2008 Woodie Awards
Costly Reform
Healthcare Decisions Weigh Heavily
By William Everson
9/24/07 - Opinion
The American healthcare system is in shambles. Medical care costs are soaring. Greedy drug companies are gouging the poor and sick.
The uninsured run rampant, staying alive by feeding off of "free" emergency room visits. In doing so, they raise everyone else's healthcare costs as parasites on the system. But they are also people, and need to be provided with the God-given right of free or inexpensive health care.
At least, this is what the politicians on both sides of the aisle would like you to believe. The truth, however, is somewhat less extreme. Yes, it is true that healthcare costs are at an all-time high. In America last year, we spent about 2.2 trillion dollars on health care alone (according to New Mexico Governor and would-be Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson). This means that Americans spent about 7,000 dollars per capita on health care, or about 16 percent of our annual income. This is quite a pretty penny; but is it excessively high?
No.
In comparison, we spend consistently more on transportation than we do on health care each year (according the Bureau of Labor Statistics). This means we spend more money each year on swanky new autos than we do on keeping ourselves healthy (probably the most important thing we can spend our hard-earned dollars on); this does not seem excessive to me.
There were about 47 million uninsured people in the United States of America last year, making up about 16 percent of the population (according the Census Bureau). This may seem shocking, but just think how many people do not actually believe they need health insurance.
If you are a healthy, young individual (like most of you… hopefully), chances are you would rather spend 7,000 dollars on a brand spanking used car over health insurance that you probably will not use. Also, you already have healthcare coverage during statistically the most-dangerous activity you embark in: driving (that is if you own a car). "Young people" (age 20-39) make up about 29 percent of the population. So, why is being uninsured in this relatively healthy demographic a bad thing? The answer: it is not a bad thing (seriously though, if you can afford it, go and get health insurance when you graduate; you just might need it). This means that yes, there are uninsured individuals in America, but the plight of the uninsured is not as bad as it seems.
The uninsured run rampant, staying alive by feeding off of "free" emergency room visits. In doing so, they raise everyone else's healthcare costs as parasites on the system. But they are also people, and need to be provided with the God-given right of free or inexpensive health care.
At least, this is what the politicians on both sides of the aisle would like you to believe. The truth, however, is somewhat less extreme. Yes, it is true that healthcare costs are at an all-time high. In America last year, we spent about 2.2 trillion dollars on health care alone (according to New Mexico Governor and would-be Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson). This means that Americans spent about 7,000 dollars per capita on health care, or about 16 percent of our annual income. This is quite a pretty penny; but is it excessively high?
No.
In comparison, we spend consistently more on transportation than we do on health care each year (according the Bureau of Labor Statistics). This means we spend more money each year on swanky new autos than we do on keeping ourselves healthy (probably the most important thing we can spend our hard-earned dollars on); this does not seem excessive to me.
There were about 47 million uninsured people in the United States of America last year, making up about 16 percent of the population (according the Census Bureau). This may seem shocking, but just think how many people do not actually believe they need health insurance.
If you are a healthy, young individual (like most of you… hopefully), chances are you would rather spend 7,000 dollars on a brand spanking used car over health insurance that you probably will not use. Also, you already have healthcare coverage during statistically the most-dangerous activity you embark in: driving (that is if you own a car). "Young people" (age 20-39) make up about 29 percent of the population. So, why is being uninsured in this relatively healthy demographic a bad thing? The answer: it is not a bad thing (seriously though, if you can afford it, go and get health insurance when you graduate; you just might need it). This means that yes, there are uninsured individuals in America, but the plight of the uninsured is not as bad as it seems.
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