The broken American health care system and the uninsured crisis

Americans die younger than citizens of other Western nations. They have higher rates of infant mortality, lower rates of immunization against disease, and they spent more money on health care than do the people in other developed nations (Gladwell, 2005). Yet, many of us believe that we have the best health care system in the world. For fifty million of our neighbors, access to that system is impossible. Which leaves them with what? When accident or disease strikes, it leaves them unable to look after their own health.

The health care system in the United States is broken (Pawlenty, 2009). While it meets the needs of many, it also fails to provide the most basic care for millions of hard-working Americans. The current health care system is structured in such a manner that people are dying younger and living less comfortably than should be the case in a Western nation. I will show that we need to overhaul the health care system in order to provide care for the millions of Americans that are currently unable to receive even the most basic treatment. I will show that the current system does not function as efficiently or effectively as medical systems in other parts of the developed world. I will then propose my own solution to the crisis in the American health care system.

Of the many problems facing the health care system in the United States is the amount of uninsured Americans. There are an estimated 45.7 million Americans without health insurance. While some are the ultra-wealthy, who can afford health care outside of the insurance system, most of these individuals are not wealthy and without insurance cannot afford to meet the basic health needs for themselves and their families. There are 8.1 million children without health insurance (DeNoon, 2008). As a result of this, infant mortality rates are higher, life expectancies lower and the rate of immunizations is lower than for other nations in the developed world.

The uninsured population exists largely due to systemic resistance to change in the current system. The beneficiaries of the system -- insurance companies, drug companies, medical providers -- spend millions to protect their investments (Seabrook & Overby, 2009). As result of this influence, there is considerable resistance in Washington to any effort to increase the effectiveness of the health care system, such that the current measures seem likely to fail (Detroit Free Press, 2009). Thus, not only is the current system not meeting the needs of Americans, but it is almost impossible to make significant changes to the system.

As further evidence of why the system is failing, consider that while Americans receive less health care than in other Western nations, they also pay more for it. Americans spend more for prescription drugs, at $848 per year per person, than any other Western nation (Canada is #2 at $691) (Spencer, 2009). Total health care expenditures in the U.S. account for 17% of the GDP, a figure that is expected to rise to 20% in the next decade. In Canada, health care spending is just 10.6% of the GDP (Lawand & Hollingsworth, 2007). For the extra spending, Americans should be living longer, healthier lives, but they are not.

Meeting Objections

Proponents of the current health care system point to the high level of care that is available in the United States. While it is true that many of the world's best and most innovative hospitals are American, the high end of health care is not at issue. Without access to health care, America's uninsured do not have access to this high level of care. Care is only good if you can afford to receive it. If you cannot pay, then it does not matter how high the standard of care is.

The current system meets a lot of our needs as a country and we should be proud of our accomplishments. However, the system does not work as well as it could, and it does not meet the needs of one in six Americans. Moreover, we do not need to reorganize the entire health care system in order to solve this problem. Ensuring that our neighbors and fellow Americans have access to health care does not remove the profit motive from our system, it does not reduce the ability of our health care providers, drug companies to compete.

Call to Action

There is substantial resistance to change in the health care system. Some of this is understandable but many of the objections are irrational, not fact-based. It is important that we, as a people, become educated on the issue. Learn the facts, not the emotional appeals. It is only when Americans understand how much they are being ripped off by the current system that the momentum will exist to make changes. Put yourself in the shoes of someone without insurance, and then imagine being diagnosed with a dread disease. Think about dying young simply because you could not afford insurance. The only way we can change is to educate ourselves and discuss the issue openly and honestly. When you have the facts, make sure that your representative in Washington knows how you feel. Act in the best interests of all Americans.

Works Cited:

Gladwell, Malcolm. (2005). The Moral Hazard Myth. The New Yorker. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/08/29/050829fa_fact

DeNoon, Daniel J. (2008). 45.7 Million in U.S. lack Health Insurance. WebMD. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www.webmd.com/medicare/news/20080826/45-point-7-million-in-us-lack-health-insurance

Seabrook, Andrea & Overby, Peter. (2009). Drug Firms Pour $40 million into Health Care Debate. NPR. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106899074&ps=cprs

No author. (2009). Health Care Bill Seems to be Headed for Holiday. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www.freep.com/article/20090729/NEWS15/907290335/Health-care-bill-seems-to-be-headed-for-a-holiday

Spencer, Christina. (2009). Canada Ranks Second in Drug Spending. Sun Media. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1649084

Lawand, Christina & Hollingsworth, Leona. (2007). Health care Spending to reach $160 billion this year. Canadian Institute for Health Information. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/dispPage.jsp?cw_page=media_13nov2007_e

Pawlenty, Tim. (2009). Current Health Care Plan not Reform, Builds upon Broken System. Fox News. Retrieved July 29, 2009 from http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,535243,00.html