Health Care Reform – Powerful Repercussions Could Happen

When I hear about all the possible health care changes and problems with Medicare I worry about your health. Healthcare in the United States has become a business in that hospitals and doctors have to cut costs and bill $10.00 for an Aspirin. Somewhere along the line the medical system has forgotten about the patients that it serves. Financial staff is making decisions that have nothing to do with good health care.

The US spends more for our health care than other nations in the world. Politicians, legislators are looking to make changes in our health care system. Will we benefit from these changes? Let’s look at some of the issues:

1. Every person in the US, except for illegal immigrants, would be required to have health care insurance.

2. Employers who have more than $500,000 in payroll would have to offer health insurance to their full time employees, or pay a tax.

3. Our government would be setting guidelines as to benefits for physician visits, hospital care and treatments and medication coverage. Insurance companies would have to offer different tiers of insurance for all people and our government would regulate the sales of insurance.

The first 2 issues seem to make sense for us. Obviously everyone in the US should have health insurance benefits and if an employer has a $500,000 payroll they should be providing health care insurance as a benefit to employees. But when we get to the third issue it gets a little more complex.

There has been some discussion recently about a government public health plan that would offer some basic health services. On the pro side it would provide health benefits for the lower income people. However on the negative side it could drive up the costs of health care insurance resulting eventually in a government run health care system. Do we want our government running our health care?

This topic opens up a Pandora’s Box of emerging and less than optimum health care issues. In the long run, each one of us needs to take care of our health and be in charge of our health care.