(who is passed away) and my mother is a nurse. I am fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to always have had health care coverage in my life. Now that my mother is working for someone other than my father I do hear from her how much health insurance is and how her boss is kind enough to cover me under her insurance. However most people are not as fortunate as I am to have health insurance. I realized this when a woman who works at Vons grocery store came in and spoke to our class regarding her situation and the reason so many employees are striking. I do know health insurance is expensive and that most employers do not provide health insurance unless you are a full time employee and have been working a certain length of time. Not everyone can work full time, while balancing families and even school. People should not be punished by not being provided with health care for not working 40 hours a week.

On a macro level a functional theorist would believe that health care benefits society by providing numerous jobs, income for insurance companies, education, both control and independence on the employee and employer. The conflict theory would say healthier is used by corporations/ employers as a source of control, discrimination and power. It's an expense, and those who are in a lower class are most likely to suffer the consequences. A symbolic interactionist would argue that insurance is used to keep employees under control and out of power. Not allowing the employee to have the power to have the benefits of adequate health care. All of these perspectives can be argued well depending on which side of the fence you are on, the employee or the employer. In reality both are going to either have to be sacrificing but if health care were provided both would be benefiting as well.

f insurance it appears that costs are not falling but rising. According to an article by CNN money, " Premiums for employer- sponsored health insurance increased almost 14 percent between spring 2002 and spring 2003-- the highest increase since 1990." This statistic was according to a survey released by Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research Educational Trust. Many employers do pay atleast ¾ of their employees insurance. With corporations like Vons and Albertsons they have thousands of employees they have to provide insurance for, unlike smaller companies. Ther

Some topics in this essay:
Costs Skyrocket, , County Register, According CNN, Vons Albertsons, Health Insurance, health care, Educational Trust, health insurance, grocery store, health care benefits, health care provided, can't afford, co- payments, care provided, care benefits, insurance companies, family coverage, employee employer,