New health-care paradigm needed
Published: July 1, 2009
Health care is on everyone’s mind, and with good reason. People who have it are seeing their premiums and co-pays go up at an alarming and unaffordable rate. People who cannot afford health insurance live every day with the fear that they are one illness or injury away from financial ruin.
I’m glad Congress is getting ready to do something about it now, because there’s no time to waste.
The U.S. Senate is creating a bill that will guarantee everyone has access to quality, affordable health care. It can’t happen fast enough.
In the past, people have been employed by a single company during their careers.
That is no longer the situation today. Many workers will be employed in a variety of different situations, with changing health-care offerings — if they are provided any at all — which makes the continuity of coverage very difficult.
Also, the status quo is not good enough, as costs are rising at a very rapid rate.
A modification in the way we do our health-care delivery is simply required.
Citizens need access to health care at a reasonable price, and quickly.
All of us need to join for the common good and create a system so that all our citizens can enjoy the benefits of knowing that an illness will not cause them financial problems and that they can be treated properly.
I hope that our senators, Mark Warner and Jim Webb, support a bill that allows everyone a choice of affordable, quality health care and that they make sure there is a strong public insurance option to reduce cost and increase competition.
Fred W. Hudson
Albemarle County
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Reader Reactions
Well said…antiboyd!!
I wish to disclose that from time to time I have had my letters published without full disclosure of my affiliations. Moreover, unless he is speaking in an official capacity, not as a private citizen, why must he disclose any such thing? Sounds very big brother-ish to me. Are you one of those “libs”, stormy? LOL
Could we at least get a disclosure from the Progress when the chair of the Albemarle County Democratic Committee gets a letter to the editor published? Not everyone who reads this might be aware of Mr. Hudson’s position as chair (http://www.albemarledems.org/organization/steeringcommittee.htm)
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Dear Fred,
For sure, there is a need for some things to change.
A disproportionate share of our health care expenditures goes toward the end stage of life, and a small proportion of the population. That raises some questions which I think a lot of folks do not want to answer, or face up to:
First, maintaining a reasonably healthy lifestyle. Eating decent food. Moderate excercise. Lay off excessive booze, smokes, or drugs. All doable. Doesn’t cost a darn cent, either. Imagine that.
Second, maybe we don’t need a pill for everything that bothers us. When I travel to Honduras to do a medical mission, you’d be amazed at how they do better on much less. I’m not into pain, but trust me, we’ve become a nation of wimps. (Or, back to point one, a nation of Wimppies.)
Third, we don’t need a test for everything. People seem to think a MRI or CT Scan is needed for every bump or bruise. Docs and hospitals play CYA to avoid lawsuits. So, seems to me, we—collectively—have to own up to abusing the torte system.
Fourth, we use ER’s like Fast-Food med centers. Ever hear of preventive medicine? An ongoing relationship with a PCP? We have a very large number of people accessing our most expensive, least effective point of entry to the system.
Fifth, what’s with Viagra under Medicare? Seriously, what is our willingness to say this is where the buck literally stops—at the second heart transplant, organ transplants at 80, three livers then you are out? Crack babies? It’s hard to play God, but as medicine advances, someone will have to set limits—who?
I’ve heard it said that we want next generation medicine at 1960 prices. That would be my final point. It is well and good to say that all people should be guaranteed access to quality, affordable health care. But, for that to happen, a lot of behavior will have to change. There are just not enough “rich people” to foot the bill.
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