Sorry it has been awhile, my parents were in town.
If anyone knows me they know I enjoy talking/debating politics. I think it comes from my love of competition. When it comes to debates, there are four things that need to happen for it be successful.
1. Passion/opinion for a topic
2. Facts regarding the stance
3. Ability to communicate
4. Ability to see both sides
I was on debate teams in college for the Student Economic Society and have been debating throughout my whole life to anyone who will take an opposing side. I enjoy debating not to change someone’s mind, but to maybe allow both of us to understand or see both sides. The big question that people are facing today is, "Should all Americans be provided with Health Insurance?" A lot of people are very passionate about each side being either for or against the Obama’s Universal Health Care Plan. The problem is most Americans right now are very confused about what is really going on. I hear a lot of people saying, “I don’t know enough about it”. So I am going to try to provide both facts and some opinions on the health care bill and reform.
After researching a little bit more, I am coming across more and more information for the argument that we actually are already paying for Universal Health Care we are just not getting anything out of it. The problem that we face in today’s society is that people who don’t have insurance are typically people who can’t pay premiums. One thing that a lot of private insurance agencies are doing is not allowing anyone who is at risk of getting sick to be covered. The people who are getting coverage are healthy and young. Even in the workplace, deductibles and copays are getting so high that people are actually paying for their own health care.
60% of people who have insurance already are having it paid for by the taxpayer’s people on Medicare, Medicaid, Veteran Administration or those employed by the Federal Government, States, County and towns (Sam Smith). Another way taxpayers are already paying for Universal Health Care is due to ‘patient dumping’ which is “The practice of only treating patients that can pay” (Babylon Free Dictionary) so the rest go to the ER. There is a wide range of people who need the ER, for minor items such as flu or strep to larger problems like drug addiction and alcoholism. Hospitals have no choice but to put those costs on the people who can pay.
That being said, I have realized how long this blog could be. I don’t want to turn into a blogger who writes on and on so you stop reading. Here are some facts about health care for both sides.
I would like to start off by providing you the bill, it's really long ha-ha.
http://help.senate.gov/BAI09A84_xml.pdf
Pros:
-Everybody can have health insurance if they want it. Not just ER visits ,but they are able to see a General Doctor too.
-In the long run, this will help reduce medical costs so they don’t keep rising. People say that their kids will be paying in the future; they are going to be paying either way with the constant rise in health care.
-Reduce medical bankruptcy. There will no longer be caps on coverage so insurance agencies can no long say, “We are done helping you; you’re on your own now”.
-Increased competition from public option, non-profit, state-specific corporations. This will help lower costs and provide better service.
-Medications are given a set price.
-Creates a healthier population as a whole.
-Individuals will not be able to be denied coverage on the basis of a preexisting condition.
-You get to choose if you want it or not. If you want to stay with your private insurance agency then you can.
-The plan is geared to find wasteful spending and recycle it back into the plan.
-People with terminal illnesses will get coverage.
Cons:
-It is going to cost money. For the first 10 years it will cost $100 billion a year. This is how much it cost for a year in the Iraq War.
-There is going to be something called an Individual Mandate. This means you have to buy health insurance, and if you don’t you will have a 2% tax increase. This will be subsidized, but depending on your situation there is no guarantee.
-Tax Increase on very high income people. If you make more than a half a million you will have about a 1% tax increase. This money will go to one organization so you will not have a choice on who is helped.
-Atheistic appeal of hospitals may go away.
-Takes huge profit from health insurance companies.
Pros and Cons (Some view as good some view as bad)
-Increase in government involvement. The government already plays a big part in health care so it really wouldn’t be too different.
-Large employers may also have to offer health insurance to more of their employees. If they do not, they may have to pay some extra tax.
-Progress and change
One thing I have heard is that by changing the health care system we will no longer be the “best health care system in the world”. In 2000 the World Health Organization (WHO) came up with a way to measure the quality of health care.
-Health Level: 25%
-Health Distribution: 25%
-Health Responsiveness: 12.5%
-Responsiveness Distribution: 12.5%
-Financial Fairness: 25%
The WHO poll was taken in 2000 and 40 countries were ranked. The United States came in 15th for overall quality of health care. The Commonwealth Fund ranked the U.S 19th and stated that the US has the highest infant mortality rate of all developed countries. The United States is the only wealthy developed country that does not offer Health Care. CNN reported that medical bills resort to 60% of the U.S. bankruptcy’s, 75% of those people had health insurance. The WHO also reports that the United States Ranks 20th for Overall Life Expectancy. So for those people who like to compare Canada and France to the US, they in fact have a much higher life expectancy than the United States. Facts are facts. I do want to point out that America has great medical schools, research programs and people do come from all over the world for care in the United States for specialized procedures.
We need to find a way to insure every American. Not a lot of people can disagree with that. "At a time of foreclosures and job losses, the last worry anyone needs is whether they can get thoughtful care with appropriate follow-up if an emergency befalls them.” (Dr. Patrick Whelan) (www.Familydoctormag.com) The other thing we cant have happen is, “Expensive enterprise of medical care doesn’t become a new pork barrel of inefficiency.” (Dr. Patrick Whelan) The third thing is cost efficiency, “Tremendous efficiencies are possible because they are currently being achieved by our economic competitors around the world. The United States currently has the developed world’s most inefficient system, costing more than twice as much as other systems while performing poorly on many health indices.” (Dr. Patrick Whelan) I hope this helps some of you clear up both sides. This is a very messy topic and I try to see both sides, but bottom line is our current health care system is not working. Something needs to happen, progress needs to happen, and we can no longer just keep waiting.
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