Ravage

We live in a ravaged world. Our songs echo pain as much as they do joy. Why is this? Why is it we allow ourselves the misfortune of drowning in a sea of troubles? Why not oppose them? Here we sit on this rock. Depending on perspective, we are the most advanced, most adapted creatures on the face of the Earth. We have surpassed the gauntlets of most terrestrial environments and furthermore look to the stars as our next great adventure. Some might say space is it, but think for a moment. How could we be so bold, so arrogant to believe it ends at space? No my friends, space is not it. Space is just another chapter, another wonderful, daunting chapter from the sea of our birth. The adventure resides not just in where we are and where we are going but more completely also inside, i.e. in the nuts and bolts of who we are and who we want to become. I believe many of us have forgotten this aspect of the adventure. We are more concerned of greed. Now, although I can take this commentary to places that I would rather, I will not. In lieu of my favorite topics, this time it is health care policy. Before you run away from this commentary, read the next few sentences, and then do as you wish.

In our country, roughly sixteen percent of society has no insurance; moreover, every one in ten children does not have insurance. In an elementary school class of thirty children, as they exist in every state, country, city in this country, three children oppose a great wall, a lack of health care as you and I know it or should know it. We have let them down. We have always let them down. So I ask of you, the reader, as I ask of myself, let us find the solution. Leave it not to politicians, for such vehicles care more of themselves than those they serve, although I will admit exceptions here and there. I shall present two views as headings, then I will very briefly tell you why I believe one has extreme ethical issues at its core and why the other, although ideal, has it downfalls. Our goal should be universal coverage. Simple, right?

An economist’s approach to solving the aforementioned health care problem: Take the government complete out of the financing, let them regulate, but leave them out of paying for it. In this view, insurance companies are the vehicle of payment and coverage. They would compete with each other over plans and payment systems, coverage systems could be completely different from each other. All Americans would be covered by law. My question for the economist: Is health care a basic human right or is it a privilege? You may ask yourself, “How does the writer’s question have anything to do with this approach to solving the problem?” Simple: justify an ethical standpoint allowing for insurance companies to make a buck off of caring for someone. Still not clear? On average the overhead of Medicare (funded primarily by tax dollars) sits at about three percent; however on average the overhead or ‘administrative’ costs of an insurance company can be around twenty percent. In the case of the private sector what constitutes ‘administrative’ costs? Let’s say they that private insurance companies for some reason or another are less efficient than the government at covering their true administrative cost. I’ll give them five percent of their budget. What is left of the pie? Fifteen percent is profit, money in their pocket. Money spent by you and it to make sure we have health insurance that goes right into their pocket. I wonder if we could at least cover the children who live everyday without healthcare insurance with the money insurance companies place in their pocket. It is all about greed; never mind denying healthcare to our future.

The utopian solution to our health care problem: We all (i.e. those who can afford to pay) contribute funds to the government. Everyone is covered, no matter their employment status, their health state, their ability to pay. Is it possible? Ask the U.K. Oh and by the way, their per capita spending on health care is about 1/6 of our spending on health care. Do they have the best health care system in the world? No, apparently Canada owns that title, according to the W.H.O. Don’t ask where the U.S. resides on that list. The U.K. takes hits for queues (lines for care or elective surgeries) and lacking the latest and greatest technology, but then again, remember right now we spend six times what the U.K. spends on healthcare…surely we could ensure shorter lines and the latest and greatest technology with such spending. My challenge for you the read is: can you deal with paying the health care bill of others? Oh and by the way, we already pretty much do. I’ll leave this perspective with two reasons why and one food-for-thought. Reason 1: About half of the bankruptcy cases in this court are attributed to paying for healthcare. People still need to get paid. Guess who foots the bill in these cases…the government, but more importantly you and me. Reason 2: Medicare and Medicaid are primarily government funded entities. Food-for-thought: About half of the uninsured people in this country have jobs.

Please feel free to challenge my views or statements. In the end it is all about learning and getting it right. A bruised ego heals.

Cheers.