Advances in medicine, but not in care For a period of time, healthcare professionals actively considered all factors in making plans for individuals in their care. Medical schools began to include human ecology as part of their curriculum. Then we entered the age of specialization, which led to a narrower and narrower focus, so much so that some practitioners see only their area of specialization and not the whole person. We have seen major advances in pharmaceutical products aimed at specific diseases. We have also entered the age of third-party insurance.
Most medical care is covered by an employer's insurance.
A family's coverage is now determined mainly by the place of employment and its coverage. In competing for customers, insurance companies began lowering their prices. As they began to lose money, carriers have systematically limited what they will cover. This has given rise to conflict for members of an individual's treatment team who deal with the psychological and social factors, even for psychiatric illnesses, often with negative consequences. The family often recognizes the medical team's sense of defeat before the team does.