Health care reform is needed
Tony Harrison
Issue date: 7/23/10 Section: Ed-Op
Health care reform is one of the most widely debated topics among politicians today. Recently, a bill was passed that was initially intended to rework the industry in order to provide cheaper health care to all citizens. The method to be employed is to require that everyone purchase health insurance, or face an economic penalty. Aside from ensuring that health insurance companies will be guaranteed to have future customers, this does not solve the main problem that got us into this mess in the first place. Simply put, the costs for health care in this country are much too great, regardless of whether it is an individual or health insurance company that has to pay them.
Obviously health care is one of the most technologically based industries, and all physicians, doctors and other health care workers have to be very well trained in order to diagnose the vast array of health concerns they witness regularly. I believe they deserve to be well compensated for their work and deserve our undying gratitude and respect for providing the vast majority of citizens with lifesaving care. What I have a problem with is how the industry is capable of destroying people's lives solely by saving them. Historically, 67 percent of bankruptcies in this country list health care costs as the fundamental cause. Sorry kids, you can't go to college now because daddy had to have open-heart surgery to save his life.
Now if you have health insurance, depending on your particular plan, many of the costs are covered and you can continue on with your happy, healthy life. The problem with this is that if health care costs were lower, as they are in many developed countries with comparable qualities of life, the health insurance companies would be able to insure more people at more reasonable costs. We would never have to decide between being insured or well fed, which has lead us as a country to this health care crisis on so many minds these days.
Let's look at some numbers. In the United States, the average cost for an appendectomy, one of the most routine procedures in hospitals today, is about $18,000 - and that's a conservative figure, because with minor complications it can easily be more than $20,000. In Guatemala, the cost is about $5,000. In Poland the costs are down around $3,000. France, the poster child for socialized medicine, the cost of an appendectomy is about 300 euros. In many European countries, the majority of the costs, for citizens, is reimbursed by the government with health insurance serving as a complementary supplement for a small percentage of the population who request additional, but not necessary, services.
Obviously health care is one of the most technologically based industries, and all physicians, doctors and other health care workers have to be very well trained in order to diagnose the vast array of health concerns they witness regularly. I believe they deserve to be well compensated for their work and deserve our undying gratitude and respect for providing the vast majority of citizens with lifesaving care. What I have a problem with is how the industry is capable of destroying people's lives solely by saving them. Historically, 67 percent of bankruptcies in this country list health care costs as the fundamental cause. Sorry kids, you can't go to college now because daddy had to have open-heart surgery to save his life.
Now if you have health insurance, depending on your particular plan, many of the costs are covered and you can continue on with your happy, healthy life. The problem with this is that if health care costs were lower, as they are in many developed countries with comparable qualities of life, the health insurance companies would be able to insure more people at more reasonable costs. We would never have to decide between being insured or well fed, which has lead us as a country to this health care crisis on so many minds these days.
Let's look at some numbers. In the United States, the average cost for an appendectomy, one of the most routine procedures in hospitals today, is about $18,000 - and that's a conservative figure, because with minor complications it can easily be more than $20,000. In Guatemala, the cost is about $5,000. In Poland the costs are down around $3,000. France, the poster child for socialized medicine, the cost of an appendectomy is about 300 euros. In many European countries, the majority of the costs, for citizens, is reimbursed by the government with health insurance serving as a complementary supplement for a small percentage of the population who request additional, but not necessary, services.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 5
Doris Burnette
posted 7/23/10 @ 6:51 PM EST
Excellent comments on the Health Care Bill recently passed. The reason health care is so expensive is because we have health insurance available in this country. (Continued…)
x
posted 7/24/10 @ 3:01 PM EST
And how much to the doctors and nurses in other countries spend to get their degrees? What is their salaries comparied to doctors and nurses in this country? How many mal-practice suits do you see popping up over in Europe, and therefore how much insurance are their hospitals having to carry comparied to American ones? It seems to me you're drinking the cool-aid a little to much on this an not remaining objective enough. (Continued…)
John
posted 7/26/10 @ 10:15 PM EST
Health care is a luxury.
There, I said it. Someone had to. Even if you you don't agree, entertain my thoughts for a moment..
Everyone should be able to decide for themselves whether or not they want to spend their money on that luxury. (Continued…)
John
posted 7/26/10 @ 10:23 PM EST
I guess I should use spell check more often before I post something.. or just get a better keyboard.. but like I was saying..
Health care is a luxury!
There, I said it. (Continued…)
Post a Comment