Have a heart!
The subject of healthcare in the US has been one of the hot topics since Pres Obama came to office and a discussion in the expat forum lounge offers a perfect insight into the pros and cons of the US system as well as the various parties who have a vested interest in ensuring the current system remains as it is. So what exactly is going on in the American healthcare market?
Medicaid
Medicaid is the US healthcare program which is specifically targeted at individuals and families on low incomes and with few resources. As you may have guessed, it is a means tested program which is funded by the state and federal governments and managed on an individual state-by-state basis. Despite the fact that the program itself is targeted at “poor Americans” it is believed that 60% of those on low incomes, and unable to afford private healthcare insurance, are not actually covered by the Medicaid system.
However, when you appreciate that the largest medicine and health related funding in US comes through the Medicaid system it is easy to see why many parties may well have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo with nursing homes care a particularly lucrative area for private nursing home companies.
What is socialised medicine?
In simple terms socialised medicine can be broadly compared to the UK NHS system whereby all members of the population contribute to a central pot which is then allocated to the various NHS trusts who are then legally obliged to offer services and facilities to the public. However, many people have used the UK NHS system, where there are enormous differences in both funding issues and those who are eligible for treatment, as a reason not to look at socialised medicine in the US – something which has caused controversy in both the US and the UK!
The NHS will not turn away any patient although if you do not have medical insurance in the US and are not covered by the Medicaid scheme then you may need to take advantage of the emergency services in the event of a serious illness or accident.
Healthcare bankruptcies in America
The very fact that many people in the US have no health insurance cover whatsoever has over the years led to a massive number of healthcare related bankruptcies where people have literally been dragged through the courts to pay for treatment which may well have saved their lives. No other country in the world has the same level of healthcare related bankruptcies as the US and indeed this is not even on the radar in countries such as the UK.
We hear regular stories of overseas visitors in America landing with no insurance or healthcare provisions, being refused treatment or being made to sign various legally binding agreements before treatment can be administered.
Pres Obama and his healthcare reforms
Since coming to office Pres Obama has made healthcare, for all, one of his major issues and major policies. He is looking to introduce a system which would reduce funding for Medicaid while at the same time expanding “free healthcare” to the masses. It is believed that the cost of such a system would be around $1 trillion over the next decade, a figure which has prompted criticism from some areas of the US political scene and demonstrations from many anti-Obama voters.
There has been misrepresentation and misinformation introduced to the press in a cynical attempt to derail the move to “socialised medicine” although many believe that ultimately Pres Obama will be successful, although whether he will need to water down his demands remains to be seen. At a time when more and more US citizens are in favour of the president’s proposed change in policy it seems that those on the right of the political scene have their own agendas.
Vested interests
Not only would the proposed president Obama system reduce funding for Medicaid but also, in common with the UK system, introduced various caps on medical treatment, medical services and ultimately medical costs. This has obviously grabbed the attention of many pharmaceutical groups, private healthcare companies, insurance companies and other related businesses who are now concerned that their funding will be reduced and their profitability will come under pressure.
The very fact that 47 million people in the US are without healthcare insurance, and ultimately have no access to healthcare services, is nothing short of a scandal in its own right. Indeed many insurance companies have introduced very tight and very restrictive small print into their various policies which are seeing many people, under the assumption they were covered by their insurance policy, hit with significant medical bills after the event.
So who will pay for the proposed American healthcare system?
As you might expect, Pres Obama and his supporters have targeted the rich who will not only be asked to contribute more funding via the taxation system but will also have various tax exemptions removed from their grasp. This has obviously not gone down well with those on the right of the political scene, business people and the super-rich in America.
There is also a feeling that the current US healthcare system has wasted enormous amounts of money over the years and indeed cost savings and improved procedures could be instigated to attack this particular problem.
Will Pres Obama win the fight?
While Pres Obama seems more than willing to take this particular issue all the way and press for significant changes in the US healthcare system, many believe he will need to water down some points and fundraising issues to push it through the political system. However, if nothing else the proposed changes to the healthcare system in America have highlighted the fact that many people are uncovered and many people have been effectively left high and dry by the authorities over the years.
It seems unlikely that the proposed changes will move on to the statute book in the short term, but it also seems unlikely that the current government will drop the push for change, leading to a significant and potentially bloody battle over the next few months and possibly next couple of years.
Related posts:
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Healthcare in the United States of America is the best in the world. It is free enterprise and the inherent freedom of each individual person to achieve and excell that has afforded American citizens the incredible standard of healthcare that we enjoy. The United States of America began as an idea in the minds of our forefathers. The men and women who began our great Nation were radicals and revolutionaries. Our forefathers fought against the tyranny of the U.K. and other European Kingdoms who wantonly suppressed individual freedom, justice and liberty. The United States was founded on love, law and self determination. The United States of America honors the rights of men and women to create their own destinies according to their own beliefs and free will within liberty and justice under God. The United States of America is not Europe or any other Country. The United States of America is its’ own unique creation. The creation of the United States of America by our forefathers has grown into the greatest Country the world has ever known. Freedom, Liberty, and Justice have proven to allow mankind to flourish. Here is a list of social systems that have proven flawed and failed: communism, socialism, marxism, facism and dictatorships of all forms. The United States Government has failed at its management of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, the Post Office, and many other government run programs that burn through hard earned tax payer dollars. To change the fundamental foundations of the United States of America by increasing big government, will thwart self determination, free enterprise and the personal gumption and self esteem of the individual person. This is our United States of America and it belongs to the People and not the government. Government is for the People, of the People, and by the People. The bigger government becomes, the less freedom the people have. Think of a parent child relationship. The people of the United States of America want to be self determined adults and not the whipping child of big government. I’m writing about the kind of government system that the People of the United States of America have created and lovingly desire to keep. All revolutionaries who read this, stand with me and keep America great for our children and their children. Take up the Flag of the United States of America and fight with me for our freedom and liberty with justice under God. Long live Liberty!