In many communities, such as mine, a growing percentage of the populace is living without affordable health insurance. Healthcare is something that should be considered a basic human right, not a privilege given only to those who can afford its rising prices. We need to know why, with the resources we have, we can allow the state of health care to deteriorate so badly that people are dying because of the lack of reasonably- priced health insurance. We have to reform the current practices of health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, and our own government, to insure that every person can afford the health care they need to survive.
Our government has been aware of this problem for quite some time. President Bill Clinton formed a Task Force charged with this duty (Moffit, 1993). Former United States Senator Bill Bradley wrote, “Since the days of Harry Truman, Democrats have wanted universal health coverage, believing that if other industrialized countries can achieve it, surely the United States can” (Bradley, 2009). Harry Truman was president from 1945-1953, so it is clear this is not a new problem.
In the last decade however, rising premiums, coupled with fewer covered services, have regrettably become the norm (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 2009). The root cause of this crisis is a three-headed monster that, in servitude to the omnipotent master of greed, feeds upon the masses' basic needs. They are, specifically; the health insurance companies, the big pharmaceutical companies, and, to a lesser extent although just as culpable, our own government that, for whatever reasons, has not sufficiently regulated the practices of the aforementioned culprits for the best interests of the populace. The health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies make policies based on financial motives rather than health issues and appear motivated by uncontrolled profits. The policies and practices of this unholy trinity has created a crisis that directly affects each man, woman and child in every community across this great country of ours.
Quite simply, fewer people can afford the care they need to live a happy, productive life. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has reported that the number of insured Americans has dropped from almost 80% in the 1980’s to only 65% in 2008 (Lazzaro, 2009). One can easily observe the results of this trend. First, the general quality of life in a community begins to decline, as it has in the city where I live. This city, once a thriving manufacturing center, is now little more than a bedroom community to service its nearby urban centers. The indigent population has risen. The domino effect follows the same path everywhere; health insurance gets too expensive so people choose to go without it or have no choice but to go without it. When people get sick, their issues become chronic and sometimes debilitating, forcing them to drop from the work force. With less people in the work force, more businesses close. As more businesses close, more people end up out of work with no health insurance, and the vicious cycle starts again. We need to find ways to stop this cycle so the quality of life can improve for people, thereby strengthening the local community. As local communities strengthen, the improvement will eventually lead to a stronger, healthier America and this unfortunate trend will begin to turn the other way.
This problem needs execution of effective solutions quickly. I am not sure how quickly things can improve, but I do know that they can improve. I think one of the ways of stemming this crisis is by widening the implementation of a policy that big pharmaceutical companies already use. They give discounts on medications to purchasers of very large quantities. Wal-Mart stores currently have a practice that demonstrates this principle clearly. Many prescriptions at Wal-Mart pharmacies cost just four dollars (Wal-Mart, 2008). The reason they can do this is the volume of medication they buy; the pharmaceutical companies offer them a big discount as a reward for large-volume sales. So why is it that a local community, i.e. city or town, should not do the same? Even better, should not the federal government do something like that? Our federal government is already using this practice in the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. They provide discounted medications to Veterans that they have purchased at a heavy-volume rate. This demonstrates how lower prescription costs will result from using this method. So how else can we use this same basic principle to alleviate this crisis?
In the matter of health insurance premiums, the same principle that could work for prescription cost applies. Private companies who offer health insurance are charged premiums based on the number of employees enrolled in the program. So what would happen if the local, state or federal governments were to group everyone into one big policy? I expect the cost of the premiums will lower, allowing many more people the chance at inexpensive health insurance. In this country right now, we have a program called Medicare. Their prevailing administrative cost is about 5%, while most private insurers are operating at about a 17% administrative cost (Litow, 2006). Why does our government allow this to happen? Does it not make logical sense that we should focus on a plan like Medicare for everyone? It would be both feasible and effective.
Currently our President is attempting to get a bill passed to implement another attempt at health care reform. He is meeting some very stiff opposition from the opposing political party. Former Senator Bill Bradley writes “There are lessons from the 1986 legislative experience that can be applied to health care reform today” (Bradley, 2009). Instead of fighting with one another, the two political parties need to work together as they did with President Reagan back in 1986; a compromise that would give both sides what they want. The Democrats want universal health care. They feel this would show the compassion that America seems to be lacking lately. The Republicans would like to see more legal reform because of the high legal costs involved in medical care today; litigation and defensive medicine costs an estimated 10 cents of every health care dollar (Bradley, 2009). I believe that if the two parties agreed on a bill that provided universal health care along with the formation of a medical court, like the current bankruptcy courts, that the amount of money saved in legal costs would help fund some of the new health plan.
This problem needs attention now. Every day, more people are losing their insurance. Every day more people are getting too sick to work. Every day families must choose between prescriptions and basic human needs. I have suggested some possible remedies. There are successful programs already in place; expand them. The members of our government need to work together for the good of all Americans. Their job is, after all, to care for the citizens of this great country, from the smallest community to the largest metropolis. In the end however, we cannot lose sight of the fact that affordable health insurance is not just for the privileged, but a basic moral obligation to all Americans.
References
Bradley, B. (2009, August 30). Tax Reform’s Lesson for Health Care Reform. New York Times , p. WK9.
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2009). Employee Health Benefits: 2008 Annual Survey. Menlo Park: Kaiser Family Foundation.
Lazzaro, J. (2009, July 22). CDC: Americans with insurance falls to 50 year low. Retrieved September 1, 2009, from Daily finance:
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/07/22/cdc-americans-
with-private-health-insurance-falls-to-50-year-lo/
Litow, M. (2006). Medicare versus Private Health Insurance: The Cost of
Administration. Milliman Inc.
Moffit, R. E. (1993, November 19). A Guide to Clinton health plan. Retrieved
September 1, 2009, from The Heritage foundation:
http://www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/tp00.cfm
Wal-Mart. (2008). Wal-Mart.com:Hundreds of prescriptions... Retrieved September 1, 2009, from Wal-Mart.com: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/
catalog.gsp?cat=546834
