Fellow Citizens of the United States of America and Those Concerned Citizens of Other Countries,
With President Obama's campaign for change firmly in swing, the United State's degrading health system seems to not have escaped hasty progressive legislation. Almost without apprehension, some Americans are blindly demanding universal healthcare. I have always been one to listen intently to history's lessons, which has, in turn, raised a profuse number of concerns about universal healthcare. I was hoping that fellow American citizens and citizens of other countries, those on both sides of this pivotal issue, those that have experienced the advantages and disadvantages of our current system and universal healthcare, will converge upon this forum and either lay to rest my concerns or validate them. Listed below are my trepidations:
1. Increase in Insurance Premiums/ Expense of Healthcare
Massachusetts provides more than 96 percent of their population with health insurance. However, due to the failure to control costs (how much insurance companies pay hospitals and physicians), insurance premiums for most residents are increasing. Additionally, insurance companies are still able to charge more to residents older in age. Moreover, for an individual earning $31,213, the cheapest plan can cost $9,872 in premiums and out-of-pocket payments. Additionally, in Canada, many citizens purchase supplemental healthcare insurance to go along with their public health insurance. In addition to paying taxes to support the government run healthcare, they feel it necessary to pay out-of-pocket to receive supplemental health insurance.
2. Monetary Sustainability
Spending for the Commonwealth Care subsidized program has doubled, from $630 million in 2007 to an estimated $1.3 billion for 2009, which, unfortunately, is not sustainable.
3. Supply of Physicians
The difficulty in finding a provider was felt more among lower-income adults (29%) than higher-income adults (15%), and for those with public and other coverage (32%) than those with private coverage (16%). One in five adults said they had been told in the last 12 months that a doctor or clinic was not accepting new patients or would not see patients with their type of insurance. Furthermore, medical malpractice is becoming a prevalent problem in the healthcare debate. When 300 doctors were asked if they ordered unnecessary procedures as defensive measure, protecting themselves from medical malpractice, 77.9 percent admitted to doing it at least once.
4. Average Health of Citizen
To accommodate the influx in costs for healthcare, the state will be forced to ration care. Therefore, the patient will have less flexibility in choosing their physicians and the treatments that they receive. Additionally, in Canada, the average waiting line between a referral from a general practitioner to treatment was up to 17 weeks in 2003.
5. Is healthcare a right or a privilege?
Rights are freedoms of action, such as the right to free speech or the right to contract, not automatic claims on good or services that must be produced by other. A right cant be associated with a good or a service that is being produced by another person that is just a sanctioned form of robbery.
Any other comments for or against universal healthcare are greatly appreciated!
Citations are available upon request.
With President Obama's campaign for change firmly in swing, the United State's degrading health system seems to not have escaped hasty progressive legislation. Almost without apprehension, some Americans are blindly demanding universal healthcare. I have always been one to listen intently to history's lessons, which has, in turn, raised a profuse number of concerns about universal healthcare. I was hoping that fellow American citizens and citizens of other countries, those on both sides of this pivotal issue, those that have experienced the advantages and disadvantages of our current system and universal healthcare, will converge upon this forum and either lay to rest my concerns or validate them. Listed below are my trepidations:
1. Increase in Insurance Premiums/ Expense of Healthcare
Massachusetts provides more than 96 percent of their population with health insurance. However, due to the failure to control costs (how much insurance companies pay hospitals and physicians), insurance premiums for most residents are increasing. Additionally, insurance companies are still able to charge more to residents older in age. Moreover, for an individual earning $31,213, the cheapest plan can cost $9,872 in premiums and out-of-pocket payments. Additionally, in Canada, many citizens purchase supplemental healthcare insurance to go along with their public health insurance. In addition to paying taxes to support the government run healthcare, they feel it necessary to pay out-of-pocket to receive supplemental health insurance.
2. Monetary Sustainability
Spending for the Commonwealth Care subsidized program has doubled, from $630 million in 2007 to an estimated $1.3 billion for 2009, which, unfortunately, is not sustainable.
3. Supply of Physicians
The difficulty in finding a provider was felt more among lower-income adults (29%) than higher-income adults (15%), and for those with public and other coverage (32%) than those with private coverage (16%). One in five adults said they had been told in the last 12 months that a doctor or clinic was not accepting new patients or would not see patients with their type of insurance. Furthermore, medical malpractice is becoming a prevalent problem in the healthcare debate. When 300 doctors were asked if they ordered unnecessary procedures as defensive measure, protecting themselves from medical malpractice, 77.9 percent admitted to doing it at least once.
4. Average Health of Citizen
To accommodate the influx in costs for healthcare, the state will be forced to ration care. Therefore, the patient will have less flexibility in choosing their physicians and the treatments that they receive. Additionally, in Canada, the average waiting line between a referral from a general practitioner to treatment was up to 17 weeks in 2003.
5. Is healthcare a right or a privilege?
Rights are freedoms of action, such as the right to free speech or the right to contract, not automatic claims on good or services that must be produced by other. A right cant be associated with a good or a service that is being produced by another person that is just a sanctioned form of robbery.
Any other comments for or against universal healthcare are greatly appreciated!
Citations are available upon request.
