The process that I have gone through in gathering and analyzing information on the United States health care system has helped me to form views on the topic. Initial ideas were altered, built on, or lost in this process to help my knowledge and understanding on the topic to grow. At the end of my research the views that I now have are a result of continually seeking new information and relating back to my original thoughts. Interactions with my class mates and other bloggers who are interested in the topic of universal health care has helped me to question my way of thinking and make sure not to overlook the details of my analysis. The questions that were brought up also made me take into question the sources of my information. The product of this work is an established opinion of my thoughts on the American health care system and the adjustments that could be made to improve it.
In the twenty-first century the internet has become a valuable resource for research. It is hard to use internet research in evolving an idea; however, because of the rarity of reliable sources, the abundance of information, and the bias that writers display. My goal in formulating my own opinions was to avoid letting writer's bias affect what I think, so as to base my thoughts on the facts. Sources of bias that i found were blogs like Radical Health Care Reform, which uses sarcasm to deliberately push one side of the argument. As weak spots in my argument were pointed out I worked to reinforce them with concrete evidence. Learning about the new ideas that have developed surrounding the issue of health care in the U.S. is another interesting aspect that comes with researching a topic. While I was deciding how I think that the health care system should be altered I gathered ideas from the proposals of others like, California One Care. The spectrum of attitudes that surround the debate include those held by citizens, doctors, government officials, employers, and providers. To better understand the needs of each group and why they hold their positions I have analyzed the situations that each is faced with in the debate, and how they effect each other individually. One of the reasons that health care is capable of being a binary public issue is in the number of groups that are involved int the debate in varying ways. Change Now 4 Health provides an outline of the majority of these groups in their promotion of a "come together" attitude.
The growing amount of Americans who have concern about the health care issue shows how perspective and understanding changes over time with need. An increasing amount of Americans need health insurance and therefore the importance of finding a way to provide it is becoming more popular in the media. The recent airing of a film by Michael Moore titled Sicko has played an active role in bringing the health care debate into the media. A survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows how Americans rank the importance of revamping the American health care system as of 2004. A gain of knowledge will always impact an individual's way of thinking whether it acts to enforce original beliefs or to calls for acceptance of new ones.
The knowledge that I gained about health care in America and the topics surrounding the health care debate have helped me to alter my personal opinions. I started out with the general idea that universal health care sounded good; it provides health care to everyone and it is a logical system to use based on the number of other countries that have established it. I am still in support of universal health care to an extent, but the information that I have now has helped me to make my position more specific. The right to receive health care in my opinion should be given to all Americans, regardless of economic status. In effect to pay for a system that can handle the costs of such a system I think that taxes should be raised a minimal amount with a cap that would prevent an extensive strain on wealthy citizens. This idea for tax increase I found in the California One Care site. Taking the profit market out of health care at some level would also help to decrease costs of health care for citizens. The reason that I say "some level" is that I still believe doctors and researchers will need incentive to find ways to increase productivity and quality. I think that the plan presented by John Edwards to have a government regulation on prices would be one possible way to help make the change. Truthfully the American health insurance industry could be avoided completely to increase the efficiency of health care. I realize that this would be a dramatic step in reform, but it would decrease costs and hassles of paper work and payments. As I discussed before the payments made to insurance companies that families would save as a result of universal health care would give citizens more coverage by enacting affordable costs. I don't think that such a large step of change is rational to consider so a compromise should be made. One site that takes a similar economic stance on the debate is called Execs Tout Universal Coverage. I believe that the process, which has produced my stance in this debate, was successful by taking a broad idea and narrowing it down.
The process of understanding that occurs over time allows opinions to change. I now understand the details of the health care argument through the research I have done to produce this blog. While researching aspects of health care I also found that my opinions on related issues were effected. In topics like stem cell research where many make an emotional appeal of whether it's supporting killing I find myself looking at the logistics of the situation instead. One source that helped me to become aware of this change was Potential for Life x2 .
Finding away to fix the American health care system is an important issue to me. Its outcome will affect the lives of millions of people including myself in a way that is beyond measure. The time it takes for an issue to take hold and for change to occur is arduous. For many years organizations have been trying to initiate a spark that would cause change in the health care system, and now the outcome seems to be quickly approaching as many presidential candidates are calling for reforms. With so much at stake it seems impractical not to be concerned with what will come of the universal health care debate.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
The Web's Plug on Universal Health Care
The main points of controversy that I found make up the binary positions on the universal health care debate are: how the new system will effect Americans financially, the effectiveness of a universal health care plan, and the the need for universal health care. I was able to find several sites of useful information relating to the issue, while doing research on the subject for this blog . The following is a recommended list of reliable sources that will provide further insight into each of the aspects of the health care controversy.
One article that I found interesting was published in the New Yorker Magazine. "The Moral-Hazard Myth" by Malcolm Gladwell takes an interesting view on the health care system in the Unites States. Gladwell states that the inability for some citizens to afford health care is causing for a growing difference in the way they look compared to the rest of the population who can afford care. Another point that Gladwell explains is the loyalty that so many American's have for the current health care system. As the title suggests however the main intent of the article lies in the the name "moral-hazard" that has been presented as a negative effect resulting from universal health care. Overall Gladwell provides an interesting analysis of the causes and conclusions that surround the American health care system.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is one of the most extensive sites that I found relating to the American health care debate. The site provides up to date health news including the recent proposed plans by presidential candidates, facts and statistics that have been gathered, and information on topics ranging from health coverage to the women's health policy. The Kaiser Family Foundation effectively presents all aspects of health care so that readers are equipped to evaluate the situation. The points included cover the aspects that should be considered while deciding how the American health care system should be updated. A site related to the Kaiser Family Foundation that I found both interesting and helpful was the Global Health Facts page that provides information on the health care of nations around the world, including per capita spending and much more, with the click of a mouse.
"The Testimony on Universal Health Care" by Alan Sager and Deborah Socolar is a report on their findings concerning universal health care. The effect of universal health care and ways that it could be instituted without increasing costs are outlined in the report. In their findings Sager and Socolar show how providing health care to all would actually decrease spending in the long run, and increase the quality of care. The small scale model of Massachusetts helps to give an idea of how a single-payer system of health care could work, and the information helps support the idea that it might be applied on a larger scale.
The Straight Talk is site that shows the American support for a universal health care system and the various political stances on the issue. While setting up both sides of the argument Straight Talk is also able to get across the idea that health care in America is a real issue that more and more citizens are becoming interested in. Quotes, polls, points, and facts give a brief intro into the health care debate at a glance picking out the main issues in the debate and presenting them in a clear and straight forward manner.
The rising health care costs in America is one of the reasons that health care is such a pressing issue. The one difference between America's health care system and that of other developed nations is that America depends on private health care providers. American Health Care Reform provides insight about the condition of America's health care system. The site serves to unravel the false beliefs about a universal health care system and promotes it through revealing the insurance loops of private health care providers.
Any change, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, in the health care system cannot be accomplished by any one group alone. Coming together to make a difference is the tool that Change Now for Health proposes to use in the effort to reform the nation's health care system. Their website provides useful information on why the U.S. needs to change the current health care system. Resources on the site including current news articles on health care and real world examples support the country's increasing need for a new health care system.
Just how many American's are uninsured? The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provides answers about how the number of Americans that are uninsured are rising. Tracking the course of the insurance in America through information gathered by the Census Bureau is among the ways that the site has formulated its opinions. As a conclusion the site points out key factors that have caused the dramatic climb in the number of uninsured.
The National Coalition on Health Care founded in 1990 is a non profit working to improve health care in America. NCHC gives readers a "Q&A" style web page on universal health care. Questions that the site answers start with identifying who the uninsured are and concludes in stating that increased coverage will increase life expectancy and decrease spending. The page, which was published in 2007, provides current and reliable information on the issue.
The American Medical Student Association has a recently added informational page in the form of "Universal Health Care Educational Resources." On the page readers can find reliable sources to learn more about all the varying aspects and sides in the universal health care debate. AMSA provides an unbiased approach that is there to solely educate. The approach of this page achieves a stand that is open and allows the reader to form their own opinions on the debate.
The need for universal health care is based on the rising costs of health care in the U.S. that is causing many citizen to go without health care when they can no longer afford the prices. The National Center for Policy Analysis gives insight into the reasons behind rising health care costs in an article by Devon Herrick, Ph. D is the research manager at the National Center for Policy Analysis. This site looks at the health care issue by comparing the health care market to that of cosmetic surgery. Why haven't the prices of cosmetic surgery increased similar to health care? Herrick blames differences in the markets saying,"One sector has a competitive marketplace and stable prices. The other does not." The health care market in America is complex and confusing, and counted among the reasons that health care costs continue to rise.
The importance of the health care debate in America comes from the affect that its outcome will have on the population individually. Health care affects everyone. Increasing concern for how the government will decide to run the health care system has continued to grow along side the related prices. The need, efficiency, and finance that are involved with a new plan are key factors for the government to reflect on in the upcoming election. With increasing concern and an internet connection, that allows information to be shared, more and more Americans are becoming aware of the issue that has been building up. All of the information unfortunately is not reliable. The provided links are among some of the credible sources that can be found currently about the nation's health care debate.
One article that I found interesting was published in the New Yorker Magazine. "The Moral-Hazard Myth" by Malcolm Gladwell takes an interesting view on the health care system in the Unites States. Gladwell states that the inability for some citizens to afford health care is causing for a growing difference in the way they look compared to the rest of the population who can afford care. Another point that Gladwell explains is the loyalty that so many American's have for the current health care system. As the title suggests however the main intent of the article lies in the the name "moral-hazard" that has been presented as a negative effect resulting from universal health care. Overall Gladwell provides an interesting analysis of the causes and conclusions that surround the American health care system.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is one of the most extensive sites that I found relating to the American health care debate. The site provides up to date health news including the recent proposed plans by presidential candidates, facts and statistics that have been gathered, and information on topics ranging from health coverage to the women's health policy. The Kaiser Family Foundation effectively presents all aspects of health care so that readers are equipped to evaluate the situation. The points included cover the aspects that should be considered while deciding how the American health care system should be updated. A site related to the Kaiser Family Foundation that I found both interesting and helpful was the Global Health Facts page that provides information on the health care of nations around the world, including per capita spending and much more, with the click of a mouse.
"The Testimony on Universal Health Care" by Alan Sager and Deborah Socolar is a report on their findings concerning universal health care. The effect of universal health care and ways that it could be instituted without increasing costs are outlined in the report. In their findings Sager and Socolar show how providing health care to all would actually decrease spending in the long run, and increase the quality of care. The small scale model of Massachusetts helps to give an idea of how a single-payer system of health care could work, and the information helps support the idea that it might be applied on a larger scale.
The Straight Talk is site that shows the American support for a universal health care system and the various political stances on the issue. While setting up both sides of the argument Straight Talk is also able to get across the idea that health care in America is a real issue that more and more citizens are becoming interested in. Quotes, polls, points, and facts give a brief intro into the health care debate at a glance picking out the main issues in the debate and presenting them in a clear and straight forward manner.
The rising health care costs in America is one of the reasons that health care is such a pressing issue. The one difference between America's health care system and that of other developed nations is that America depends on private health care providers. American Health Care Reform provides insight about the condition of America's health care system. The site serves to unravel the false beliefs about a universal health care system and promotes it through revealing the insurance loops of private health care providers.
Any change, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem, in the health care system cannot be accomplished by any one group alone. Coming together to make a difference is the tool that Change Now for Health proposes to use in the effort to reform the nation's health care system. Their website provides useful information on why the U.S. needs to change the current health care system. Resources on the site including current news articles on health care and real world examples support the country's increasing need for a new health care system.
Just how many American's are uninsured? The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provides answers about how the number of Americans that are uninsured are rising. Tracking the course of the insurance in America through information gathered by the Census Bureau is among the ways that the site has formulated its opinions. As a conclusion the site points out key factors that have caused the dramatic climb in the number of uninsured.
The National Coalition on Health Care founded in 1990 is a non profit working to improve health care in America. NCHC gives readers a "Q&A" style web page on universal health care. Questions that the site answers start with identifying who the uninsured are and concludes in stating that increased coverage will increase life expectancy and decrease spending. The page, which was published in 2007, provides current and reliable information on the issue.
The American Medical Student Association has a recently added informational page in the form of "Universal Health Care Educational Resources." On the page readers can find reliable sources to learn more about all the varying aspects and sides in the universal health care debate. AMSA provides an unbiased approach that is there to solely educate. The approach of this page achieves a stand that is open and allows the reader to form their own opinions on the debate.
The need for universal health care is based on the rising costs of health care in the U.S. that is causing many citizen to go without health care when they can no longer afford the prices. The National Center for Policy Analysis gives insight into the reasons behind rising health care costs in an article by Devon Herrick, Ph. D is the research manager at the National Center for Policy Analysis. This site looks at the health care issue by comparing the health care market to that of cosmetic surgery. Why haven't the prices of cosmetic surgery increased similar to health care? Herrick blames differences in the markets saying,"One sector has a competitive marketplace and stable prices. The other does not." The health care market in America is complex and confusing, and counted among the reasons that health care costs continue to rise.
The importance of the health care debate in America comes from the affect that its outcome will have on the population individually. Health care affects everyone. Increasing concern for how the government will decide to run the health care system has continued to grow along side the related prices. The need, efficiency, and finance that are involved with a new plan are key factors for the government to reflect on in the upcoming election. With increasing concern and an internet connection, that allows information to be shared, more and more Americans are becoming aware of the issue that has been building up. All of the information unfortunately is not reliable. The provided links are among some of the credible sources that can be found currently about the nation's health care debate.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Future of American Health Care
Health care in American is becoming increasingly harder to come by. The growing number of American's that are found to be without health insurance gives proof of how American's are dealing with the rise in health care costs. The Campaign for America's Future gives testimony to the hardship that increasing health rates are inflicting on the American consumer. The idea that the campaign presents is that profit needs to be taken out of health care. This is one among many ideas of what needs to be changed in the current system. As dissatisfaction grows what is in store for the future of American health care? I predict that in the near future a level of universal health care will be adopted enabling the government to regulate health care prices. The government's capability to regulate the prices of health care and related goods and services will make them more affordable to consumers. Support for this alteration in the current health care system is growing. If the health care system stays the same the rates of health care and related goods and services will continue to increase at a rate that will make it difficult for citizens to obtain quality health care. The reasons that the health care costs will continue to rise according to David H. Chenoweth, author of "Worksite Health Promotion" include: cost shifting, inflation, technological advancements, high prices of malpractices insurance, practicing defensive medicine, and catastrophic cases. More Americans are feeling the effects of increasing health care costs. The future of the American health care system and the application of universal health care will be determined soon. The approaching point of action will be reached when American's need for health care will outweigh their objections of allowing increased government interference in health care.
Monday, October 22, 2007
So What's All the Fuss About?
Providing citizens with health care seems like a reasonable and good hearted act, so why is there still controversy looming from the idea? The dilemma that fuels controversy over universal health care is the mistrust of the government. American's have always doubted the government's capability to establish an efficient and effective system. Why should health care be any different? Often the belief of laissez fair is enough to prove that government involvement should be kept at a minimum for efficiency to reach its maximum level. In a market setting for example open trade without government interference will allow an equilibrium price to be set for goods and services that will best satisfy both consumers and producers. Govenment instated price ceilings and floors however can prohibit the market from reaching an equilibrium that will be the most beneficial. The involvement that the government would be entitled to by organizing a universal health care system would increase from its current state. The increase of involvement worries many citizens. Since America's beginnings there has been animosity towards unneeded government ties. Howard J. Blitz, president of the Freedom Library, gives an example of this anxiety in an excerpt from,"Government breeds animosity, not peace". The most current event that has caused citizens to question the government is America's involvement in Iraq. The World Socialist Website gives insight into the ideas of censorship and mistrust that result from the involvement. Is the government getting involved in a situation that it should leave alone? Universal health care, to many will provide one more way for the government to intervene in their lives. Increasing government involvement in any matter is a highly debatable issue especially with an issue as vital as health care. However with increasing health care costs and a continually downward sloping insurance rates some changes need to be made to ensure Americans access to affordable health care. The big question for universal health care remains. Should American's allow increased government involvement to increase the availability of health care?
Friday, October 19, 2007
A Dwindling Health Provider
Employee benefits is a major provider of health insurance in the United States. Increases in health insurance costs are hitting businesses hard. The increase in costs are making health benefits increasing unaffordable for employers. With an increase in cost, surveys show that the percent of businesses that offer health insurance to their workers has dramatically decreased in the past five years (click here for more details). Small businesses are found to be the main source accountable for the decline of health benefits. The inability to offer employees health benefits makes it hard for businesses to draw in and keep employees. In these cases it could mean that a business owner is forced to decide between providing health insurance or hiring another worker. For small businesses not offering health care benefits is a dangerous situation to be in. Without the aid of health benefits the jobs offered by the business are less appealing and it is harder for the employer to keep employees for a long period of time. When a business loses a worker they are losing time and money that went into training and hiring that individual worker as the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations explains. The story of one small business in Montana, that has decided to go on without offering health insurance to employees, gives testimony to the bind that high health insurance prices can leave small business owners in. In some forms of universal health care the price of providing health care for employers is decreased to an affordable rate. By decreasing the cost to employers of providing health insurance the government is able to require that companies provide their employees with health care. With more companies providing health insurance to their workers the health coverage of American citizens will greatly increase.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
A Complicated Relationship
Universal health care is founded on the idea that compared to other countries the United States health care system is not as effective. How do we know that the U.S. is lagging behind? The scale that these statements are based on is life expectancy. As pointed out previously and again below on a wider scale the life expectancy rate for the U.S. falls far from the expectations set by other countries. If more money in spending on health care doesn't increase life expectancy what does?
Many of the countries that show stronger efficiency in their health care systems implement some form of a universal health care system. The the current distribution of the universal health care system throughout the world is shown on the following map. Longevity of life for an individual is an important personal interest. Whether or not universal health care really will increase the United States' average life expectancy is still up for debate. Certain variables can't be controled by merely puting health resources at an accessible rate for all citizens. Factors highlighted by the US Public Health Service include: lifestyle, environmental factors, and heredity (click here for more details). Although health care only accounts for 10% of the influential factors for life expectancy the US Public Health Service predicts that it, "-has the potential to help prevent close to 70 percent of preventable deaths through intervention measures." That leaves 30 percent of preventable deaths that could not be avoided with the aid of health care. Universal health care will be able to increase life expectancy to an extent by allowing citizens to access health care services when they need them. No more putting off a visit to the doctor until the pain has become unbearable, so patients will be more likely to discover health problems early on. This will contribute to increasing an individual's ability to take care of themselves if they choose to do so. There is atleast the option to seek care with a universal health care system. Whether or not citizens choose to take advantage of this resource is up to them.
Many of the countries that show stronger efficiency in their health care systems implement some form of a universal health care system. The the current distribution of the universal health care system throughout the world is shown on the following map. Longevity of life for an individual is an important personal interest. Whether or not universal health care really will increase the United States' average life expectancy is still up for debate. Certain variables can't be controled by merely puting health resources at an accessible rate for all citizens. Factors highlighted by the US Public Health Service include: lifestyle, environmental factors, and heredity (click here for more details). Although health care only accounts for 10% of the influential factors for life expectancy the US Public Health Service predicts that it, "-has the potential to help prevent close to 70 percent of preventable deaths through intervention measures." That leaves 30 percent of preventable deaths that could not be avoided with the aid of health care. Universal health care will be able to increase life expectancy to an extent by allowing citizens to access health care services when they need them. No more putting off a visit to the doctor until the pain has become unbearable, so patients will be more likely to discover health problems early on. This will contribute to increasing an individual's ability to take care of themselves if they choose to do so. There is atleast the option to seek care with a universal health care system. Whether or not citizens choose to take advantage of this resource is up to them. Monday, October 15, 2007
Universal Health Care: Paying for the Mistakes of Others
By increasing taxes and making budget cuts to provide health care for all citizens are Americans paying for the faults of others? In the blog "Universal Health Care: Yay or Nay?" the author brings up the idea that, "Yes, you do have a right to health care, just as you have a right to food, shelter and property. However, you have no "right" to force others to provide these things for you - All "free" medical care is paid for through taxes stolen from other people." If taxes are increased to fund a universal health care system will it be increased enough to surpass the current amount families spend on health care? Alan Sager and Deborah Socolar, from the Boston University School of Public Health, use data from Massachusetts to provide a small scale example of the difference in health care costs with and without the universal health care plan. The data that was collected shows that the current expense of health care is greater than the costs of the universal health care plan. Universal health care is able to provide an actual decrease in overall costs by reducing the market power of private insurance companies, decreasing the price of health expenses like prescriptions, nursing home care, in-home care, and other out-of-pocket costs, reducing the cost to employers of providing health care benefits, and universal health care reduces the reliance on government financed health aid services like Medicare and Medicaid as the price for insurance becomes more affordable. Presidential candidate John Edwards' plan for universal health care will enable the U.S. to have universal health care without instating overall higher taxes, more details are provided by Times writer John M. Broder. Universal health care doesn't mean that individual citizens will be paying for the unhealthy habits of one another; under Edwards' plan for example health care will be much the same with reduced costs that will make health care affordable for all rather than free for all.
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