Opinions on Health Reform
August 27, 2009 by Admin II
Filed under Editorials
The Researched Perspective
By Sami Yerunkar, Student Life Editor
Healthcare reform is the latest in political discourse since the November elections. Republicans and Democrats, Liberals, Conservatives, and Moderates alike are striving to help decide the future of healthcare in the United States.
For those who haven\’t kept up with recent events, the United States is the only industrialized nation not to have a universal healthcare system. Universal healthcare is health coverage for all individuals in a political region by the government, through public funds from a single or multiple providers. The state of healthcare in the United States is questionable, as over 15% of the population is uninsured, and even those who are insured are not guaranteed total health coverage.
The difference here lies in the private nature of healthcare in the United States. As the industry is private, companies are driven to use ethically questionable methods to provide healthcare. This creates what some people describe as “a system that attempts to get patients out the door as quickly as possible.”
This is the reason why, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United States ranks first in healthcare expenditure, but actual use of healthcare services in the country is much lower than the median for OECD members. The United States also ranks much lower in life expectancy, infant mortality, and overall satisfaction, according to the World Health Organization.
Healthcare reform with a public healthcare option was high among the many campaign promises made by President Obama. Four months after President Obama took Office, the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled a public health bill that would deliver many of the president\’s election promises, but would not provide for complete universal healthcare to compromise for the U.S. national debt and lack of funds.
Although the bill is not exactly what the liberal public had asked for in healthcare reform, it is definitely a step in the right direction. Public opinion for the health bill is low because of the complexity of the bill and a largely uninformed public. It would be a shame if people formed opinions about the bill without taking into account the hardships and risks faced by the uninsured people of the United States.
Medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy in the United States today, as the uninsured and unfortunate are forced to pay ludicrous medical costs, and the more daring and reckless crowd turns to medical tourism in an attempt to cheaply and dangerously satisfy their needs.
It would be shameful if the land of opportunity did not allow everyone the right to live without constant fear of the consequences of injury. Opposing the health bill at this stage would be akin to ignoring the needs of the less fortunate and stopping the United States from taking the crucial steps to fix this inefficient healthcare system.
