A Different Type of Bailout

Heeding the wishes of his recently deceased predecessor in the Oval Office, Harry S. Truman was the first U.S. president to try to implement universal healthcare insurance for all Americans, way back in November 1945.

Some 60-plus years later, and we still have 45 million Americans – about 15 percent of the population—without healthcare coverage and the number continues to rise.

As healthcare advocate Gerald Cavanaugh points out, the United States ranks 21^st in infant mortality and 16th in life expectancy, yet we spend 40 percent more per capita on healthcare than any other nation.

Illness and medical bills are the leading cause of personal bankruptcies in the nation, a Harvard University study concluded. Such expenses caused half of the 1.45 million personal bankruptcies in 2001.

A sizeable majority of Americans want some type of universal healthcare insurance guaranteed to all citizens, according to a recent poll by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.

Nearly two-thirds of Americans -- 63 percent -- favor a government guarantee of universal health insurance, even if it means raising taxes; 34 percent are opposed. As expected, Democrats are the most supportive of government-guaranteed health insurance, at 79 percent. But even a majority of independents (63 percent) and moderate Republicans (54 percent) also say the government should guarantee health insurance for all, even if it means higher taxes.

Of course, conservative Republicans are the most opposed to the concept, with 59 percent against it and just 38 percent in support.

But majorities in all major religious demographics also favor a government guarantee of healthcare insurance for all. More than half of white evangelicals (53 percent) favor universal healthcare insurance, as does large majorities of black Protestants (66 percent) and Catholics (67 percent), along with 68 percent of the religiously unaffiliated.

Just as in the 1940s, the American Medical Association (AMA) is a huge obstacle. Nowadays, the large pharmaceutical companies and insurance firms join the organization in lobbying against any major type of change to the current system.

Whoever wins the presidential election in November, it’s time for Americans to come together and demand universal coverage. It could be achieved at less cost than what we’re paying for the unnecessary Iraq War or the proposed $1 trillion bailout of reckless Wall Street investors.

In this case, it’s vital for the nation’s long-term economic health that the system be overhauled, and for Washington to put the greater public good above narrow special interests.

— Kevin Osborne

Comments

[Justin Jeffre]

Kevin, which Presidential candidate do you think has the best health care plan? And which one do you think has taken the most health care industry payola?

Single-payer health care seems like the best solution to me because it gets the profit motive out of the system so more of each health care dollar is spent going for health care needs instead of corporate greed.

Why do you think we haven't gotten universal coverage even 50 some years after it was first proposed?

[Not the Mamma Cass!]

The biggest problem with the cost and availability of health insurance is that too many want it to cover everything, including elective procedures like teeth whitening and cosmetic surgery.

Insured health care won't be popularly available until people get serious and stop being so greedy in wanting others to pay for their non-quality of life affecting elective procedures.

[gerard]

Not the Mamma Cass is somewhat correct.

Government health care should cover emergency care (of course), preventative care (like regular office visits), and common treatments for common maladies (like chemotherapy, CAT scans).

But the government should not be in the business of - and cannot afford to be - funding a healthcare free-for-all for experimental treatments, and elective procedures like cosmetic surgery.

But what about those procedures? Who is the government to decide what is important to me? And if it will save my life, I'll need all the help I can get. At that level, the government should just assist me financially and get out of the way. Limited help via health savings accounts, etc. helps out the medical bills, keeps the choice with the patient, and does not bankrupt the government.

[Justin Jeffre]

Health insurance won't be afforable until we get rid of the profit motive from greedy corporations that make a killing by denying people health care. It's wealth care, not health care.

The doctors should decide what are real health care needs, not government. In the pay or die system doctors can't just focus on practicing medicine. They have to fill out more forms and insurance companies dictate who gets treatment.

Buy having one buyer (the government) they can negotiate better prices on drugs etc. like the VA does or like with Meidcare.

[sohbet odaları]

Kevin, which Presidential candidate do you think has the best health care plan? And which one do you think has taken the most health care industry payola?

Single-payer health care seems like the best solution to me because it gets the profit motive out of the system so more of each health care dollar is spent going for health care needs instead of corporate greed.

Why do you think we haven't gotten universal coverage even 50 some years after it was first proposed?

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"come together and demand universal coverage" is the only way we can overcome this problem.If everyone will be under health care system then overall nation health will be better and it may be a good move towards healthy nation.

[freelance research reports]

what a great post! i really like it and wanted to say thanks for sharing!