Americans Die Younger Than Citizens

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.

Solution

We need to draft legislation to provide a health care coverage option for all Americans. This legislation will provide for government-run health care insurance for the entire country. The insurance industry and free market is failing the American people. Children should not be denied medical care because they were born to poor families. A government-run insurance option will allow for the same standard of care, but it will also allow the government to build in some cost controls. The agency in charge will not deny coverage to anybody. The legislation will simply replace the insurance companies with a government agency.

The advantages of such a solution are that it would provide health care for all Americans, not just those who can afford it. This will strengthen our economy, by making more Americans healthier, putting them back into the workforce. Corporations will pay a higher tax in order to help finance the system, but they will not need to offer coverage to their employees, which is one of the most significant human resources costs and competitive disadvantages faced by U.S. firms.

It is true that some may try to abuse the system, and that we may see reduced profits for pharmaceutical companies. However, drug companies already know how to make money in socialized medical systems, they will continue to do so in the U.S. As well. Most Americans are good, honest people. If some do abuse the system, most will not. It is better to meet the needs of good, honest Americans than to condemn them to shorter, less healthy lives simply to avoid giving benefit to a few abusers.

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.