Momonomics 103: The Price Tag of Health Care

Today it is estimated that 50 per cent of Hispanic and African-American children will develop diabetes, that 1 in 90 boys has autism, and that 1 in 4 children has asthma. Pediatrics just reported that from 2002-2005, there was a 103 percent increase in diabetes medication for children, a 47 per cent increase in asthma medication, a 41 per cent increase in ADHD medication and a 15 per cent increase in high cholesterol medicine.

As the laundry list of chronic conditions continues to grow- diabetes, asthma, allergies and ADHD - the cost of health care continues to climb.

Since 2001, the health premiums for a family of four have doubled; health premiums are expected to surge another 6 per cent in 2009; and spending on health care has been growing faster than the economy. Among developed countries, the US faces the biggest burden with an estimated cost equivalent of 1.2 per cent of GDP in 2007. That means that out of all of the developed countries in the world, we spend the most on health care.

So how much is that exactly? Well, our GDP measures the total market value of all goods and services produced within our country and is estimated to be somewhere around $14 trillion dollars. So if you calculate just one per cent of that, you end up with about $140 billion dollars (can't you hear Dr. Evil saying that?!). That's how much we spend on health care.

$140 billion dollars. Can you even get your head around how much money that is? Let's get a feel for how much ONE billion is...

If you were to count one billion seconds (not 140 billion, but just one billion), it would take you 31.7 years of continuous counting. To get to two billion, would take 63.4 years, to get to three billion...well, you probably wouldn't live that long. So you wouldn't stand a chance of counting up to 140 billion. And that's how much we spend on health care costs here in the US.

Which means we have less money to spend on things like groceries, new shoes or gymnastic practices. Not only is lost productivity on health care costs exacting a heavy burden, but according to the Congressional Budget Office, Americans are faced with increasingly difficult choices between health care and other priorities. So we also have less money for new cars, new houses or paying off the debt we've got on both!

A perfect example of how calamitous this has become comes from the New York Times who recently stated that "Starbucks pays more for health care than it does for coffee"!

As these health care costs continue to spiral out of control, they are creating a burden not only on households across the country, but also on our health care system, our corporations and our economy. Not to mention on our personal pocketbooks!

So, what can you do about it? Well, fortunately, you can do A LOT.

Did you know that food additives and dyes have been linked to asthma and ADHD?
Did you know that in the last ten years insecticides have been engineered into our food supply?
Did you know a synthetic growth hormone was introduced into milk in 1994?

Perhaps it is time to heed the words of Harry Truman who in 1946 said, "A nation is only as healthy as its children" and stop and assess the chemicals in our food supply.

If we can bailout the financial institutions with a $700 billion dollar price tag attached, perhaps we can also look beyond the financial crises at the defaults within our system that affect our health and the health of our children.

Given our record spending on health care costs, our global competitiveness appears to be at stake.

Comments

[Bethab]

"Which means we have less money to spend on things like groceries, new shoes or gymnastic practices. Americans are faced with increasingly difficult choices between health care and other priorities. So we also have less money for new cars, new houses or paying off the debt we've got on both!"

So those of us who have chosen not to have children should have our taxes raised to subsidize those who do have children, making it more difficult for us to buy groceries, buy shoes, new cars or pay off debt? Are you really arguing that gymnastic practice is a family need? When do those of us who make responsible choices based on reality get the break that you keep advocating handing out to everyone else?

[ouroborous]

My god, really?

Our children are obese and sedentary, and you're worried about *food additives*?

How about getting Junior to go outside and play ball? Or, god forbid, doing it with him?

Food additives are the "TV violence" of hippy culture -- a convenient scapegoat that does not address the real problem: parental irresponsibility.

Incidentally, if we spend $140bn a year on health care, my thought is... that's all? If so, could we use that $700bn "bailout" or the $10bn *per month* we spend on Iraq to finally subsidize it all?

Oh wait, that's socialism. Never mind...

*sigh* This country is insane.

[CuriousCat]

Interesting criticism. What's your take on global warming? Fabrication? Citizen irresponsibility, too? I suppose that corporations don't play a role in that either....

[ouroborous]

Because I believe that citizen irresponsibility is the cause or the majority of the cause for one problem doesn't mean that I believe it is the cause of EVERY problem.

Nice try.

[Merewen]

Part of your argument is crap. Food additives have show to affect behavior, growth, weight and many other things. In women they can cause fibroid tumors, heavy menstrual cycles, hormonal imbalances. Have you asked yourself why they young girls are developing earlier and earlier? Additives and hormones added to foods and because fresh and organic foods are so expensive, families on budgets buy preprocessed. It's cheaper and that's documented.

Most parents would love to get outside with the children, but most parents are working 40+ hours paying for health insurance, groceries, and housing. Out the house before light, back to the house after dark. Weekends are used to get the things done that they were not able to do during the week. Parents sit at desks doing tedious, and unfullfilling jobs snacking away the day to stave off the boredom.

If you chose not to have children, then good for you. I also hope you're not one of those people that complain that there are too many abortions happening.

[ouroborous]

Part of your argument is crap, too (see how easy that is to say, with no backup?)

Now, to the substance:

I couldn't find a single peer-reviewed source that pointed to food-additives causing fibroid tumors, heavy menses, or early menarche. Contrast that with the well-documented evidence that early puberty is known to be strongly correlated with childhood obesity, and my point is that much stronger: obesity is a *much* bigger risk than food additives, unless you disregard basically the entire medical profession.

Now, to be fair, I'm not going to say no food additive causes any problem; I'm sure that there are SOME problems caused or exacerbated by food additives, and we should address those problems on a case-by-case basis. But compared to the prevalence and known complications of obesity, food additives are not really even on the threat radar.

As to long hours at work, I empathize, but ultimately this has nothing to do with food additives. I work hellacious long hours too, but I don't blame it on Nutrasweet. Making the right choices with your children after a long, grueling day is hard, no doubt, but it's still sort of your "job" as a parent.