Health Care Now: Can We Afford to Wait?

Health care reform continues to be hotly debated and the only thing that all sides can agree to is the need for reform. Unfortunately, for low-to-moderate income Americans, affordable, accessible health care cannot come soon enough. Low-to-moderate income Americans are the one’s first affected by rising gas prices, higher fares on public transit, increased food prices, and medical “co-pay adjustments”. Many studies point to direct correlations between higher copay amounts and reduced frequency of care. In other words, overwhelming evidence points to the fact that insured, low-to-moderate income Americans with higher copay amounts visit the doctor less and wait, like most uninsured Americans, to see the doctor only when conditions become dire.
Take a cursory glance at the quality, or lack thereof, of health care for low-to-moderate income Americans, the historic use of poor Americans for experimental medical procedure done without consent (i.e., untreated black syphilitic men in Tuskegee, etc.) and it become easy to see that the debate on health care reform in this country is really a debate about the Haves and Have-nots. Our country espouses Michael Young’s meritocracy as a core principle of individual American independency. Meritocracy is a form a government where individuals are promoted because of ability and merit. Meritocracy is a continuation of American Protestant values like faith, hard work, and clean living. Unlike early American Protestants, who followed these precepts as a path to heaven, meritocracy says that anyone, whether they are avarice or not, with the right mixture of ability and merit can rise out their condition. The problem is that ability and merit are in the eyes of the beholder and, in American, the beholder has always been the Haves. So instead of leveling the playing field, meritocracy ends up reinforcing privilege, access, and social status.
Insured and uninsured Americans are suffering at the hands of beliefs, lobbies and industries that create stagnation on both sides of the aisle. This is non-partisan issue. In 2002, a ground breaking study entitled, "Care Without Coverage: Too Little, Too Late," found the over 18,000 adults were dying every year in America from lack of affordable health care. Over 40 million Americans live without health care, that’s 1 out of every 7 working-age Americans and over 10 million children. The study went on to say that most of the people affected by the lack of health care were poor people, minorities and those living with mental and physical disabilities. So while this current health bill may not be the best piece of legislation, when are our leaders going to get the job done? Low-to-moderate income Americans, people who are dying by the thousands and really need affordable, accessible health care, can’t wait another day, month, or year.
The Haves are the ones who have the luxury to wait this thing out. In fact, they may be wondering, “Why should I support some lazy person who can’t work hard enough or doesn’t have the ability and merit to succeed?” And unfortunately, the whole thing is a Catch 22, because our leaders and our legislators are the Haves. They have the best insurance in the world and they can afford to wait it out. Can you?
How to get involved:
http://wecandobetter.org
http://www.familiesusa.org/health-reform-2009/health-reform-get-involved...
Studies on Health Care:
Copay Study
www.ajmc.com/media/pdf/A166_06NovImpactofS359to63.pdf
Care Without Coverage Study:
http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3809/4660/4333.aspx
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/healthcare/2002-05-22-insurance-deat...
Get Help:
http://healthcareforU.org

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