Healthlink on Air (03/23/08)

... from the Every Patient's Advocate Tip of the Week...

I was floored – actually STUNNED – at comments made by friends I thought were much better informed than they are.  But later, as I thought about it, I realized that they probably represent many others.  So I thought I’d share the conversation with you.

Matt is a friend who is retired from the military, and now works for the federal government.  When the subject of healthcare reform came up he told us that he really didn’t care much about the subject.  He has good healthcare for himself, and he believes that anyone who wants or needs health insurance could get it if they REALLY wanted to.

I almost fell off my chair.  Since Matt has insurance that is subsidized by the government, he has no grasp of what healthcare really costs – for insurance or deductibles or paid from one’s pocket.  He lives inside the bubble in Washington DC where most people are just like him – they really don’t get how expensive health insurance and care are for the rest of us. 

Now let me point out that this was not a political discussion about universal healthcare versus private insurance. This was a discussion of who gets care, who doesn't, who can afford care, and who is paying for all those who don't. The answer is -- we all pay.

So I shared a few statistics with Matt which I’ll share with you now – things he had not realized:

• 80 percent of people who are uninsured are working -- some of them more than one job. But they still cannot afford health insurance.
• Each year our health insurance premiums rise at a faster rate than our paychecks do. At this pace, insurance will eventually become unaffordable for most of us.  Think about it – how much did your premium go up as compared to any raise you may have gotten last year?  We can’t keep up.
• As the numbers of uninsured rise, so do the premiums for the rest of us. In fact, the federal government’s own statistics tell us that on average, OUR premiums are $922 higher this year than is necessary for our own healthcare -- because we are covering those who are uninsured, too.
• According to the Institute of Medicine, as more and more people drop out of the insurance rosters because of cost, more and more people are dying prematurely, not because they are sicker, but because they can’t afford the care they need to get well.

I raise this issue today simply to make you aware how the healthcare crisis, and needed reforms, affect us all – not just those who can’t afford insurance – but everyone.  It affects the care we are receiving and it affects the costs for all of us. 

I’m not telling you that there are any simple answers either – again – this is not a question of universal or private health insurance.  It’s simply a call to awareness.

As this year’s campaign season continues, and as you listen to the candidates talk about their plans for healthcare, please don’t dismiss the conversation because you think it doesn’t apply to you.  Sit up, take notice, and form your opinions.

The health of our entire nation rests on your interest and involvement. And yes, even Matt is looking at the question more closely now.

Here are some resources to help you decide for yourself:

• Families USA, the Voice for Healthcare Consumers

• VA Joe:  The Candidate Calculator for the 2008 Election

• Side-by-Side Summaries of '08 Candidate Health Care Proposals

• PresidentialRX: What Matters for YOU in Health Care Today

Are you interested in more resources?  As resources are added, we will notify subscribers to the Every Patient's Advocate email list.
Link here to add your name to the list.

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Trisha Torrey is Every Patient’s Advocate^TM.
She offers no medical advice, but empowers those who
want to learn more about diagnosis and treatment options by
providing useful tools and resources.