Changing Our Metaphors to Put Quality of Life at the Center of Health Care

  • George J. Annas
Chapter

Abstract

Metaphors matter, as America’s defunct health insurance financing debate so well demonstrated. In that debate the traditional metaphor of American medicine, the military metaphor, was displaced in public discourse by the market metaphor. Metaphors, which entice us to understand and experience “one kind of thing in terms of another... play a central role in the construction of social and political reality.”1 The market metaphor proved virtually irresistible in the public arena, and led Congress to defer to market forces to “reform” health insurance financing in America.

Keywords

Health Insurance Financing American Medicine High Quality Health Care Health Care Financing System American Health Care System 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 1997

Authors and Affiliations

  • George J. Annas
    • 1
  1. 1.Health Law DepartmentBoston University Schools of Medicine and Public HealthBostonUSA

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