Universal healthcare is a hot topic right now. It’s one of those government programs this country doesn’t want to fund. With recent cuts to medicaid, our government proved healthcare is a non-issue for this administration. Other countries put healthcare at the top of their budgets. In America, the department of defense get’s a blank check, yet the V.A. system (Veteran’s Affairs) doesn’t have adequate funding.
The affordable healthcare act and the insurance marketplace are the only feasible option under the current legislation. The program should be cut and dry. There is a section when we file our taxes asking if we have health insurance but that’s not enough. Self reporting isn’t going to fix this problem. Insurance companies work by collecting premiums from a large pool of customers and they must have enough in reserves to cover their exposures, (ie the customers and capital). Currently, people only buy insurance if they feel like they need it. It’s asinine. Go ahead and try that with your car insurance.
If a police officer can pull over a person for a broken tail light and also write a citation for driving without insurance, why don’t hospitals and urgent care centers issue a fine for people who broke the law by not buying health insurance? Instead, if you are in crisis and you are uninsured a private hospital will stabilize you and transfer you to the county hospital. The ambulance bill alone could be thousands of dollars.
Health insurance would cost less for everyone if everyone participated in the system. Capitalism operates under the assumption that competition is is good for the market because competing interests offer better products at cheaper prices. Capitalism also promotes the idea that private business is more efficient and effective than government agencies.
This country operates on a sick care model. To stay healthy everyone needs to see a primary care doctor at least once a year for a physical. At these appointments doctors check the patient’s weight, heart and lungs then draw blood for comprehensive blood tests. This tests cholestoral, blood sugar, organ function and more.
Primary care doctors are the backbone of the healthcare system. They are also the gate keepers to refer people to specialists for more serious problems. Walking into an urgent care isn’t really doing you any favors because they don’t review your medical history.
In conclusion, existing laws make it possible to create health insurance that works. Our country is in a crisis right now. There are too many people with complex medical issues and not enough people buying into the system to keep costs down. Existing laws can work for everyone if everyone participates.