America's Health Care Stupidity

Health care reform in the U.S. appears to be more than halfway home and even a watered-down version will boost its beleaguered economy.

Americans this weekend began crossing their biggest psychological Rubicon: opposition to universal health care. Once on the other side, they will eliminate the single biggest fear among the population, will remove a major burden for businesses and, by so doing, benefit the economy by loosening consumer spending.

Universal health care is not just smart and fair social policy; it is also smart economic policy.

It works this way: If a worker in Canada or Europe or Japan loses his or her job, it's a psychological and income blow. But if an American worker loses his or her job, the family faces financial ruin if sickness strikes any member because they are without health care coverage. Bridge coverage is available but unaffordable for anyone but the wealthy.

Worse yet, if a major illness is diagnosed during unemployment, a worker becomes unemployable, bringing about a life sentence of poverty.

Economic impact on poor health care

Little wonder, then, that consumer spending has ground to a halt in the United States, making the economic meltdown that much harder to combat or ever solve.

On Saturday, the House of Representatives squeaked through its version, leading Republican detractors to warn that the Senate will kill the initiative.

Not so.

The momentum is there and the Senate may water down health care reform but it will pass some version. By the next election, this will become one of the most popular and beloved policies since social security and medicare. It will have the added benefit of allowing governments to rein in and tackle costs.

The economic case for health care reform is compelling:

1. The U.S. spent 16.2% of its GDP on health care plus up to 3% more on litigation concerning medical bills while other countries spend 10% and nothing on litigation because bills are paid by everyone.
2. People with serious illnesses are uninsurable and are stuck in jobs they cannot leave or remain unemployed because they are unemployable.
3. Tens of millions of uninsured people in the U.S. end up with health problems that become a drain on the society and economy in the long run.
4. Doctor, nursing, hospital and drug costs are out of control in the U.S. because of litigation and greed. American doctors over-service those with health insurance, and patients over-demand. Over-doctoring is commonplace.
5. Detroit's three automobile companies went bust in large measure due to "legacy" or gold-plated health care promises of Canadian-type coverage at America's excessive prices. This burden was not unique to the auto sector and has driven many jobs offshore in manufacturing.

These are the reasons why Republicans and the Senate should, and I believe, will, pass some form of health care reform. A Canadian or European-style health care tab would eventually shave 5% in costs off the U.S. economy of US$13.8 trillion and another 3% by eliminating litigious ambulance chasers.

This is not pie in the sky. Governments outside the U.S. deliver medical care better than does America's mixed public-private sector system. The proof exists all over the world except in the minds of partisan ignoramuses defending the indefensible.

Time to do what's right for America's 307 million people.

 

Comments

[DAVID POSTER]

There is one point missing from this entire debate: a simple question needs to be asked, and answered, by both houses of Congress:a "yes" or "no" response only is all that is required.
The question: Is access to health care a "right", or is this a "privilage"?
Until this very basic question is answered, the debate will continue to be based on special interests, and not for the American People in general.
Currently, the access to health care providers is a privilage, since this is a business model.
Personally, I think that this access should be a basic human right.

David

[Countess]

Political corruption, too much religion and an ignorant population make a civilized healthcare policy nearly impossible.

[jimatl]

I disagree. BTW I have voted Republican for many, many years..

In this case the Pelosi Bill, even if it becomes law, will never be beloved.

As politically difficult as it may be, the only health care solution that will achieve cost control and even close to universal coverage is a single payer system.

The Democrats (including Obama, if he truly wants to have a place in history or whatever else he might want) should not have and should not allow the pressure of an artificial time table or the media to deter them from insisting on doing what is the required good for all in this country (a single payer system) regardless of the effect if might have on their political careers. A radical idea (that they would abandon their politcal careers to do the right thing), I know, but this is one time they must. Anything less than single payer is worse than leaving the system as it is.

[max hp]

One can only hope it's just a foot in the door and 99% of reform that needs to take place is coming soon.

Granted, this opportunity has been wasted - A LOT COULD HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED. The Chief and ALL our elected representatives in Congress have failed us.

[ThePeacemakers]

The people in the middle - $50,000 to low six figure income are going to bear the BRUNT of the costs.

Period.

Those are the people biz and healthcare are shifting the cost to.

[moleif]

Again you are right on, Diane. I just love the way American Big Business use divisive social issues to maintain the status quo on health care. Obama wants to liberate and empower American workers with the choice and freedom we take for granted in Canada and Europe. No wonder they're doing everything they can to bring down his presidency.

[aseasonforreason]

Just how far are Democrats willing to compromise principles, rights, beliefs and interests? Public option next? Opt-ins instead of opt-outs? Triggers instead of opt-ins? Implementation in 2020?

I’m more concerned about the Democrats’ ability to lead than the Republicans’ ability to obstruct. With majorities and presidency, this is the best they can do?

Reform is positioned as “get something at all costs”. That scares me. At what point do we just say “No more compromise.” Democrats need to be united and have a bottom line. Non-negotiable. Problem is, we already hit that with opt-in - and crossed it with STUPAK. Before even entering conference! Does not bode well, unless Democrats can get it together NOW.

We simply can NOT mandate enrollment in a broken for-profit system. That’s an unfair burden to citizens and businesses experiencing hard times. It’s unethical and should be illegal, given all sane, industrialized capitalist societies ban for-profit insurance in the first place. It’s political suicide.

Public option IS the compromise. It should be available immediately to businesses and individuals and not take us backwards. For three reasons:
1. People/businesses need immediate relief
2. Medicare was implemented the month after enacted. Changes should be made, analyzed and tweeked while people are in power who are invested in making it right. That’s how efficient government works.
3. There’s a lot of fear. Let people see what these changes would actually mean in their lives before they go to the polls.

[max hp]

When will the US join other civilized nations of the world in providing health care to ALL it's citizens, WITHOUT EXCEPTION?

There was a PBS Frontline documentary, "Sick around the world", a timely repeat but worth watching - again. You can watch it online at this PBS link:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02p101&continuous=1

5 countries - Britain, Japan, Germany, Taiwan and Switzerland.

When will the US WAKE UP?

[Cil]

When will the US WAKE UP?

When, and ONLY WHEN, some semblance of a LAW is created
that will make it ILLEGAL for lawmakers to accept LOBBYING
MONEY to line their pockets, at the expense of their constituents!

[TequilaMockingbird]

Well DUH!!!! That is what frustrates me the most.. It is ALL about Campaign Finance Reform...

but allowing our duly elected representatives to shove a crap bill designed to Do Nothing for Anyone but the health insurance industries down our throat under the guise of reform is beyond stupid.

[EbonBear]

I'm disappointed about how little morality has been featured in this debate. No, I'm not talking about abortion. I'm talking about the simple fact that, in the richest nation on earth, it is flat out immoral that anyone goes without healthcare. Of course, lots of self-proclaimed "Christians" will claim that it is far more immoral to do anything that they think of as "socialism" (proving that they don't understand the word either). They seem to have forgotten things like "what you do to the least of these", the Good Samaritan, "render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's" and, of yeah, "the love of money is the root of all evil" (1 Tim 6:10). Apparently, for all their self-proclaimed "Christianity", they reserve the right to twist Scripture into a pretzel to avoid actually living up to those teachings.

Extending teh NHS model over the USA would cost around $600 billion a year. But perhaps you think Americans are especially unhealthy: Let's double that. No, let's triple it. It's STILL less than the $2.3 trillion spent on the mixture of Medicare, Medicaid and private insurance. Here in the UK, with our horrible "socialist" healthcare, only a very few unfortunates die for lack of care. In the US, you are 40% more likely to die simply for not having insurance. THAT is immoral.

[Helzapoppin]

The real healthcare stupidity is in believing that anything that comes out of this Congress is going to make anything better. The House bill is a joke. The Senate version will merely be the punchline.

[Hdaryl01]

Excellent article! Where do I start?

1) 85%+ of Americans never leave the United States in their lifetime. Thus, a vast majority of Americans are completely clueless as to how things are done in other countries. Notwithstanding that they drink copious amounts of Kool-Aid and believe that America is best, and things are best in the U.S., they have no clue that every other western industrialized civilized country on the planet offers some form of universal healthcare for all citizens. Healthcare is a non-issue. Losing a job, or taking a job (with or without healthcare) is completely irrelevant to health security, even in many second and third world countries. Pre-existing conditions-non issue. Recision-i­mpossible. Hassle-none.

2) Thankfully, my wife and two children are Canadian. I was able to obtain a Canadian permanent resident visa. We have relocated to Vancouver, BC. Healthcare is a non-issue for us now. Our last U.S. insurance premium (health, dental, Vision) per month for a healthy family of 4 with no allergies, medical conditions, or medications was $1946.00 per month. INSANE!!!! $24,000 + per year with $20 co-pays. Absolutely friggin' nuts! For heathcare ranked at the bottom of the iundustrialized world! Give me a break!

3) I have zero confidence that the U.S. will reform healthcare. Faustian bargains have been made with insurance, pharmaceutical, medical, legal, and hospital institution industries. I don't see anyone having the courage to make the tough choices.

[EbonBear]

I'm British and well served by the NHS which I use frequently (I suffer from a chronic condition) and, despite the cherry-picked failures that the US media keeps banging on about, the care is largely very good. Not perfect, it's difficult to think of anything that could be, but very good. The NHS budgets a shade over $2000 per citizen, per year. Can anyone get private insurance for two grand a year? With no co-pay and a fixen $15 contribution to drug costs for each prescription (the young, old and poor are exempt)?

I wonder sometimes if the US impression of the NHS is based on taking Brit's moaning about it seriously. This is a basic cultural misunderstanding. We Brits are a dour people, we moan about EVERYTHING. Complaining is roughly third in the ranking of British hobbies after football and standing in queues.

[JIzin]

I think it is the case of having two different cultures ;)
I am an anglophile and i know what you mean LoL

[Rmath]

Judging by the fear that has manifested itself in the form of frantic spending by the health insurance industry on misleading, fear-mongering ads meant to kill reform, I'd say the insurance companies may be much more afraid than you are.

[mamalisa38]

Too many of our elected "representatives" have been bought and paid for by the health insurance industry. I am afraid that what finally becomes law will benefit the insurance companies far more than the American people.