Following the stimulus package, and I am assuming that will come first, the President-elect and the 111th Congress need to put the healthcare plan for America at the forefront of domestic policies.
Catastrophic health care costs and out of pocket medical care was the primary cause of over half of the 1.06 million bankruptcies filed in 2008. Based on these facts over 530,000 individuals or families were forced into bankruptcy in the past year due to medical expenses. There is no accounting for those who are near bankruptcy or unduly suffering under the weight of excessive medical expenses.
Aside from the undue burdens being placed on families who are trying to pay their way throught the healthcare maze, the rising costs of healthcare across the country is out of control. Rates for healthcare coverage is rising faster than any inflation in the past decades. The co-pays and the deductibles are so large today that many insured families cannot afford to visit the doctor except in emergency situations. Many families with “good” coverage are foregoing tests that could prevent serious illnesses and higher costs in the long run, preferring to gamble that their health is fine.
Among the industrialized nations, America’s healthcare system has fallen behind and we now find that in the wealthiest country in the world life expectancy does not meet the longevity of many countries with nationalized healthcare. Americans are avoiding regular check-ups and tests that could catch diseases before they fully present because we cannot afford the co-pays or the diagnoses that have limited payments.
Admittedly, there is no immediate cure for the health care problems our country suffers. However, the need for a national health plan should be considered one of the basicsfor a sound country. First, a healthy nation, primarily through insurance that would encourage preventative care, would provide a better workforce, less sick days, and lowerhealth care costs. Healthy children are better students, increasing their concentration and ability to learn with less missed school days.
Second, for all those who have shunned a national health care program as “socialization” and so on, there was no reservation when it came to socializing our industries, i.e. the banks, insurance companies, and the three automotive manufacturers. Call it socialized medicine or any other term, health care for America is a solid investment in the future of America. Our people are our greatest natural resource.
Third, the cost to institute national health care will be high. No one will dispute that. However, it will ultimately reduce the number of emergency room visits that usually cost three times that of a visit to a primary care practitioner. Additionally, by the time a patient visits the ER the condition has usually deteriorated to the necessity of hospitalization, incurring additional costs. Preventive care would reduce the costs of operating a hospital, allow for better care for the patient and often diagnose what potentially could become a catastrophic illness before it presents in the latter stages. The burden on our medical practitioners would be eased.
As the talk of a stimulus package abounds in Washington, it is my hope that our new administration and our new Congress will realize that good health and a sound educational program are the two necessities of a country that is moving forward and looking to the future. Good health is essential to the well-being of the nation. To turn a blind eye to the health care needs of a nation is to place a stranglehold on the future of our country. We have fallen behind our neighbors in quality and availability of health care during the past few decades. Now we see that those global neighbors are expected to live longer and remain healthier into the later years.
While we can subsidize our financial institutions and our major corporations, perhaps we should recognize that America’s greatest resource has always been its people. Americans should not be faced with losing everything they have worked for due to a sudden catastophic hospital visit, either due to accident or illness. And, what is the importance of medical research and discoveries if the products of that research or that life saving discovery or cure is not affordable by those who need it.
The economic crisis that our country faces today calls for extraordinary measures. However, as we work together to rebuild our economy we recognize that healthy citizens build a healthy economy. Healthy citizens are able to work. Healthy citizens can earn a living wage and pay their debts. Healthy citizens of America are the entreprenuers who will rebuild this country.
Yes, the tax burden will increase on all of us. However, with good health and greater longevity most Americans will seek work, create work and work longer in order to pay down the national debt. Citizens with readily available health care will cost the nation less in the long run. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so to speak. Any doctor will tell you that catching a disease by early diagnosis reduces the cost of treatment and often returns the patient to productivity that could be otherwise lost.
Health care should not be a luxury in a nation as wealthy as ours. It should be the right. It is a necessity. Not only will a national health plan have benefit for the insured, it will also a benefit for the family, the employer, and the nation as a whole. So, with all the talk of the agenda items that President-elect Obama will have to move to a back burner, it is imperative that health care and education for all Americans stay at the top of the list.
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