Laura Bond, Reporter
09-17-2009
A man lies curled up in bed suffering from unbearable pain. A woman who is resuscitated refuses to get into an ambulance. Why? Because neither has health insurance.
Almost 20,000 people die every year because they lack health insurance, according to Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen Health Research Group.
In the last few weeks, I’ve seen a lot written and heard a lot said about our health care system. Proposals are floating around in Washington, D.C., about how to change the status quo so more people have health insurance.
Almost 50 million people in this country lack health insurance coverage. I know at least 10 local residents who, although they work full time, lack health insurance because their employers do not offer a plan and no affordable outside plan is available.
Even those who have health insurance discover their financial security is far from secure once they develop serious ailments. According to a Harvard Medical School study cited by CNN, 62 percent of bankruptcies in 2007 were related to medical bills or illness. Most of these people were middle-class, well-educated homeowners.
The study also shows that 75 percent of those persons with medical-related bankruptcies had health insurance.
According to lead study author Steffie Woolhandler, M.D., “Unless you’re a Warren Buffett or Bill Gates, you’re one illness away from financial ruin in this country.”
She adds, “If an illness is long enough and expensive enough, private insurance offers very little protection against medical bankruptcy.”
Even here in Lincoln Parish, it’s not unusual to see plate lunch sales, concerts and other fundraisers to help cover medical costs for a resident who has fallen ill.
No matter how hard people work, one bad spell can still bring financial devastation to them and their families.
This country needs some type of major health care reform. Several health care reform bills are now circulating in the U.S. Congress. On Wednesday, an Associated Press story unveiled details of a health care bill authored by Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.
The bill includes the following provisions:
• Coverage could not be denied on the basis of a pre-existing health problem.
• Health care plans would be required to cover prenatal care and pregnancy.
• People 25 and under would have the option of buying a lower-cost plan, which would cover mainly preventive care and catastrophic medical costs.
• Medicare recipients would get a free annual wellness visit to their doctor.
• Seniors who fall into the “doughnut hole” coverage gap in Medicare prescription drug benefits would receive a 50 percent discount on medications.
This health care proposal is one of several. Each one has its pros and cons.
Before you dismiss the idea of health care reform, remember those who have suffered physically or financially because of the problems in our current system.
Other Top Stories
