Can Health Care Be Fixed

Thirteen years ago Bill Clinton became president partly because he promised to do something about rising health care costs. Although Clinton's chances of reforming the US health care system looked quite good at first, the effort soon ran aground. Due to other politicians unwillingness to participate and the focus first on getting rich and then terrorism, kept health at the bottom of the agenda. As a result, medical costs are continuing to rise.
The presidential candidates all talk about what they are going to do about health care. Are they going to be able to fix it, or is the minds of other politicians and lobbyist still consumed with terrorism and other trivial concerns?

Paul Krugman and Robin Wells stated in their book: The Health Care Crisis and What to Do About It “The bad news is that Washington currently seems incapable of accepting what the evidence on health care says. In particular, the Bush administration is under the influence of both industry lobbyists, especially those representing the drug companies, and a free-market ideology that is wholly inappropriate to health care issues. As a result, it seems determined to pursue policies that will increase the fragmentation of our system and swell the ranks of the uninsured.”

Drug Companies and Free-Market? What is free market? Everyone knows that the industry is on welfare. Dr. Marcia Angell, in an article, The Truth About Drug Companies, argues that the top U.S. drug makers spend 2.5 times as much on marketing and administration as they do on research.

I can continue to quote health care providers and pharmaceutical companies all day, but what will that do to help solve the escalating cost of prescription drugs and health care totally? I’m sure not much. All Americans have a right to quality, affordable health care. However, our current health care system does not work for everybody. Too many are uninsured and the costs are becoming an even larger problem to more and more every day. Who is responsible, the president, health care providers, lobbyists, you, me, whomever, it’s time to improve health care NOW. Families need to be insured to prevent disasters when needed and to promote prevention as the best cure. Everyone has a right to overall quality health care. I think it’s a God-given right!

A Personal Story: I was getting a prescription filled one day and paid a nominal fee because I used my discount card. I was very pleased about the discount. But not everyone get the same results. There was a very distinguished looking elderly lady attempting to have a prescription filled as well. She presented several cards, Medicare, Medicaid, and another card that I didn’t recognize, with much despair as the pharmacist continued to tell her that they are not accepted. I tried to say some words of comfort to her; however, she was too distort to listen. I also gave her my card and asked her to call me. I told her that I may be able to help. I never heard from her.

Can we even begin to imagine how many people are met with this same challenge everyday? We see the commercial on television about the elderly worrying if they are going to eat or pay for their medicine. This is not just advertisement, its reality. Enough is enough already! We, ordinary people like you and me are going to have to bring about change. We have to let our voices be heard, we have to fight for what’s right and for the health care of our citizens. We have to take a stance for those who can’t – our elderly and our children!

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