The Problem with the current health care Debate:
For the past few months, we have been embroiled in a pretty contentious debate about health care in this country. We have been forced to address some really tough questions like, "Is affordable health care a right or a privilege?", "...if it is a right, how should it be provided to all those eligible for coverage?" The summer town hall meetings hosted by our elected officials brought out some very heated and contentious discussions, with passions running very high on both sides of the political aisle. On one side of the equation, you have the liberal point view, mandating some type of universal health care for all American citizens, preferably through a medicare type "single payer" system offered as a government option for all those who need it; on the conservative side of the aisle, however, are those that feel we have been Taxed Enough Already (T.E.A) and have been hosties nationwide "T.E.A parties" to protest what they feel is too much government involvement in our lives. There is a lot of anger in this regard especially considering that we are yet to see real results on the ground from the government bailout of the huge financial corporations, something that was done to supposedly prevent another great depression. The conservative movement feels that the best way to provide health care is let the free market do its thing and let open competition amongst health care providers take its course.
I think both sides of the political debate make very valid points, but personally, I don't think that any bill that congress passes, if any passes at all, will really address the real issue, the pink elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about; When you have a system where our health care is provided primarily by "for profit" health insurance companies, you will NEVER have a system where you can fundamentally address this issue of coverage for all. Why? Because these insurance companies are not primarily in the business of paying out medical claims to all that are sick, if they did that, they would go out of business. They're in business to make money, and you don't make money by providing health insurance for everyone. Yes, they would have a short term gain in profits if the government decided to buy policies for the millions who are currently uninsured, but what happens when these people need to have huge medical bills for very expensive procedures and pre-existing conditions paid off? Claims will start to be denied. There is a reason why health insurance companies prefer to provide coverage for healthier people; it prevents them from having to pay out on huge claims. They are beholden to their shareholders to make a profit.
I know people who have health insurance coverage and are still tens of thousands of dollars in debt because of huge deductibles on certain procedures (especially pre-existing conditions) or simple lack of coverage for those expenses. This is one of the reasons why medical bills is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in this nation.
So the real question should be, "does every industry have to be a "for profit" industry when we have millions of people who are going into the red financially because of unpaid medical costs?" In the richest nation on the planet, where the top 1% own more wealth than the bottom 90% combined, is it unrealistic to believe that some kind of health care coverage for all will eventually pay for itself in productivity in the market? Why are we the only developed country in the world where there is not some kind of basic comprehensive universal health care for all who need it? I have lived in one of those so-called socialist nation's, (France), and don't believe all the stuff you see on TV, our news is highly politicized and opinionated and not all that you see on TV is based on all the facts, most of it is rooted in fear and propaganda to further a political cause.
Yes, we all should have a proactive stake in our own health, by eating healthy foods, exercising regulrly, and getting regular checkups, but God-forbid you find out that you have a terminal condition (like the woman being referred to in the question in the town hall meeting in the first video clip below) what do you do next? Or what if you just happen to have a pre-existing condition that you were born with that requires a lifetime of care? And this does not even cover issues like mental health and addiction, for which many people have to come out of pocket to get the best treatment because insurance companies won't cover the enormously huge costs of rehab. Not everyone has $30,000 or more disposable dollars to get that kind of treatment like celebrities do ...
If the spiritual fervor of a nation is based on how we treat the "least of these" in our society, then we have some tough questions to ask ourselves. Because there is no reason why people should be dying or going boke because of treatable diseases simply because they cannot afford health care in the richest and most prosperous nation on earth.
The first video below is an Op-Ed piece that addresses this very issue. The gist of what I wanted from there starts around the 1.40 mark of the video were he plays video from the town hall meeting where a lady asks a question about a family member of hers that recently lost her job and now has a tumor. The second video one is just a great "fun" video of this baby dancing to Beyonce's "single ladies". I thought it was so cute...lol
Have a wonderful weekend my friends!!
Stephen Oladotun Akinduro
For the past few months, we have been embroiled in a pretty contentious debate about health care in this country. We have been forced to address some really tough questions like, "Is affordable health care a right or a privilege?", "...if it is a right, how should it be provided to all those eligible for coverage?" The summer town hall meetings hosted by our elected officials brought out some very heated and contentious discussions, with passions running very high on both sides of the political aisle. On one side of the equation, you have the liberal point view, mandating some type of universal health care for all American citizens, preferably through a medicare type "single payer" system offered as a government option for all those who need it; on the conservative side of the aisle, however, are those that feel we have been Taxed Enough Already (T.E.A) and have been hosties nationwide "T.E.A parties" to protest what they feel is too much government involvement in our lives. There is a lot of anger in this regard especially considering that we are yet to see real results on the ground from the government bailout of the huge financial corporations, something that was done to supposedly prevent another great depression. The conservative movement feels that the best way to provide health care is let the free market do its thing and let open competition amongst health care providers take its course.
I think both sides of the political debate make very valid points, but personally, I don't think that any bill that congress passes, if any passes at all, will really address the real issue, the pink elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about; When you have a system where our health care is provided primarily by "for profit" health insurance companies, you will NEVER have a system where you can fundamentally address this issue of coverage for all. Why? Because these insurance companies are not primarily in the business of paying out medical claims to all that are sick, if they did that, they would go out of business. They're in business to make money, and you don't make money by providing health insurance for everyone. Yes, they would have a short term gain in profits if the government decided to buy policies for the millions who are currently uninsured, but what happens when these people need to have huge medical bills for very expensive procedures and pre-existing conditions paid off? Claims will start to be denied. There is a reason why health insurance companies prefer to provide coverage for healthier people; it prevents them from having to pay out on huge claims. They are beholden to their shareholders to make a profit.
I know people who have health insurance coverage and are still tens of thousands of dollars in debt because of huge deductibles on certain procedures (especially pre-existing conditions) or simple lack of coverage for those expenses. This is one of the reasons why medical bills is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in this nation.
So the real question should be, "does every industry have to be a "for profit" industry when we have millions of people who are going into the red financially because of unpaid medical costs?" In the richest nation on the planet, where the top 1% own more wealth than the bottom 90% combined, is it unrealistic to believe that some kind of health care coverage for all will eventually pay for itself in productivity in the market? Why are we the only developed country in the world where there is not some kind of basic comprehensive universal health care for all who need it? I have lived in one of those so-called socialist nation's, (France), and don't believe all the stuff you see on TV, our news is highly politicized and opinionated and not all that you see on TV is based on all the facts, most of it is rooted in fear and propaganda to further a political cause.
Yes, we all should have a proactive stake in our own health, by eating healthy foods, exercising regulrly, and getting regular checkups, but God-forbid you find out that you have a terminal condition (like the woman being referred to in the question in the town hall meeting in the first video clip below) what do you do next? Or what if you just happen to have a pre-existing condition that you were born with that requires a lifetime of care? And this does not even cover issues like mental health and addiction, for which many people have to come out of pocket to get the best treatment because insurance companies won't cover the enormously huge costs of rehab. Not everyone has $30,000 or more disposable dollars to get that kind of treatment like celebrities do ...
If the spiritual fervor of a nation is based on how we treat the "least of these" in our society, then we have some tough questions to ask ourselves. Because there is no reason why people should be dying or going boke because of treatable diseases simply because they cannot afford health care in the richest and most prosperous nation on earth.
The first video below is an Op-Ed piece that addresses this very issue. The gist of what I wanted from there starts around the 1.40 mark of the video were he plays video from the town hall meeting where a lady asks a question about a family member of hers that recently lost her job and now has a tumor. The second video one is just a great "fun" video of this baby dancing to Beyonce's "single ladies". I thought it was so cute...lol
Have a wonderful weekend my friends!!
Stephen Oladotun Akinduro
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
posted by Stephen O. | 11:30 AM
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