Government health insurance

Ignoring 46 million struggling people is no longer an acceptable practice.

The problem of health insurance has been largely ignored for the past decade. It has begun to spiral out of control. As a country, the United States spends more on health care than any other country. Yet America ranks among the lowest of industrialized nations, according to a 2007 report by the Commonwealth Fund.

The question is, what can the country do to fix this problem?

I asked this question to Barbara Walker, a health psychologist and professor in the psychology department. One solution she suggested was a single-payer system. This involves everyone in the country paying a fee to a government insurance agency. This agency would provide universal health insurance regardless of income.

The issue with the single-payer system is it socializes the private insurance companies that currently exist. Insurance and pharmaceutical companies are some of the biggest and strongest lobbying groups in Congress. They would use their influence to ensure their wallets are not at risk.

The best solution Walker and I found is similar to the system being proposed by President Obama. The U.S. government would establish an insurance company. The goal would be that people who have no choice in health insurance would be provided one.

This creates competition in the insurance market, in which the private insurance companies would no longer have a stranglehold. Eventually insurance companies would be forced to come down on their deductibles and premiums. It is capitalism at its finest.

The major issue with this program is how it will be funded. The answer will eventually mean an increase in taxes. The idea of increasing taxes has always lit a fire under me in the past; however, in this instance, I support it.

People who do not have health insurance are required to be cared for by a hospital when they get sick. Because these people do not have the funds to pay for their care, the bill gets stuck to the hospital. The hospitals in turn put the bill on the insurance companies, who charge their carriers more. In essence, if you have health insurance now, you are already paying for uninsured patrons.

Another key point is that these uninsured people wait until they must be admitted to the emergency room until they receive treatment. By waiting until they need highly specialized treatment, the cost of their treatment skyrockets. If these uninsured people knew that they could go to the doctor, they could receive primary treatment that costs thousands less.

If that doesn’t convince you, let me remind you of our own approaching predicament. With the economy in the Great Recession; many of us will graduate without a job. Who is going to provide for your health care when you graduate?

If Obama hasn’t been successful in reforming health care, then let’s hope we don’t get sick. It’ll be a dangerous game of Russian roulette.