I feel that health care in the United States is in dire need of reform. I am of the belief that everyone should have a right to health care and the fact that the United States denies people that right is embarrassing. It is also shameful that people who are trying to get medical attention are expected to go into serious amounts of debt just to pay off their medical expenses when other democratic countries like Great Britain have figured out a system where patients do not gain this debt. While the system in Great Britain may not be perfect, it still does not punish the consumer of health care like the United States. It is scary to think how many millions of Americans do not go seek the medical attention they require just because of lack of heath insurance.
I am actually one of the millions of Americans in insurance limbo right now. My job does not offer health insurance because it is a small dentist’s office. When I asked about health insurance, my boss told me that she has always relied on her employee’s husband’s work insurance to cover the medical insurance for them so she has never had to offer health care. I was dropped from my father’s health insurance plan at the age of 26, and although I am getting married in April, I was required to find a private insurance plan to cover the 6 month gap of insurance. While uninsured, I was very anxious about my health and worried that I could get sick or have an accident at any moment and be stuck with thousands of dollars in medical bills. Thankfully, I was fortunate enough to not get sick while uninsured, but I cannot imagine the millions of people that do who have to go through that fear everyday.
The major problem with United States Health care, I believe, is the fact that as a capitalist country we gear health care towards making a profit rather than helping people. We have lost sight of what the true purpose of health care is. I believe health care reform is a long time coming because so many people see health care for all as a socialist idea, and we as a nation are afraid of that.
Until I watched "Sick Around the World" and "Sick Around America", I was one of those capitalist Americans who was dead set against "socialized medicine". Agreed, the five capitalist countries that use universal health care are not perfect, but their systems are working. The biggest advantage is that there is no bankruptcy due to medical expenses in any of those countries. Here in America, people have to choose between life and death just because they don't have insurance or they don't have enough insurance or they are uninsurable. That's just inhuman! P.S.the only profit that should be made is our health.
ReplyDeleteI had a long reply typed out, and then my two year old shut my lap top and it was gone :). I agree with your post, and I'm in a similar situation as far as insurance goes. I do have a job, although it is part time and does not offer benefits. My husband and I are both students, so paying for private insurance is simply not an option. Fortunately, my son receives CHIP, and my husband receives healthcare through the VA. Recently, my husband had to go on prescription medications, and before the VA had him entered into their system, we had to pay out of pocket for these prescriptions. One week's worth was over $200. Just for a week! That's insane. Fortunately, the VA now provides his care and gives him his medication for free. Without this assistance, we would be another unfortunate statistic of the American health care system.
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