"Time it was" of holidays, elections, and old hope. "Time it is" of new school boards, mayors, governors, legislators, representatives, senators, political alliances and Congress. It is also time for new hope and change — an epiphany in this coming year to help guide us and our representatives through our phobias to new imperatives and mandates in our quests for social equality and human rights. The season of hope does not have to be boxed, forgotten, and lost in our game of "Someone has to lose for someone else to win." This year we will address many issues and problems, not the least of which is healthcare to those who deserve it the most — that is, to all, not just some. It can be done. But first, we need to rid ourselves of the idea that universal healthcare, single payer healthcare is un-American; part of a "leftist" plot to destroy capitalism ... a phobia we continue to feed and nurture. Healthcare should be a public and human service, not a privatized commodity.
Glenn Ballard
Recent Gallup Polls from Oct. 6 and Oct. 20, revealed that:
• More than 44% of the country rates the US healthcare system as poor or failing.
• 72-78% of U.S. adults across all income groups assign it a grade of D or F.
• An estimated 70 million adults report that if they needed access to quality care today, they would not be able to afford it.
• 87% of US voters say a candidate's plan for cutting healthcare costs will influence their vote.
• 39% would even vote for the opposing party's candidate if lowering costs were a top priority.
Is U.S. healthcare really that costly and failing? Compared to our "peers" (meaning wealthier and developed nations), the U.S. healthcare costs are on average over twice as high, and the positive outcomes are generally only half as good — mathematically speaking, our system is only 1/4th as efficient and effective as our peer nations' systems (i.e., Switzerland, Germany, Netherlands,, Austria, Sweden, France, Belgium, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and Denmark). Of this group, the U.S. is the only country lacking universal healthcare/insurance coverage. During 2020, the U.S. spent $4.124 trillion on health care — $12,530 per capita. In 2021, the per capita costs in the U.S. were between $11,582 and $11,945 (depending on source — AMA or the international Commonwealth Fund). The average per capita healthcare expenditures of our peer nations were $5,736. N.B., Cuba's healthcare system, provides outcomes comparable to to the US at 1/8th the cost.
Why is health care so expensive in the U.S.?
• Multiple and competing systems create waste. In the U.S., at least 30% (up to 40%) of the costs are administrative and marketing efforts which have no positive health outcomes.
• Drug costs, mostly unregulated, are twice as high as others.
• Physicians and registered nurses earn much more.
• Hospitals are profit centers, not service centers.
• U.S. practices defensive medicine instead of preventive medicine.
• U.S. prices vary widely partly because we charge "what the market will bear.
• Our peer nations, and others, control costs by having governments with a stronger role in negotiating prices and can achieve lower drug, medical equipment, and hospital costs.
• There is a lack of political support and "will" to reduce costs in our balkanized system which tends to "follow the money."
The features of healthcare systems which obtain better, more cost effective, and more equitable outcomes are:
• They provide for universal coverage and remove cost barriers to access.
• They invest in primary care services to ensure high quality front-end care.
• They prioritize maternal services, pediatric services, midwife and nurse practitioner led care, and adequate parental leave.
• They invest in social services that increase access to nutrition, childcare, community safety, education, housing, transportation and worker benefits leading to a healthier population.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, our 4% of the global population experienced 16.5% of global COVID deaths. Of our 1,2 million Covid deaths, 338,000 were due to lack of health insurance. Currently in the U.S. there are 31.5 million people under the age of 65 who are uninsured(9%); 11% have a gap in coverage; and 23% are underinsured. Right now, in the U.S., the third leading cause of death for adults between the ages of 55-64, after heart disease and cancer, is lack of proper health insurance.
One more basic indicator of health, healthcare and health insurance coverage is life expectancy. All of our peer nations(wealthy, developed) have universal health coverage, at one-half the cost. All of our peer nations have longer life expectancies than the US, and generally rate in the top 20. The U.S. life expectancy currently rates at number 46. Why? International studies indicate it is because "... we do not have universal health insurance; we have financial barriers to care; we lack adequate primary care providers and services; we consume more calories; we abuse more drugs; and we shoot one another more often." It is not because of a lack of financial resources. If we can spend $4.1 trillion in one year, we can spend $2 trillion (1/2) ... we just have to rearrange the allocation and flow of funds, and increase the quality of outcomes.
Is our healthcare in a crisis? Is there an imperative for a mandate? Do we need the public and political will for change? Do we need action? Yes, to all the above.
Glenn Ballard, of Frankfort, has 40 years of experience in administration in the areas of mental health, health care and education. He is retired and "a repurposed citizen for commonwealth and country." He can be emailed at midvar1975@gmail.com.
First time visit to a doctor , or a visit to the ER ,no matter the pain you are experiencing, the very first 1/2 hour or longer is the “ Cha Ching “ $$$ sign up . They make sure the $$$ is their , first and foremost before treatment.
My wife recently suffered, for the first time , from the excruciating pain of kidney stones. Doubled over in pain ,she had to first “ prove “ that she could pay$$$$$$. It’s sickening that our health care system has come down to this .
She did get well taken care of - after the fact .
What if she had no ID or insurance ?
It’s all about the wealthiest, not about the poor. It’s inhumane . You’ll get humane treatment- if you got $$$$ or insurance, if you have it and can afford the greed and gouging.
Spot on, especially the defensive vs. preventative medicine part. Medicare for all - fix what's broke and come to the understanding that health care should never be about profit.
Totally agree with Glen. Having been throughout the Caribbean, hearing about the healthcare, many of those countries are better equipped to care for their residents and at lower costs. It's antiquated to believe our current "setup" benefits the greater good of the country, but until a massive shift in thought occurs, we're stuck with this - and wondering if and when something occurs that crushes the finances of the person(s) affected.
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First time visit to a doctor , or a visit to the ER ,no matter the pain you are experiencing, the very first 1/2 hour or longer is the “ Cha Ching “ $$$ sign up . They make sure the $$$ is their , first and foremost before treatment.
My wife recently suffered, for the first time , from the excruciating pain of kidney stones. Doubled over in pain ,she had to first “ prove “ that she could pay$$$$$$. It’s sickening that our health care system has come down to this .
She did get well taken care of - after the fact .
What if she had no ID or insurance ?
It’s all about the wealthiest, not about the poor. It’s inhumane . You’ll get humane treatment- if you got $$$$ or insurance, if you have it and can afford the greed and gouging.
Spot on, especially the defensive vs. preventative medicine part. Medicare for all - fix what's broke and come to the understanding that health care should never be about profit.
I agree with the truth Glen has said
Totally agree with Glen. Having been throughout the Caribbean, hearing about the healthcare, many of those countries are better equipped to care for their residents and at lower costs. It's antiquated to believe our current "setup" benefits the greater good of the country, but until a massive shift in thought occurs, we're stuck with this - and wondering if and when something occurs that crushes the finances of the person(s) affected.
Great effort sir.
Welcome to the discussion.
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State-Journal.com’s comments forum is for civil, constructive dialogue about news topics in our community, state, nation and world. We emphasize “civil” at a time when Americans, in the words of the current president, need to “turn down the temperature” of political debates. The State Journal will do its part by more carefully policing this forum. Here are some rules that all commenters must agree to follow:
Absolutely no attacks on other commenters, on guest columnists or on authors of letters to the editor. Our print and online opinion pages are sacred marketplaces of ideas where diverse viewpoints are welcome without fear of retribution. You may constructively critique the ideas and opinions of others, but name-calling, stereotyping and similar attacks are strictly prohibited.
Leeway will be given for criticism of elected officials and other public figures, but civility is essential. If you focus your criticism on ideas, opinions and viewpoints, you will be less likely to run afoul of our commenting rules.
Keep comments focused on the article or commentary in question. Don’t use an article about the Frankfort City Commission, for example, to rant about national politics.
Hyperpartisanship that suggests anyone on the other side of an issue or anyone in a particular particular party is evil is not welcome. If you believe that all Democrats are socialists intent on destroying America or that all Republicans are racists, there are lots of places on the internet for you to espouse those views. State-Journal.com is not one.
No sophomoric banter. This isn’t a third-grade classroom but rather a place for serious consumers of news to offer their reactions and opinions on news stories and published commentary.
No consumer complaints about individual businesses. If you’ve had a bad experience with a private business or organization, contact the Better Business Bureau or the government agency that regulates that business. If you believe the actions of a private business are newsworthy, contact us at news@state-journal.com and we will consider whether news coverage is merited.
Absolutely no jokes or comments about a person’s physical appearance.
No promotion of commercial goods or services. Our outstanding staff of marketing consultants stands ready to help businesses with effective advertising solutions.
If you state facts that have not been previously reported by The State Journal, be sure to include the source of your information.
No attacks on State Journal staff members or contributing writers. We welcome questions about, and criticism of, our news stories and commentary but not of the writers who work tirelessly to keep their community informed. Corrections of inaccurate information in news stories should be sent to news@state-journal.com rather than posted in the comments section.