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Health Care Reform

© Hunter

Everyone knows and agrees that health care reform is needed, but no one is brave enough to take the first step. Look what happened to Hilary when she tried.

The health care industry is big business and everyone is protecting their own turf. The reasons as I see them for the crisis in health care is first of all, the cost of health care is out of control and growing faster than the rate of inflation.

Most people find that the growing cost of medical insurance is no longer affordable. It used to only be of concern to lower income people, but now it is a concern of not only the middle income people, but to employers as well.

Health care is breaking the budgets of families, businesses and state governments.

Another is that rural areas are losing their hospitals and physicians to the larger metropolitan areas.

There is no quick fix, but there are a few principles that could be incorporated into our health care initiatives that may help us reach our goals.

1. A committment to cost containment.

2. Freedom of choice for consumers in their services.

3. The common good should be given the priority when trying to resolve differences between providers, government, consumers and insurance companies.

4. An emphasis on a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention.

5. Accessibility to health care for all.

6. Most importantly accessibility for pregnant women and children.

7. Commitment to reform through an incentive program of some kind.

8. and more!

Establishing a consensus around these and other principles will help States and the United States attain the goals set forth.

Many years of Congressional and Presidential activity have not shown any changes coming forth. Therefore, I believe that the States are going to have to do in part what the country can not seem to do as a whole and that is to come up with a solution for the goals of access, quality and affordable costs.

As taken from Facts: "Health care costs and consequences to children and pregnant women, general health care cost comparisons, poverty levels of 1992, from LEAVE NO CHILD BEHIND, Children's Defense Fund, 1991.:

Here are a few United States Facts:

FACT: 40,000 babies died before one year of age (10 in every 1,000) in 1989.

FACT: In the 1970's the proportion of mothers receiving late or no prenatal care improved by 3.5% every year. In contrast, the figure worsened by 2.5% annually during the 1980's.

FACT: In 1988, nearly 25% of American infants were born at low birth-weight, which places them at greater risk of death or disability. This proportion was higher in 1988 than in 1980.