The very word conjures up memories of hours sitting in an emergency room waiting for treatment, fights with my insurance company, stories of people dying because their insurance company wouldn't pay, news coverage of people scamming medicare. . . the list goes on.
In a perfect world, everyone would have a job or own their own business and therefore be able to pay for the healthcare needs of themselves and their families. The capitalist economic system under which we operate, however, does not allow for this. Capitalism, by its very nature, dictates that we must have rich and poor, that in a situation of scarce resources, only those with the ability to pay will receive services. It also dictates that there will NEVER be full employment.
Thankfully we don't actually operate under a purely capitalist system. We pay taxes to our government to provide services to us. Police, fire, roads, schools, armed forces, etc. Under a purely capitalist system, the fire department wouldn't extinguish your house fire until you paid them first - a situation that used to exist until we as a society decided that the need for public safety was too great. So we each pay a little bit to ensure that everyone benefits.
And do you know what that's called? It's called SOCIALISM. Yup, socialism. Alive and well here in the good 'ol US of A.
The dictionary defines socialism as:
a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.
So, in the case of our public services, we borrow from Karl Marx - the man we all loved to hate. Imagine the chaos that would ensue if the National Guard refused to help out the people in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina unless we paid them first. . . or if the local police would refuse to fight crime in your neighborhood unless they got paid by every single person who lived there in advance. Imagine your kid being kicked out of school because he forgot to bring his money to pay the teacher. Sounds crazy, right?
So how is it that the health and well being of every single American is in the capitalist model? "Sorry, son. Your mom's got a ruptured appendix. We'd love to operate on her and save her life, but you've got to hand us $30,000 first." Unthinkable, right?
"But wait! That's why we have health insurance," you say! And you'd be right. We do have health insurance. But let's examine health insurance in more detail:
In a typical situation, you and your employer pay into a "pool," along with everyone else covered by that company. The insurance "pool" is used to pay claims to pay for healthcare services rendered by doctors, hospitals, drug companies, etc. The theory goes that the larger the "pool," the lower the cost to each individual. Each person is, in effect, paying not only for their own health coverage, but also for everyone else's, because not everyone is sick or requires the same level of treatment at the same time. So while you're healthy, your insurance premiums go towards paying for some guy in Duluth's asthma treatments. And when you have that surgery to remove your ruptured appendix, it's partially payed for by everyone else in the pool.
Now, remembering our definition of socialism, let's remove the words that don't apply in this particular situation and substitute them with our definition of health insurance. Now we end up with:
a [system] that advocates that [healthcare services] should be [paid for] by the [pool].
Holy fraking Mother of All Things. . . IT'S SOCIALISM! Okay, it's not REALLY socialism, but it's damn close. It's the exact same thing as the police service, the fire service and the armed forces. Each person pays a little so that everyone benefits from the service. The only real difference is that part of your premiums go to line the pockets of the executives.
So, now that we've removed the stigma from socialism, we can apply it to the one thing that is bankrupting every single American: healthcare. Every day, more and more people complain that the cost of healthcare is simply too high. Every day, people die because some bean-counter denies treatment because the patient is at an out-of-network hospital. Every day, people go without immunizations and treatments for contagious diseases because they simply cannot afford it - endangering the lives of everyone around them. Every day, people just like you and me DIE, simply because they couldn't afford their medicine. The very same people who gladly pay taxes for their armed forces suddenly have a problem paying taxes for their health?
We've all heard the arguments against a national healthcare system, so I won't go into them here. Some of the arguments are valid, and some are just plain ignorant. Regardless, I have a solution that I think could work:
The government would guarantee healthcare for every American citizen up to a certain level of service. After that, it would be up to the individual to buy their own health insurance to cover the remainder.
For example, immunizations, flu shots, family doctor visits, basic lab work, annual physicals, pediatricians, dental care, eye care, generic drugs and OB/GYN would all be paid for by your tax dollars.
For any serious or expensive conditions, you would have private health insurance to take up the slack. It's only fair that people with expensive needs pay more for their treatment. Additionally, people whose medical conditions are due to lifestyle choices would have to pay even higher: Lung cancer from cigarette smoking? Pull out your wallet, buddy.
Who would be excluded? Non-citizens. If, however, you are from a country that provides universal health care, we will cover your treatment and send the bill to your home country. If you have a valid work permit and are paying taxes on your income, you get the basic government services.
And now comes the whining:
"We'll have to wait in long lines for treatment!"
I have two issues with this statement:
- Are you really that selfish that all you care about is your own health and no one else's? Shame on you.
- This statement is only halfway true. Initially, yes, there could be longer waits for treatment as more people use the system. But more demand will create much needed jobs and boost the economy.
"Some bureaucrat will dictate when and how I die!"
I've got news for you: The insurance companies are already doing this. And their primary interest is boosting company profits, not taking care of you. Insurance companies are in business TO MAKE MONEY, and for NO other reason than that.
"The government can't handle something so complex - they'll mess it up!"
People, the government IS US! So, if the government is stupid, it's because the stupid people elected stupid politicians. Are you really ready to call yourself an idiot? I thought not. Additionally, the government is already providing health care services to Americans. Every member of the armed forces is covered by universal health care. Every member of Congress is also covered. And there's one more group that also receives free health care: felons. Yup, felons. Go to jail, get 3 squares a day, air conditioning, library, gym and free health care.
This is the richest, most powerful nation in the world. In 2006, we spent close to $7 billion a month for the war in Iraq. We could spend 1/12 of that amount and provide coverage for every uninsured person in America and have money left over.
My plan is by no means complete. It's just an idea for right now. If you've got some constructive criticism or a better idea of your own, then add it to the comments. If all you want to do is bitch about how "socialism" is taking over America, leave your comments to yourself. We are looking for SOLUTIONS here. The current system is broken - even the insurance companies admit it. The government is US, so it's up to US to find a solution.
PHOTO CREDIT: Pam Roth
