Daydreaming About Universal Health Care
Posted on: June 17, 2009 by Matt 2 Comments
I have been thinking a fair amount lately about the US and why we do not have a universal health care system. The thoughts are probably coming from recently watching Michael Moore’s film Sicko along with my own personal need to get out and see a doctor for a check up. I have not been to a doctor for a routine physical for about 10 or 11 years now and currently dread the idea due to having out of pocket costs. I have recently opened up an HSA to set money aside for doctor visits and do have insurance but it is designed to only cover expenses after a $2,000 deductible is met. Overall my whole experience with health insurance has been pretty jaded. Even when I had “good insurance” that included low co-payments the policies were overly complicated, riddled with loopholes and required the use of certain providers. I have also heard stories of denied claims and families unable to cover the costs of covering all members.
Something about being denied access to your health or the health of a family member really just rubs me the wrong way. Insurance companies benchmark the “success” of a medical director based on the number of claims that they can deny to increase profits – ridiculous…. I just can not believe it. Health care should be as readily available to people as emergency services – the fire department does not let your house burn down because your home owner’s insurance did not pre-approve your claim. Why should anyone have to put their health at risk or suffer simply because an external company (or lack there of) decides they should?
I know that to many people out there that the socializing of health care is a pretty scary thought. People are worried about increased taxes, more national debt, decreased health care, outdated technology, inadequate facilities, etc. The fact still stands that we are the only wealthy, industrialized country that does not offer our citizens universal health care. So here is my question: If every other industrialized country in the world can offer universal health care to its citizens then why can’t we? The majority of these countries offer free to very low cost health care to citizens and have longer life expectancies, lower infant mortality rates and generally healthier people.
My answer to my question above: Greed. I think that insurance and pharmaceutical companies along with most of the health care industry and even our own government have let their want for more money to take a higher priority than the health of the nation as a whole. For those of you that disagree and think that we have a wonderful system in place I say just wait until it effects you personally. Eventually it will and even the most conservative will end up seeing the flaws with a for profit health care system. I am personally glad that I have not been effected yet and am hopeful that my family and I will never have to face a medical condition that goes unchecked.
