The next time you are out for coffee somewhere with a bunch of friends and the conversation is beginning to lag, just say the words “health care” and then sit back and listen to the debate for the next hour or so.
Unless there’s a major disaster somewhere around the world, you can’t tune in any radio or TV newscast and not hear about the current national debate on reforming the health care system.
On one side of the debate is a young president who is genuinely concerned about the health of the citizens. He’s stubborn. He won’t take “no” for an answer. He doesn’t necessarily believe the “business as usual” is the only way. He also believes we can’t wait for action.
On the other side are members of Congress, a strong lobby and some very influential people who are quite comfortable with the way things are. They would have you believe that we have the greatest health care system in the world and that any major change in the way things are now being done would put drug companies and insurance companies and who knows, probably the convenience store down the street,out of business and in the end bankrupt the country.
Somewhere in the middle are some members of Congress who realize something has to be done, either sooner or later, but they are concerned about the cost of it all.
It’s truly amazing how much misinformation is out there, most of it promoted by the drug companies, insurance companies and maybe even the medical lobby. They uncover stories of people in other countries where there’s universal health care that must wait months to receive treatment for a variety of ailments.
Many of these countries are considered modern, industrialized nations where the citizens have a strong voice in how their government is run. So if that’s the case and if the health care is so substandard there, why haven’t there been riots in the streets of Canada, England, France, Germany or Italy? Nobody has a shorter temper than an injured or ill individual who is denied timely treatment.
In this ongoing health debate, many cite the 40-50 million of us who have no health insurance. But many more of us who are fortunate to be insured through our employer still live in fear of financial ruin in the event we contract a serious illness or injury. Thanks to the ever increasing insurance premiums that are left unchecked by a friendly Federal government, our coverage is not what it once was, nor is it entirely adequate.
How many of us have gone to the doctor or hospital, fully expecting our insurance to cover our care only to receive a bill a few weeks later citing our share of the cost based on not fulfilling our deductible or having to pay a co-pay?
What this country needs is a single-payer system. When you go to the hospital, you should be able to present a card and be treated. No deductibles, no co-pays, no passing “go” and collecting $200.
Some have suggested that employers be forced to provide health insurance for their employees. Perhaps our employers should be allowed to get out of the health insurance as a direct benefit business Each employer would be assessed a certain per employee fee, but they would be able to save some administrative costs by not dealing with insurance companies. Part of that fee would be waived if the employer could show that he had instated company-paid health programs, such as an on site gym, smoking cessation programs, etc. Citizens could also be assessed a reasonable fee, deducted from our paychecks, to help cover insurance costs. That fee would be determined on income levels.
The government could offer scholarships to medical students who pledge to enter fields which might be less lucrative or more time consuming. It’s time to reign in drug costs through limiting or eliminating the drug companies’ right to lobby and to limit where they can advertise.
This next idea will probably surprise you who have read what I’ve written so far and figure this is all leftist talk. But it’s also time to limit malpractice settlements. Too many victims of medical malpractice are convinced by their attorneys that a favorable judgment is a ticket to instant wealth.
When a doctor makes a mistake and when a judge or jury determines he or she is at fault, then the victim deserves to be compensated. But not in a punitive manner. If a person suffers a career-ending injury at the hands of a doctor, that person deserves enough of a settlement to pay for future medical costs and a sensible determination of lost wages. But once those figures are determined, there’s no need to tack on an additional $5 million to punish the doctor and his insurance company.
As you listen to the health care debate in the coming weeks, keep an open mind. Health care is a right, not a privilege. We all need to assume some responsibility to maintain good health and help pay for our own health care. If you want to get another view of how our neighbors in other countries receive health care, don’t listen to the horror stories cooked up by those with their own agenda. Go on line and Google “Canadian health care” or other countries and you may get a different view.
