Healthcare. What a debate.. Seriously, what the hell. I don’t see what the hoopla is all about, seriously. There’s a lot of screaming and shouting going on, but no one seems to be talking about the issue at hand. Obama wants the government to provide universal healthcare to all Americans. This sounds like a really good thing to me.
Let’s look at what we have today. First, according to different sources, we have several tens of millions of people without healthcare at all. Estimates seem to range from 40-80 million people. Compare that to the 250 or so million people that have health coverage. That’s roughly 15-20% of Americans under 65 without healthcare!
But who are these people? Surely we’re talking about the low-income, welfare cases, right? Wrong. In a 2003 paper on the relationship between income and health insurance, the writer found that more than 50% of those without health insurance made more than $25,000 per year. According to the 2009 Federal Poverty Guidelines, a $25,000 per year income is considered poverty when you exceed four persons in your family.
So universal healthcare isn’t just for the poor, it’s more for the average American who is a productive member of society. The government isn’t looking to hand out free healthcare to those who don’t deserve it, they’re looking to provide a necessary service to those who try, but can’t afford healthcare because of the insane premiums.
So what are we talking about? Is the government looking to kill off older Americans, provide free abortions, or put insurance companies out of business? No, I doubt it. In fact, I hope that Obama and the rest of the Democratic party can get this healthcare bill passed. Think about it, it actually makes sense.
First, the government needs to put together a basic healthcare plan. No bells and whistles, just your run of the mill healthcare that covers all the normal stuff. They should follow the same basic guidelines that current insurance companies follow. Set some fair deductibles, put in some reasonable ceilings, and let it fly. This means instant competition for the insurance industry since all of the basic care will now be covered by the government’s free healthcare plan.
Yeah yeah, it’s not really free, we pay for it with taxes… No kidding. I’m aware of that. But, to the average American, it seems free and sometimes perception is really important.
Anyway, as I was saying, the government plan covers the minimum benefits. Now the insurance companies can step up and start offering all the fluff and special features. They’ll need to make it affordable in order to compete, but I’m sure they’ll be able to keep the doors open.
In the end, I believe this will bring down healthcare prices, ensure competition, and provide coverage for those that deserve it. I don’t believe this will be the downfall of America, and it won’t result in the government choosing who lives and who dies. It will not cause healthcare prices to rise, and in the end, if you don’t want to participate in the government insurance plan, and put your healthcare in their hands, just go and get your own insurance. It’ll still be out there, and it will probably be better than ever.