17 percent of the nation’s economy goes toward healthcare costs; far more than in any other industrialized nation. Yet, 50 million Americans are currently without health insurance. For those fortunate enough to be covered, the high premiums and deductibles make a serious dent in their household budget. Companies are paying less for employee healthcare while workers are coming out of pocket more often, sometimes for fewer services. A medical emergency can often leave a family financially drained. In fact, a large percentage of those who file bankruptcy do so because of mounting healthcare bills. There is a clear and urgent need for healthcare reform. The system is broken. It is time that it is fixed.
According to a recent study by the Kaiser Foundation, healthcare insurance premiums for families have increased 113 percent over the last ten years. The group, a private non-profit that focuses its work on the major health care issues facing the U.S., also found that the general inflation rate increased by only 28 percent over the same period. The average cost of a family policy offered by employers rose 5 percent while the average wage only increased 3 percent. Some companies are eliminating health benefits to its employee’s altogether; between 2000 and 2008, the total percentage of U.S. companies offering health insurance to its workers dropped 6 percent. Small businesses, which drive the nation’s economy, are most likely to drop coverage, citing rising insurance costs.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton and then First Lady Hillary Clinton tried to reform America’s healthcare system. Then, America spent more than $900 million each year on health care. That reform never came to pass and the country continued on with the same ineffective system. Thanks to government’s inaction, we are spending more on healthcare –an expected $2.6 trillion this year – and more people are finding themselves uninsured.
When there is no competition, health insurance companies have free reign to increase prices, hurting millions of people, most of whom earn modest incomes, in the process. Those days are over.
Healthcare companies should be required to compete with a public insurance company or co-op to ensure both companies that provide insurance to workers and the workers themselves are getting the best possible prices. As we gear up for the fall, and Congress considers sweeping healthcare legislation, there will be many more public debates on the pros and cons of healthcare reform. It is important to remember that, for far too long, Americans have been falling into debt to pay their medical bills while insurance companies continue to fatten their bottom line. We all deserve better.
This issue always saddens me! I’ve experienced first hand the effects of this healthcare issue. I’ve watched my mother have stroke after stroke and be diagnosed with a rare blood disease call TTP. She never knows when it is going to flare up and with her many other health problems such as diabetes, and high blood pressure, it is almost impossible for her to work. She had to fight for her social security and we are still struggling to pay her many medical bills and her household bills. It amazes me how we have enough money to sponsor and pay for trips to the moon and outer space but when the people who need our help the most, like my mother, we turn away and make up excuses as to why we have to watch our family members die without any help from the government they paid so much money into when they were able to work! I’m praying enough people will get mad enough and speak out about this issue because it’s effecting so many families!
You nailed it. My family has one of the best medical plans available (through county government), and beleive me when I say that it costs US a bundle in premiums. Not only are we shelling hundreds of dollars in premiums, CF doesn’t want to pay claims. I truly believe that they believe that if they make it incredibly difficult, people will give up on fighting the system and pay the bill themselves. What’s wrong with this picture?
To me it’s very surprising that we live in the richest country in the world and families are still forced to decided whether to buy food or medicine. That’s unacceptable. Yet we waste money on wars, building up our military and not even think about taking care of our citizen. In my opinion, no one should go hungry in this country, no one should be denied health care and no one should be homeless. This is really sad.
I disagree. I have lived in Germany where they have the public health care which is sorry. People wait months and months to get into see the doctor. The goverment tells them what treatments or exams they are needing and not the people. People with money leave these countries and come to America to get better health care. I don’t want or desire the goverment to choose what kind of healthcare is best for me.
The goverment can’t handle Medicare and Medicade and now we want to give them everyone health coverage.
I believe there needs to be changes, don’t get me wrong! I just don’t believe the public option is the way. A huge problem is the insurance industry. Let’s put regulations on the insurance company. Let’s force them to make changes. Let’s not give the goverment complete control over our health insurance.
I happen to have caught the Greg Mathis show today (11/6/09) and was sickened to hear him continue his race baiting and political agenda on a show that should either be about ejudicating a lawsuit or just entertainment by paid actors. Get off the racial soapbox Mathis. Only Barack Obama and a few organizations have done more harm in setting race relations back than you.
Your opinions on “sexual preference” do not belong in your rhetoric from the “bench” either. The American people, black, white, yellow and red have already proven that when put to a vote, they DO NOT want gay marriage.
Stick to your interpretation of the law (which is severley flawed) and drop the racial remarks and sexual preference comments. You can be a funny, entertaining man, but instead you resort to pushing a political agenda. You lost this viewer and everyone else I can persuade to boycott your soapbox.
CommonSense