Health Care reform is going to be a hot debate, so here are few warm up facts to ponder:
2007 (source: National Coalition on Health Care):
Total cost of American health care: $2.4 Trillion or 17% of GDP
46 million uninsured
Average premium for family coverage: $12,700 (think of it as a tax)
2003 (source: OECD):
Total per capita cost of health care and % of GDP
|
Country |
Per capita cost |
Percent of GDP |
|
Canada |
$2,998 |
9.9 |
|
France |
$3,048 |
10.4 |
|
United Kingdom |
$2,317 |
7.8 |
|
United States |
$6,711 |
15.2 |
The premium for our family unit of two people is about twice the national average. That includes only the insurance premiums, not the additional contributions to the health savings account or the the FICA taxes on my paycheck.Many people say, \”Oh, my medical insurance is $300/month.\” That is their portion. Their employee pays the other $900/month.It\’s no wonder that so many people don\’t have any medical insurance. I expect that I am fortunate enough to pay for what little care many of them get through to big contributions I make.I don\’t know the solution, but it seems like there might be a way that is better than what we do now.
health care for profit, what a great concept! it creates jobs and is darwinian in an economic priority sort of way! I mean, those who cannot afford it die! hopefully quickly. leaving better opportunities for the ones who are blessed by god and can demonstrate it by their gift of wealth! I mean, really, if we don\’t control the cost of treatments for illness by value of the citizen, then how will one demonstrate that they are among the truly elect? Honestly isn\’t the value of a CEO of say a department store more than that of a, oh let\’s say a single mom who works two jobs as a housecleaner to keep a roof over her families head? I mean, think of all the people he keeps employed! what does she do? and besides it is a good lesson for her children, they need to work harder and pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, that is the American way! isn\’t it? And really, these old people who can\’t afford to have a medical advisor to help them choose a health plan that fits their needs, well what do they expect? They should have saved more, they knew they were going to get old! didn\’t they! All this whining about the money drug companies make, they work hard for that money, we can\’t expect them to work just for the welfare of the people, that just is not how business works.We all know that profit is the great motivator, if there isn\’t adequate compensation then no one will try to better their, or the human condition.And Jesus, wept.
Bruno,Ebeneezer Scrooge would have been right at home with our health care system. What troubles me are my very good friends who take as a matter of truth that we have the best health care system in the world, and there can be debate about that.CP
CPWell, technically we do have one of the best health care systems in the world, It is just that it is available to only a very select few. It is really only a matter of greed, once again, or maybe just the acquisitiveness that is so much a part of our contemporary moral system, that leads us to deny another access because we may \”want\” something. The lobbyists are very skilled at making us believe that there is an equivalency between waiting 3 months for a face lift or other elective procedure and someone having a needed procedure done as soon as it is available. AND it is the fear caused by such logic that keep our dear ones using Mr. Bush\’s argument blindly.An other problem, I alluded to, is the question of should health care, care for the neediest time in human life, be a calling or a good job choice?