Mr. President,
Our current health care system is badly broken. Health insurance companies have made a financial disaster of it, and health care seekers have helped.
Health care costs are overwhelming in the U.S. and yet we trail so many other countries in indexes of health. One of the primary reasons we have such high health costs is that we refuse to take the individually responsible road of self-discipline and prevention. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and quite often, a million dollars in health care costs.
The most serious health problems are directly related to obesity, smoking, drinking, drugging, and sedentary lifestyle (being a couch potato). My proposal is that the government institute single payer health care with a rate structure that reflects risk taking behavior. I know that there are other risky behaviors (i.e. driving habits, too much sun exposure, gang banging, etc.) that contribute to health care costs, but initially, the emphasis must be put on the major risks and their contribution to overall health care costs in this country.
A rate schedule for single payer health care must be worked out by those who are most familiar with these risky behaviors. Initially, nobody should be charged more for their insurance because of hereditary tendencies or pre-existing conditions. However, if those who are obese do not reduce their weight to safer levels, smokers do not quit (with assistance), druggies who do not stop drugging, drinkers do not start drinking in moderation, and sedentary individuals do not practice a healthy exercise schedule, their rates should be adjusted higher to reflect the risks they are taking. Some may call this "social engineering." And yes, there are ways to verify less risk taking i.e. no drugs in the system, including nicotine, no arrests for driving while intoxicated, no police calls for domestic violence related to substance (any drug) abuse, lower weight and blood pressure, are just a few.
We currently have many sources of health education and disease prevention information available to citizens, however, some have greater access to this information than others. Every effort must be made to ensure that everyone has adequate access to this information in a form that is understandable to them. We also must accept the legitimacy of proven alternative methods of health care and prevention.
The billions and billions of dollars saved by prevention can then be used to pay the enormous costs that this country faces as we age and the baby boomers leave the workplace (if they can afford to). These costs would not then bankrupt the country.
All that I am saying here is simply an attempt to plant a seed. America has the brain-power and the know-how to bring something like this about. The sooner we place greater responsibility on inidviduals to take the primary role in prevention of their own health problems, the sooner we reduce the terrible costs in financial terms and poor health.
Comments (3)
Our health care system is not really a health care system, it is a "sickness care" system. It is controlled by the pharmacuetical companies, our broken medical system and the US government. It is an industry which depends on the populace being "sick". As long as people are sick, the money keeps rolling in. If people are "well" and know how to prevent themselves from being sick, then the gravy train stops. There is not one drug that "cures" anything. Big Pharma wants you on these for life. We must educate people on "wellness care" and how to stay healthy.
The only way to get people to make better decisions about their health is to have them PAY the consequences. The fact that you advocate a single-payer system will make sure that doesn't happen. Government mandating that health insurance companies can't charge more for some behaviors doesn't help. Medicare also hurts, because it tells insurance companies to ignore behaviors that will manifest after 65, because then we'll ALL be on the hook for them.
Get rid of Medicare, let insurance companies sell LIFELONG plans that allow people to keep them their entire life and choose the level of "care" they want, and only put government in the role of FDIC for the medical industry -- just making sure they charge enough in premiums to pay for the companies that go broke.
Once you have such a system, then PERHAPS the government could help people who couldn't afford them.
I think that some of this prevention is a good idea and could be helpful, but how many ER visits and other hospital issues do you think are preventable? II doubt the number is even close to a majority, so this money, although the idea is solid, would most likely do more good helping the disabled of elderly or others whose conditions are not their fault