Health Care Reform is Not the Answer!
by Vin Miller
As promised, president Obama has been focused on making major changes to our broken health care system. Despite the volatile mix of passionate support and heated opposition that it’s inspired, both sides are completely neglecting the most important issue.
There’s no doubt that health insurance is important. We all want the comfort of knowing that we can rely on quality health care during times of need without incurring a lifetime of debt. Unfortunately, the rapidly growing cost of health care has risen out of reach for many people, and as a result, has created a significant challenge for the US government that is likely to affect us all.
Why Health Care is Expensive
Heart disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, and diabetes, which are preventable in many cases, are just a few of the health problems that have become quite common and are leading to significant medical costs. A single patient could easily incur tens of thousands of dollars in direct medical expenses for some of these conditions.
According to the American Cancer Society, the direct medical costs for cancer treatment in 2008 totaled to more than $90 billion, and according to the American Heart Association, direct medical expenses in 2008 for treatment of heart disease totaled to just over $170 billion. This is what your expensive health care premiums are paying for each month.
Why Should I Have to Pay?
Part of Obama’s proposed health care reform will prevent health insurance companies from denying coverage to anyone who’s willing and able to pay. However, to offset the added cost that insurance companies will incur as a result, everyone who can afford to will be required to have health insurance. In other words, if you don’t want to contribute to paying the inevitable medical expenses incurred by people who live unhealthy lives with reckless abandon, tough luck!
Don’t get me wrong, I care very much about the welfare of others, but that doesn’t mean I should be forced to help pay their medical bills. I appreciate the fact that some tragic health conditions are unavoidable, but this isn’t always the case. Many of today’s most common and expensive health problems, including heart disease and cancer, are closely associated with lifestyle and are often preventable. As such, why should people who are conscientious about their health be held accountable for those who aren’t?
A Lesson from the Past
According to statistics from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the death rate from heart disease increased 53% between 1900 and 2006. This increase represents 35% of the total cost of heart disease care in 2008 which amounts to just over $100 billion. Based on mortality data from Vitality Statistics of the United States reports, the death rate from cancer increased by 195% between 1900 and 2005. This increase represents 66% of the total cost of cancer treatment in 2008 which amounts to more than $60 billion.
If we could reduce the rates of cancer and heart disease to what they were in 1900, it could save $160 billion per year, and that doesn’t even include the many other preventable diseases that are common today. Instead, the government wants to force insurance companies and wealthy tax payers to compensate for the high health care costs caused by a national epidemic of unhealthy habits. Although I don’t belong to either of these groups, I still think this is the wrong approach.
Why Health Care Reform is Not the Answer
More people need to wake up to the fact that many of today’s health problems are preventable and that prevention means much more than early testing.
Think about what has changed since 1900. We eat much more processed food and much less whole food, we’re regularly exposed to thousands of chemicals that didn’t even exist back then, we’re much more busy and stressed, we get much less sleep, and we’ve developed an unhealthy fear of sun exposure. Each of these factors contribute to the development of poor health and disease, but we have complete control over every single one of them. Based on how significantly our lifestyle habits have changed over the past century, it should be no surprise that we have an epidemic of poor health, and in turn, significant health care problems. However, trying to fix health care without fixing the causes of poor health is not an effective solution.
If the government is going to impose health care requirements on us and increase the amount of tax money spent, I’d much rather see these resources invested into education. Simply convincing people to eat more traditional whole foods and fewer processed foods would be an excellent start and could make a significant difference. Instead, we’ll most likely have to continue paying high health care premiums and continue listening to the politicians battle needlessly about secondary issues.
If you’d like more information, here’s a convenient overview of health care reform from the N.Y. Times.
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Why indeed Vin! The government food pyramid is to a significant degree implicated in the problem. The more government controls health care the scarcer it will become. I shouldn’t have to pay through taxes for the complete abdication of responsibility of other people in regards to health. We need to go back to a more pay per service model.
Right on the money, Vin.
Vin, I completely agree with you. It’s so frustrating to see all this left vs right crap in our government, when more money and time should be spent to help make healhty food cheaper and allow easier access for consumers at all levels to obtain them. If produce and lean meat was cheaper and easier to get than crackers and cookies I think we’d all be a lot better off.
I agree, Vin. Personal accountability and responsibility is key, but when food companies are producing dangerous products and the media is advertising them to people who are too lazy to get an education about the science of food, it seems like a lost cause. Then the drug companies step in and “save them” only to put them on more and more pharmaceuticals. So the health costs go up and up.
Even if people got smarter about their health, I’m sure the drug companies would never let their profits fail. The junk food and junk drugs would come up with some sly way to reach the masses.
I couldn’t have said it better myself!
It’s very sad that so many think expensive tests to detect = prevention. Our society as a whole would rather spend big bucks on detection and treatment rather than take responsibility and change lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, etc.
Great article, Vin! This subject is something I am very riled up about, and I’m outraged that really nothing at all is being provisioned for nor discussed in health care reform regarding education and resources about prevention as a base for lowering our health care costs and rate of disease. I’ve written several letters already to the White House, signed numerous petitions, and wrote articles on my own site about this issue, and it seems like only a few people really understand the importance of education about prevention and providing coverage and incentives for citizens to have access to these important items. Here is the article I wrote in April.
I would urge everyone to contact your local representatives and legislature, as well as send a letter to the White House about this issue. The more people who stand up and speak out, the more our decision makers will realize we won’t take no for an answer and don’t approve of a health care reform geared toward throwing more money at the same system which hasn’t worked in the past and making those of us who are responsible and preventative-minded pay for the system which has caused the vast majority of our population view health reactively.
I feel this is another example of the symptom-chasing mentality, because the reform is not based on health and education, the root cause, as you said and on naturalnews.com (but did not fully read it). They simply come up with invalid excuses and undertakings.
It feels very inexpressible on how much of a problem it has become. It is better that some important petitions should be open around the world, instead of just in the US, because I feel it can increase the impact (gives a world view). I’m a Filipino citizen living in Malaysia.
Thank you all for your encouraging comments!
Stephen – Yes, the food pyramid is absolutely part of the problem. It’s based far too much on grain and dairy based foods, and for most people, recommends too much carbohydrate. Unfortunately, due to the influence of processed food manufacturers, it’s unlikely that this will change any time soon.
Eric – Thank you!
April – I completely agree as do many others. Processed food is so cheap because the government subsidizes crops like corn, wheat, and soy which often contribute to health issues, especially in their processed forms. Perhaps it would still be unaffordable for some people, but it would make much more sense in my opinion to subsidize the foods that promote good health.
Sharona – Yes, the food industry and drug industry are powerful forces that unfortunately thrive on people who are poor, uninformed, and unhealthy. It does seem like a lost cause at times, but if we don’t continue trying to spread awareness, it will never change.
meatlessmama – Very sad indeed! During the presidential debates, I was excited about President Obama’s talk about preventative health care. However, as he continued to talk, it became pretty clear that his definition of prevention is much different than mine. It was a disappointment to say the least.
Raine – Thank you for sharing your letter. Reactive is a good way to describe the modern approach to health. I agree that it would be great for insurance companies to make alternative care more accessible. I could be mistaken, but I remember President Obama being supportive of alternative care which at least gives us some hope. Some insurance companies are already recognizing the demand for alternative care and are making adjustments. For example, MVP offers a plan called TriVantage which doesn’t require referrals, covers massage and acupuncture, and even has a program that reimburses you for certain exercise related expenses. I don’t know the specifics about the plan, but it sounds like a positive step in a much better direction.
Hi ægil, sorry I missed your comment. It was being held captive by my spam filter.
I completely agree, this is exactly like the symptom chasing mentality of conventional medicine. High health care costs are a symptom of our high rates of disease and poor health which, in turn, are symptoms of the unhealthy lifestyles that many Americans are living. Just as modern medicine often overlooks lifestyle habits as a cause of poor health, the government is overlooking it as a cause of our health care crisis. As usual, the proposed solution is to simply throw more money at it. Like prescription medication, this may provide temporary relief, but will allow the real problem to persist and progress.
Thanks for posting Vin. I agree 100%.
Vin, I like your ideas, but I must respectfully disagree with you because of a few issues i feel have been overlooked.
Let me first start by saying i am a strong advocate for healthy living. I am a tri-athlete and very much believe in preventative diet and exercise. i also dont take a single perscription medication and have yet to spend a night in a hospital. so to me your artical makes alot of sense.
where i disagree is to your response to the question “why should i have to pay?” I agree that it does seem unfair for the healthy to help carry the burden of the unhealthy, unfortunately there are many “expensive” diseases, such as prostate or breast cancer, that commonly strike the “healthy.”
we are being taxed in the form of insurance premiums already, the difference is who we are paying. we pay the middle man (evil insurance) who is being price-gouged by health care providers because of the way they notoriously, fail to cover those who are supposed to be insured. if this is the case why do we need the middle man? should i get cancer and the insurance fails to cover me, i become a welfare case anyway. however i become a welfare case at the currrent price gouging price, caused by insurance companies. if we were to eliminate the need for this price battle by reforming the system, my “welfare case” price tag would be much reduced.
Secondly, one of the largest contributers to the economic downturn in this country was the collapse of the housing industry. The leading cause of bankruptcy in this country, medical bills…
anyway, i could go on about how we are economically tied to the smokers and chubsters of this american society, but i think you get my point. It is in our best interest to fix our economy, without that we can tackle no other problem we as a country face, and unfortunately for those of us who may not like it. Healthcare is a big “pill” in addressing our sick economy.
thanks for your article i do very much value this type of education. i just dont know that it will address all of our concerns with healthcare. my 5 cents.
scott
Hi Scott, thanks for sharing your insight!
I’m far from being an expert at economics or politics, but I can see the validity of your point. I guess I’m somewhat of an idealist and have trouble with the idea of being forced to support a compromised solution that doesn’t do much, if anything, to solve the root problem. As you said, it’s a big pill! I wouldn’t mind it if there were reason to believe that it would make us better prepared to solve the real problem, but there isn’t, at least not that I’m aware of.
Thanks for the good natured response Vin, i certainly don’t claim to know the solution to this problem. Idealistically, as you mentioned, the root of this problem is America’s poor health to begin with. Solving that problem would (theoretically at least) take care of many many problems including rising health care costs. So i suppose i don’t necessarily disagree with you, i simply see the problem from another angle. Regardless of how you or i see it, each person that is talking about it is at least one more person that is doing something stimulating and getting out from behind the TV! Thanks again.