baby Elephants Gestation period: 18 - 22 monthsBirth weight: about 250 poundsHeight: about 3 feet tallAbout 99% of calves are born at nightCalves are born with curly black or red hair on their foreheadsCalves drink about 3 gallons of milk a day Facts About Baby Elephants A baby elephant is called a calf. It weighs about 250 pounds at birth and stands about three feet tall. Calves cant see very well at first, but they can recognize their mothers by touch, scent, and sound. Baby elephants stay very close to their mothers for the first couple of months. The calves drink their mothers milk for about two years, sometimes longer. They drink up to 3 gallons of milk a day!  At about four months old, they also begin eating some plants, like adult elephants, but they continue to need as much milk from their mother. They keep drinking milk for up to ten years! At first, baby elephants dont really know what to do with their trunks. They swing them to and fro and sometimes even step on them. They will suck their trunk just as a human baby might suck its thumb. By about 6 to 8 months, calves begin learning to use their trunks to eat and drink. By the time they are a year old, they can control their trunks pretty well and, like adult elephants,  use their trunks for grasping,  eating, drinking, bathing. Female elephants stay with the herd for life, while males leave to begin a solitary life  at about 12 to 14 years of age. Elephant Babies Coloring Page (Print the PDF): Color this picture while you review the facts youve learned.   Species of Elephants For many years scientists thought that there were two different species of elephants:  Asian elephants and African elephants. However, in 2000, they began classifying African elephants into two distinct species, the African savanna  elephant and the African forest elephant. Elephant Vocabulary Worksheet (Print the PDF): Discover more about elephants by  with this vocabulary worksheet. Look up each word in a dictionary or online. Then, write the correct word on the blank line beside each definition. Elephant Word Search (Print the PDF): See how well you remember what you learned about elephants. Circle each word as you find it hidden among the letters in the word search. Refer to the worksheet for any terms whose meaning you dont remember.   African savanna  elephants live in the area of Africa below the Sahara desert. African forest elephants live in the rain forests of Central and West Africa.  The elephants that live in the African forest have smaller bodies and tusks than those that live on the savannas. Asian elephants live in the scrub and rain forests of Southwest Asia, India, and Nepal. Elephant Habitat Coloring Page (Print the PDF):  Review what youve learned about elephant Habitats. Distinguishing Between Asian and African Elephants There are many similarities between Asian and African elephants, but there are simple ways to distinguish one from the other. African elephants have much larger ears that seem to be shaped like the continent of Africa. They need large ears to cool off their bodies on the hot continent of Africa. Asian elephants ears are smaller and more rounded. African Elephant Coloring Page (Print the PDF) There is also a distinct difference in the shape of Asian and African elephants heads. Asian elephants heads are smaller than an African elephants head and have a double-dome shape. Both male and female African elephants can grow tusks, though not all do. Only male Asian elephants grow tusks. Asian Elephant Coloring Page (Print the PDF) The Asian elephant is smaller than the African elephant. Asian elephants live in jungle habitats. Its entirely different than the deserts of Africa. Water and vegetation are more plentiful in the jungle. So Asian elephants do not need wrinkled skin to trap moisture or large ears to fan their bodies. Even the trunks of Asian and African elephants are different. African elephants have two finger-like growths on the tip of their trunks; Asian elephants only have one. Elephant Family Coloring Page (Print the PDF): Do you think you can tell African and Asian elephants apart? Are these African elephants or Asian elephants? What are the identifying features? Elephant Diet Coloring Page (Print the PDF): All elephants are plant  eaters (herbivores). Adult elephants eat about 300 pounds of food a day. It takes a long time to find and eat 300 pounds of food. They spend 16 to 20 hours a day eating! Updated by Kris Bales

Trends in Organizational Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Trends in Organizational Behavior - Essay Example Ben Bernanke, the famous economist and current chairman of the board of governors of the Fed is constantly pursuing his current strategy (Lowenstein, 2008). He hasn’t considered the potential threat to the country of facing a major break down in terms of a great depression as was in the horrible recession of 1970s (Fortune, 2008). Several other economists challenge Bernanke on his loose monetary policy and are of the view that the opportunity cost of maintain this trend far much a higher than if we accept to sustain a small tightening to fight back the hikes in inflation and to avoid a shocking recession of the economy (Lowenstein, 2008). The various indices and statistics have further depicted a picture acknowledging a similar result that might be faced by America, if this continues. The dollar has been facing constant depreciation against various currencies of the world including Euro as the most threatening element in terms of trade. The purchasing power is reducing, though export s show a positive growth, the prices of import continue to climb up, thus burdening the foreign reserves day by day. This issue is not only the cause of the rising oil prices but due to the change in priorities and trends in spending. People are hesitant to save and thus consume more than they can and/or they should. This in turn is gradually rusting the economy and exhausting its credit line. The Fed is now considering the threats and is now putting controls on the dollar to regulate and fix its devaluation and monitor the soaring inflation. The article is relevant to the organizational behavior in term of the effects that it has on the economy. With such unproductive conditions, the employees are confused and face the threat of losing their jobs. They want to have more in terms of salaries/wages and/or compensations due to the

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's speech Research Paper

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's speech - Research Paper Example   The present research has identified that the goal of Dr. King’s speech is to unite his African American audience with the dominant culture thereby implementing cultural change. In the 17 minutes speech delivered by the Nobel peace prize winner, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; he called for the end to racial segregation and discrimination. The word ‘negro’ in the second paragraph is associated with a history of slavery, discrimination, and injustice. When he refers to the state of Mississippi, which is the worst example of racism, he is identifying with his African-American audience. The South again is infamous as slavery was institutionalized there. When Dr. King says †I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia†¦Ã¢â‚¬ , the word red creates the image of blood, implying pain, hurt and suppression. â€Å"Quest for freedom†-again for the African American community to identify with- so that a new day/hope dawns. â€Å"Battered by the s torms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality† and â€Å"Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one† are easily identified by the â€Å"America’s citizens of color†. â€Å"The veterans of creative suffering† also refer to his African American audience. The masterpiece speech is the best example of rhetoric in the twentieth century. Dr. King calls the dominant culture ‘whites’.  

Imperialism from 1700 to 1900 Essay Example for Free

Imperialism from 1700 to 1900 Essay From 1700 to 1900, the world was expanding. Many countries took on a expansionism type known as imperialism. Countries such as England used the British East India Company to conquer parts of Asia. America used imperialism to spread their rule westward, known as Manifest Destiny. They both used this tactic as migration. During these encounters, many factors stayed the same, but also differed in some ways. In the 19th century, the Americas were finally free of British control, and decided to spread their nation westward, past the Appalachian mountains to the pacific ocean. These people who traveled were called pioneers, exploring the frontier of America. Along the way, they came across Native American civilizations and tribes. Although the Native Americans were welcoming, the pioneers took advantage of them, through their resources. They eventually lead to the endangerment of the buffalo. They depleted many other of their resources, which caused the Native Americans and pioneers to attack one another. Battles such as Little Bighorn and the Wounded Knee massacre are just two known ones. The pioneers ended up killing off many of the natives, which was known as the French and Indian war, and although many Native Americans still survived those attacks, to this day most of them are force to live on reservations. The Americans then started giving away land in the midwest, that used to be owned by these tribes. The Homestead Act encouraged people to go out west and take land given by the government. The land was typically 100 plus acres. The British initially entered India in the 18th century with the East India Company with the sole thought of its trading and financial benefits. By the beginning of the 19th century, however, ulterior motives started to appear. The British were, technically, the ruling governors of India, but before then, had only been concerned with making money. Now, however, the British began trying to expand their territory and the idea of responsible trusteeship came about. The British, along their conquests, destroyed much of Indian culture and replaced it with their own. The British did however, like the idea of the caste system in separating the people, and so let that remain in tack to remain in control of the population. India became a major trade hub in Asia due to this. British rule also modernized India, bring new  technologies and such there, known as cultural diffusion. And so, the Natives had to stay on their reservations while America expanded. America continued their idea of Manifest Destiny all the way to the Pacific. As for the British, the Indian culture was destroyed and changed to the British way of life.

Fifth Generation Computers :: Technology Computer Essays

Fifth Generation Computers   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ever since computers first came into production, they have been evolving. The Commodore 64 and Apple computers have dominated the very first computer market. Today, there are many companies in the computer industry fighting for technology supremacy. And since the beginning, every new generation of computers has dominatedover the old ones. When they first came out, each jump in technology took awhile, but nowadays, the technology changes daily. Fifth generation computers are overall much better than the previous generation. The computer has progressed in many ways, but the most important improvement is the speed and operating capabilities. It was only around 6 years ago when a 386 DX2 processor was the fastest and most powerful CPU in the market. This processor could do a plethora of small tasks and still not be working to hard. Around 2-3 years ago, the Pentium came out, paving the way for new and faster computers. Intel was the most proficient in this area and came out with a range of processors from 66 MHz-166 Mhz. These processors are also now starting to become obsolete. Todays computers come equipped with 400-600 Mhz processors that can multi-task at an alarming rate. Intel has just started the release phase of it’s new Pentium III-800MHz processor. Glenn Henry is quoted to say â€Å"Megahertz is all people care about† and this is too true. Sys Technology recently came out with what they claim as the â€Å"fastest commercially available PC†. This computer runs at an astonishing 1000 Mhz or 1 Ghz. This computer is appropriately named the Cold-Fusion 1000 due to the KryoTech refrigeration unit that runs coolant through a pipe over the CPU to keep it at a cool -40 degrees Celsius. This computer is made for graphics creators and â€Å"ultra serious gamers†. This super computer will be available at the end of November for a steep price of $4299 American. Even as we speak, a new form opf processor is coming out that uses an Itanium chip made by Intel. But don’t expect it anytime soon, â€Å"Itanium won’t be relevant for PC’s until 2003 at the earliest, more likely 2005.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next major improvement is the memory of a computer. This includes the hard drive and the RAM. During the same generation as the 386, there was also the hard drive and RAM. But these two components were not much then. The hard drive was about 100-300 megabytes and the RAM was about 4 megabytes.

Health Status and Health Care Services in the United Kingdom

Health Status and Health Care Services in the United Kingdom with comparison to the United States HSM-310 Introduction to Health Services Management Course Project Date submitted: 10/18/2009 Table of Contents Executive Summary Population and Health Status†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Demographic characteristics of population Mortality, Infant mortality data, causes of death *Availability of Health Services* Basic organization/general description of services institutions, providers of care Issues related to access Utilization of services (data, if available) Other related information/analysis Expenditures How are health services paid for; any roles for the government here Data on total expenditures *Macro environmental influences on the health care system* Public Private *Summary comments* Problems Opportunities Other related comments regarding this country's health care services Comparison to the United States: what works better, what is not working as well†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Concluding comments: Lessons learned for the U. S. , other countries†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Bibliography (required)†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Executive Summary The United Kingdom’s population is growing and the people are living longer, this could be due to the fact that healthcare is free and people are using it when they need it and not waiting to see a doctor when they can afford it. However, with the growing size of the population the cost of healthcare is rising and the need for funding the tax financed health plan needs to be reformed. Hopefully by seeing what other countries use to have a successful health care plan the UK can implement some of their ideas with their own and ucceed at having an efficient and effective health plan that delivers the highest quality of health care. Population and Health Status in the United Kingdom The Office of National Statistics reported that the population in the United Kingdom (UK) was 61. 4 million people in mid-2008, which is a 408,000 increase from the year before. The rise in population over the past 12 months is not due to migration but to the increased number of birth s and the decreased number in deaths (ONS, 2008). It seems that the people in the UK are living longer and leading healthier lifestyles than in the past. The life expectancy at the time of birth for males is 76. 52 years and 81. 63 for females, and the infant mortality rate is 4. 85 deaths per 1000 births (Flag Counter, 2009). Below are the top ten leading causes of death in the United Kingdom: Ischemic heart disease Lower Respiratory infections Cerebrovascular disease Trachea, bronchus, lung cancers Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Colon and rectum cancers Breast Cancer Alzheimer and other dementias Prostate Cancer 10. Lymphomas, multiple myeloma (WHO,2009) Here in the US we share many of these leading causes except for Lymphomas and Prostate cancer, we add traffic accidents and diabetes mellitus. I would assume this is because Americans drive more than the British and that the general population of the US is overweight, which is a leading cause of diabetes. The US and the UK share nearly the same life expectancy and the infant mortality rate is a bit higher here in the US. Overall the US and the UK share little difference when it comes to life expectancy, infant mortality and the leading causes of death. Availability of Services The UK has a National Health Service (NHS) that is a publicly funded health care service. The NHS is divided into two different sections: primary and secondary care. The primary care section consists of General practice physicians, dentists, optometrists and pharmacist, the primary care section is referred to as the Primary Care Trust (PCT). The Secondary section is made up of acute or elective healthcare options, such as emergency and urgent care, ambulance and surgery, these acute services are referred to as NHS trusts. The PCT oversees around 29,000 GP’s and 18,000 dentists, there are around 175 acute NHS trusts, 60 mental health NHS trusts and 1600 NHS trusts hospitals. Emergency vehicles are also provided by an NHS ambulance services trusts; there are 11 of these ambulance services trust in England (NHS, 2009). The healthcare facilities are basically the same as they are here in the US; there are hospitals, clinics, urgent care facilities, doctor’s offices and pharmacies. The main concern with the access of healthcare in the UK is the waiting times to be seen by a specialist after being referred by a primary physician. In England the wait time is around 18 weeks to see a specialist. Many patients in the UK have said that there is difficulty in accessing GP on the weekends or after-hours as well. As with other nations the UK also has a shortage of healthcare workers which increases the wait times and the quality of care that patients are receiving. The main focus of the NHS is to provide the highest quality of care as well as decreasing the wait times and adding more healthcare facilities. Expenditures The NHS was built on the ideal that healthcare should be provided to everyone regardless of wealth. With the exception of charges for some prescriptions and optical and dental services, the NHS remains free at the point of use for anyone who is resident in the UK. It covers everything from antenatal screening and routine treatments for coughs and colds to open heart surgery, accident and emergency treatment and end-of-life care. The NHS is a tax financed healthcare system, the public pays a higher tax for their healthcare to be free. The Department of Health much like that in the US, oversees the NHS. All employees of the NHS are government employees and are by paid by the government. There is a very small private sector of healthcare in the UK and if you either be seen by an NHS physician or by a private physician whom you would pay out-of-pocket to see. The responsibility for health legislation and policy rests in the hands of the government at the Parliament of Westminster. The treasury/finance ministry set a budget and that determines what share of government receipt will be used to finance the healthcare system. The budget is done in three year cycles. In 2004 the total healthcare expenditure in the UK was 101 billion pounds the funding for NHS alone was 86. 6 billion pounds. The expenditure on healthcare is continually rising. Here in the US the healthcare system is privately funded through grants, donations and fees for service. We pay insurance to cover our healthcare costs or we pay out of pocket for the services. There has been some concern on whether or not the UK NHS system will continue to work, taxes will need to increase and there will need to be more funding. There is a push to have a mixed system that is both private and public. *Macro environmental *Influences There is a common problem with the migrant jump to the UK to take advantage of the healthcare and the citizens are footing the bill. The need for funding for NHS is rising and there is concern on how they are going to continue to pay for the services. The UK is in need of a plan to implement a privately funded healthcare service alongside the tax financed service. Implement co-pays on some of the services that are provided and take into consideration the benefits of including the private sector. Summary Overall the UK has a well implemented plan for their healthcare services, the problems that they face are the same that are faced by many other countries, from funding to the quality and the accessibility of services. In comparison to the US the UK faces many of the same issues, the shortage of healthcare professionals to the need for reform. The universal health care plan has worked for the UK and the private plan has worked for the US in the past but now there needs to be changes made because of the rising cost of healthcare in both countries. The UK is learning that there is a need for change and that by seeing other countries such as the US use private health insurance plans they can create some kind of balance. Bibliography