Health Care Crisis

There is a crisis in our health care system today.  Over 47 million people nationwide do not have health care insurance.  But then for those who do have insurance, is that the answer?  Probably not.  There are many, many cases where people who have insurance have been shocked to find out that a procedure they thought was covered by their insurance is not.  Then, there are those who find out they have a critical illness and are cancelled by their insurance company.  This costs the “beneficiary” thousands of dollars they believed they would never have to pay.

There is also the cost of health insurance involved.  Oftentimes healthcare is paid for completely or in part by an employer.  So, the insurance benefits are tied to the job.  What happens when the employee leaves?  There are some who stay at jobs where they are miserable because they believe they need the insurance.  For those who are self-employed, health care insurance is one of their major costs – if they have it at all.  For many the cost is too exorbitant and they go without.

On a recent episode of 20/20 the health care crisis was addressed.  The interviewer spoke with a doctor who said he does not accept any insurance claims.  He has even gone so far as to make up his own brochure that lists the costs of several routine procedures.  A patient who had no insurance said she had shopped around until she found a provider who was not only what she considered a good doctor, but who had fair prices. 

Doctors like those mentioned in the 20/20 interview are few and far between.  A way to gain access to many health and dental providers that also will provide care for the patient without the use of health insurance is through an AmeriPlan(T) membership.  This is consumer driven health care where no insurance company can dictate to the patient.  The patient has control over how and when they are to receive care without concern of being cancelled due to a serious illness.

Some in our nation believe health care run by the by the government is the answer.  In the 20/20 episode, socialized medicine was looked at in Canada.  Though there is no cost to the patient, there are long waits for doctor visits - oftentimes months, and difficulties finding a bed in a hospital when there is a need for emergency care. The episode showed a many on a gurney in a hospital hallway who had just suffered a heart attack.  There was no rooms available and no other hospital nearby to send him to.  A Canadian citizen who needed heart surgery, couldn’t get care soon enough through her own system.  She said she traveled to the United States to gain the care she needed.  Though she had to pay for it, she said it was worth it because it saved her life. She indicated had she waited to be seen in her own country, she believed she would not have been alive to do the interview.

Though humans have to wait, a veterinary doctor in Canada said animals often get in the same or next day for care.  She indicated some of the pet owners told her they would like to come to her when they had need for health care.  Though animals are like family members to those who love them, it seems strange they receive faster and sometimes better care than their human owners.

Some Americans are outsourcing their medical needs by traveling to other countries such as India and Thailand.  They are saying the cost for care including the travel is much less expensive than what they would pay in the United States for the same procedure. Risks come with this outsourcing.  Granted negligent care or medical errors can happen anywhere, it can be very difficult to have any recourse in a foreign country.

We are a nation that continues to fight to remain free, yet many of our citizens do not believe they have the freedom to access the quality health care they deserve.  Consumer driven health care is an answer. Don’t you think it’s worth taking a look?

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