Entitlement vs. Access to Care - Article 4

Something to Think About

Americans like to be independent. We believe each person should be judged on their merits and rewarded for working hard. Somehow, along the way we have lost this view when it comes to our approach to healthcare.

Today there are three basic classes of healthcare access:

1. Americans working full time for an employer large enough to offer medical coverage;
2. Americans who have qualified for public assistance (Medicaid or Medicare).
3. Everyone else, without coverage, only one illness or injury away from catastrophic medical expenses and bankruptcy.

Many people will say healthcare is a privilege, that it is too expensive to offer coverage to everyone. I say it is too expensive not to. Under our current model, we all pay – we pay through cost shifting. We pay increasingly higher premiums and co-pays if we are working for an employer who offers coverage. We pay in our state taxes, as governments slash spending on roads and education in order to meet the rising demands for Medicaid. Because health care is not available for tens of millions of Americans, we must gamble with our health. When one finally presents for care out to desperation, the diagnosis is generally “train wreck” and the cost of care has increased exponentially with higher morbidity and mortality. Because one cannot afford to see a doctor for preventative and primary care, in the end, we all lose.

As a country, we need to return to our core values. We need to allow all Americans access to care. This means everyone is covered, no one is exempt, or excluded. Everyone is accountable, for eating right and exercising, for controlling his or her weight, for presenting for primary care for preventable diseases, and regular care for chronic disease. Until everyone can see a primary care physician, we will not be able to control the high costs of emergency based care. Until everyone is able to access care, and we no longer have people who must choose between filling a prescription or affording food, we cannot begin to control the extraordinary costs of chronic illness.

I am not proposing new government subsidies. I am proposing we take the dollars we spend today, for insurance premiums, for emergency room care, for prescription drugs, Medicaid, and Medicare. Let us redistribute this money, finding new ways of funding the primary care physician to assure access to all. Allow and support each American to take control of their health and reward those who work hard to manage a healthy lifestyle and proactively manage chronic disease. In these tight economic times, we need each dollar to do more, to go farther. Our healthcare dollars must be used wisely. We all have a stake, and we all need to contribute to paying for care. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – these are our ideals. When one is ill, it is difficult to pursue these ideals. Hence, shouldn’t access to medical care be part of this picture? The cost is too high to withhold health care in America.

Get Smart about Health Care, America!