Health Care Reform 101 for dummies
The raging debate over potential health care reform is being hijacked by misinformation and political wrangling.
Facts and Perspective:
1. The current health care model is broken and unsustainable.
2. 45-50 million people do not have adequate coverage.
3. Those 45-50m uncovered people get health care. They just can't/don't fully pay for it, thus leaving the bill for everyone else to pay (part of the reason that your premiums are so ridiculously high).
4. The uninsured are forced to seek medical care in local emergency rooms (ER) since they don't have insurance to be seen in a physician's office.
5. The local ER is the most expensive place to recieve medical care in the entire health care system.
6. The uninsured put off their care for obvious reasons, finally going to the ER when they can no longer stand it. Unfortunately by then, their condition is much worse and more expensive to treat.
Ex. A minor cough in an uninsured person, that likely would have been easily treated in a doctor's office with a quick exam and some oral antibiotics for grand total of $100; now with the delay in seeking care for monetary reasons becomes full blown pneumonia requiring a week long hospitalization at $2,900 a day.
And don't forget, with insurance the doctor visit and medicine ($100 total bill) get paid for. Contrary to the uninsured $2,900 a day hospitalization for a week (total of $20,300) that everyone gets to eat.
So we either pay for a somewhat reasonable insurance premium for the less fortunate or we get to pay the full freight for a ridiculously expensive and unnecessary hospitalization.
Be very clear. One way or another, you're gonna pay.
The correct debate isn't should we pay for everyone to have insurance. The question is how do we pay for everyone to have health insurance?
Once we get past this little hurdle, the next steps for meaningful reform are cleaning up systemic waste and provider over billing.
Facts and Perspective:
1. The current health care model is broken and unsustainable.
2. 45-50 million people do not have adequate coverage.
3. Those 45-50m uncovered people get health care. They just can't/don't fully pay for it, thus leaving the bill for everyone else to pay (part of the reason that your premiums are so ridiculously high).
4. The uninsured are forced to seek medical care in local emergency rooms (ER) since they don't have insurance to be seen in a physician's office.
5. The local ER is the most expensive place to recieve medical care in the entire health care system.
6. The uninsured put off their care for obvious reasons, finally going to the ER when they can no longer stand it. Unfortunately by then, their condition is much worse and more expensive to treat.
Ex. A minor cough in an uninsured person, that likely would have been easily treated in a doctor's office with a quick exam and some oral antibiotics for grand total of $100; now with the delay in seeking care for monetary reasons becomes full blown pneumonia requiring a week long hospitalization at $2,900 a day.
And don't forget, with insurance the doctor visit and medicine ($100 total bill) get paid for. Contrary to the uninsured $2,900 a day hospitalization for a week (total of $20,300) that everyone gets to eat.
So we either pay for a somewhat reasonable insurance premium for the less fortunate or we get to pay the full freight for a ridiculously expensive and unnecessary hospitalization.
Be very clear. One way or another, you're gonna pay.
The correct debate isn't should we pay for everyone to have insurance. The question is how do we pay for everyone to have health insurance?
Once we get past this little hurdle, the next steps for meaningful reform are cleaning up systemic waste and provider over billing.
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