DeAnne
Mike CrowlHealth Care Reform - a plan to consider from the AMA
October 2nd 2008 19:09
The health care issue has been a very important one for me and my family this election year. I've been noticing lately ads on television for the American Medical Association's website about their plan - VoiceForTheUninsured.org. Today, I finally visited the site to see what they had to say.
I must say, I am all for a "single-payer" system, but I have doubts about how well our government can or will implement such a plan. The AMA plan seems to meet all the crucial needs of our health care crisis.
First, the plan provides financial help for those who can not afford health insurance. Second, it provides fairness - everyone, whether they have employer provided insurance or private pay insurance, gets the same tax breaks. Finally, the plan provides additional help for those who are considered high risk by the insurance companies due to pre-existing medical conditions.
So many people I talk to about this issue absolutely hate the idea of everyone having insurance. Some think that it will make it harder to get treatment, because there will be so many people seeing the doctor if it's free. Others are just afraid of anything that is socialized. Then there are those who don't like the idea of shared costs - "I pay for my insurance, I don't see why I should have to pay for anyone else to have it."
I don't think we'll have to worry about lines at the doctor's office - anymore than we do now. In fact, when everyone is able to receive preventative medicine, there will be less disease to worry about. As for the socialized aspect, what about the other social services we have...police protection, fire departments, public schools, social security, medicare, etc. We take so many of them for granted that we don't even consider them to be socialized. Why should someone have to reach old age before he or she is entitled to socialized health care? As for the ones who are just plain greedy, they just don't realize that they ARE paying for other people's health care in the long run anyway. When someone doesn't have insurance, he or she is more likely to go to the emergency room for non-emergency treatments that could be handled more efficiently, and less expensively at the doctor's office. If one can't pay for the emergency room bill, it's passed along to everyone else in the form of higher costs.
I urge everyone to visit the AMA site VoiceForTheUninsured.org and consider their plan. They allow for registration which will send messages to congress to let them know you support this plan. Regardless of your income level or health status, this issue affects us all. Be sure your voice is heard.
I must say, I am all for a "single-payer" system, but I have doubts about how well our government can or will implement such a plan. The AMA plan seems to meet all the crucial needs of our health care crisis.
First, the plan provides financial help for those who can not afford health insurance. Second, it provides fairness - everyone, whether they have employer provided insurance or private pay insurance, gets the same tax breaks. Finally, the plan provides additional help for those who are considered high risk by the insurance companies due to pre-existing medical conditions.
So many people I talk to about this issue absolutely hate the idea of everyone having insurance. Some think that it will make it harder to get treatment, because there will be so many people seeing the doctor if it's free. Others are just afraid of anything that is socialized. Then there are those who don't like the idea of shared costs - "I pay for my insurance, I don't see why I should have to pay for anyone else to have it."
I don't think we'll have to worry about lines at the doctor's office - anymore than we do now. In fact, when everyone is able to receive preventative medicine, there will be less disease to worry about. As for the socialized aspect, what about the other social services we have...police protection, fire departments, public schools, social security, medicare, etc. We take so many of them for granted that we don't even consider them to be socialized. Why should someone have to reach old age before he or she is entitled to socialized health care? As for the ones who are just plain greedy, they just don't realize that they ARE paying for other people's health care in the long run anyway. When someone doesn't have insurance, he or she is more likely to go to the emergency room for non-emergency treatments that could be handled more efficiently, and less expensively at the doctor's office. If one can't pay for the emergency room bill, it's passed along to everyone else in the form of higher costs.
I urge everyone to visit the AMA site VoiceForTheUninsured.org and consider their plan. They allow for registration which will send messages to congress to let them know you support this plan. Regardless of your income level or health status, this issue affects us all. Be sure your voice is heard.
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