My Views on Health Care

In my last post I posed three questions that we, Americans, should answer as we discuss health care in our nation. I will now answer these questions for myself.

First, I am not happy with our current system. Medical technology has developed to become wonders; but they have also become expensive. Few can actually afford the tests and treatments modern medicine offers. Our drugs are also expensive, as are doctor visits. My family relies on health insurance to afford any medical care at all.

Since 1979, when I began my career, our medical insurance benefits have cost us more and the service has degraded. Now, it seems that the insurance company is more of an adversary than our advocate. They routinely deny coverage for treatments that they pre-approved. We must spend hours on the phone to get them to pay what they say they cover. I know of many people who are bankrupt because of cancer or some other major medical problem. And then my son, an American working in Argentina had life saving surgery that was fully covered by their national health insurance. What would have cost him thousands of dollars, cost him nothing. Now that he came back to the US, he can be insured because of his existing condition... cancer.

Do I think everyone should have adequate (what ever that may mean) health care? Yes. I also believe that everyone should willingly, and gladly contribute to such a system. I believe believe that food, housing, education, and health care are all necessary to personal and state welfare. We should decide to take care of everyone.

Now for the hardest question: Can we afford universal health care? Looking at statistics, Americans spend more for health care per capita than Canada, Japan, and European nations; and we are less healthy. The average is over $1,000 per person. My family is currently just above that average. I would gladly pay my total health care costs in taxes for a system that would take of us without the current hassles. If everyone else did the same we could pay for universal health care. It is a matter of will.

It's just me... and what I believe.

The Health Care Debate

I have watched the national debate on health care with interest because it will effect my family and me. I have also been disappointed at the expressions of hatred thrown out at both sides of the debate. I can understand emotion, but not hatred in a national debate.

To me the issue of health care in America is a series of questions that we need to answer.

First, are we happy with our current health care system? Is it adequate? Is the level of care the my family and I can get adequate? Can we afford it? Is American health care the best in the world? Is it as good as it could be? Everyone has some experience with doctors, clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, and insurance companies. Are we happy with the care we get? The answer is probably somewhere between yes and no. The answers to these first questions can be emotional, but I do not see a reason to be upset with each other.

Second, do we believe that everyone in America should have adequate health care? OK, this question can generate some debate. It is essentially a yes or no question and goes to the heart of our nation's character. Americans do not have to answer the question the same way as Canada, England, France, or any other country. But, we should answer the question.

Third, can we afford the health care system we want? Now this may our current system, or something we think is better. This is a serious question and should be answered honestly. If we do not have the money for what we want, we should not try to pay for it. On the other hand if re-prioritizing our expendatures can free up the money we need for a personal, family, state, or national health plan, why not do it? I understand that we tend to get emotional whenever we talk about money. Taxes, like all our other obligations from utility bills, car payments, and mortgages are never enjoyable topics, but I don't have to demonize others when I consider my budget.

Can we look at this issue and answer these questions without calling each other names?

Who's responsible?

Who is responsible for our son's education? We, as his parents, are.

I know this is idealistic, but the schools, the teachers, the principals and superintendents, the school boards, and all the politicians writing educational legislation all work for us. We are responsible for our child's education, not them. We utilize their services as we think best; but, they do not dictate what is best for our children. The truth is that educators don't know how to prepare kids for the future any more than we do. And what they do know, most of them are not doing anyway.

Though we send him to school, we are educating our son; we are responsible.