Everyone seems to have their own say and their own twist on how our government needs to take control of the lack of health care offered to citizens of the United States. As it is known, Democratic candidates want universal health care for all people, while the opposing Republican candidates have an alternate plan. Basically, democrats want to put in more money from the federal government to help provide health care. However, although providing health care brings forth a heated debate, there is also a bigger issue at hand, which is the rising cost of health care. Furthermore, a Republican candidate, Rudolph Giuliani wants to lower taxes, which will in turn allow employees to pay for private health care instead of getting it from their employers. He hopes to move away from the system where employers supply employees with health care. On the other hand, Republican candidate Mitt Romney wants the states to have more decision-making ability and have the people be able to deduct their out-of-pocket expenditures.
Basically, I thought this was a fascinating article because it really reveals the major points of each main Republican and Democratic presidential candidate. However, the author also talks about how expensive health care now is. If we lower the costs of health care, I don’t know how exactly, then we will be able to better provide health care for all United States citizens. I remember watching a movie done by the same guy who made "Supersize Me." He was homeless for some time and just a simply injury of hurting his wrist made him go from making the bills to basically living in debt. A visit to the health clinic was around $200 alone and since he had to work during the day he could not go to the free health clinic in his neighborhood. The $200 visitation fee to see a doctor put him back and with the money it cost to wrap up his wrist, he was at a loss as to how he was going to pay the bills. After seeing this money and learning about health care, i definitely agree the health care prices need to be lowered and the government should have a part in supplying health care for its citizens.
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I think your thoughts were very intersting rae. I think this is a really big issue in our country. THe main problem is insurance companies, not necessarily health care. The problem is that doctors are not deciding whether the insurance should cover the medical procedure but insurance companies are. So now major hospitals are closing because insurance companies are not paying them the full price for service. Another problem is that certain insurance companies only cover a certain doctor. So that one doctor is being overbooked and that doctor is used as a gateway to specialists. Patients have to go through the main doctor rather than go straight to the specialist. This is a big problem because people are not being seen quickly. This causes people to go the ER when they just needed to go to their main doctor. Then, the ER becomes overflowed and their are not enough beds. This causes big issues because they are not able to help people who need to be helped. The media needs to show that it is a health insurance crisis, not a health care crisis. It is not the doctor's fault rather the insurance companies. Doctors are losing money and making less profit while insurance companies are making a profoud amount of money. Basically, our system is really messed up.
Of course doctors aren't going to dictate whether or not insurance is going to cover a procedure- that's the whole point of there being health insurance companies. People start businesses to make money. Doctors want to make money, so it makes sense that they will want to do all sorts of perhaps unnecessary procedures and have an insurance provider pay for it. Of course a health care company is not going to let you go do whatever you want with your plan, get every procedure you want, and make them pay for all of it.
Look, I asked my mom about the problem we are facing and we had a very in depth discussion about it. I payed close attention and because she is a nurse working for Blue Cross in the appeals and grievances department. There are, in fact, doctors and nurses who make decisions on the insurance side. Yes, they want to make a profit. Who doesn't? The real problem is that it is too expensive to PROVIDE health care thus making it more expensive.
A couple reasons for this high are that a) there isn't enough competition going on between insurance providers. If consumers had access to plans based in other states, the providers would be forced to compete and prices would decline. b) the playing field when it comes to taxes needs to be leveled. Those who recieve coverage from an employer don't pay taxes, while those who pay out of pocket for a plan do have to pay taxes. c) there are many illegal immigrants in our country who largely work for cash and don't pay income tax. When they get sick or get a booboo they go to the ER and can't pay. d) PEOPLE ABUSE THE SYSTEM. My mom filled me in a lot on this one.
She has told me countless stories of people who have a plan which lays out for them what services are covered and for which doctors. People decide they don't like those doctors and go to another one and ask their insurors to pay for it. If you want flexible coverage, you pay for a higher quality plan. You get what you pay for. Also, she's told me about people who have sued someone because of a sustained injury, but then still had their insurance cover it, while pocketing the money won in court intended to pay for medical fees. Also, people have a terrible habit in our country of wanting to blame everybody else for everything. There are so many lawsuits against medical practitioners in our country that doctors must waste tons of money on unnecessary tests and procedures so that they can be sure they cannot be blamed for anything. Let doctors do what doctors do. Doctors in countries with socialist health care programs don't have to do all these unnecessary tests, they can just do what they need to.
Emma, i agree with alot about what you are saying, except i don't think it's insurance companies' fault as much as it is individuals' fault. The government needs to step in and level the playing field so that health care can truly be a free market and competition will make it affordable. Although i am a big supporter of Universal health care plans in THEORY, i don't think they will work until the illegal immigration issue is solved one way or another.
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