Why do so many Amercans have no healthcare?

Question

How is this possibly defensible? America is the wealthiest nation in the world but many citizens can't afford to buy their medications. For example, my mother is on Disability (she has epilepsy). The majority of her check every month goes for numerous medications to control her seizures. She was turned down for food stamps because she owns her home (God knows she can eat that), so the rest of her check goes for food. I have been helping her out with her other bills because there is no other option. I have two young children to support so this is putting me in a bind. WHY do we not guarantee healthcare for all Americans? I think if America can afford billions in aid to other countries and billions for a war the majority doesn't support, we could make sure sick people get medical treatment.

Answer 1

In my case I lost my job due to a disability I can no longer do it which leaves me without health care, in others it is because their job left them for China or Mexico. Health Care in this country is in crisis but no one wants to believe that, I place the blame squarely on the insurance company's for the high cost and the lack of health care for everybody. Believe me there is not one person in this country immune to the effects of losing a job. It can happen to anybody.

Answer 2

Um, good luck with that. Since healthcare became healthcare, that is, a marketable product rather than an accepted necessity in society, the pressure's been on to make it more and more exclusive. In english, 'healthcare' is a service for rich people, now.
So, the expectation of YOU is that you'll get rich, slacker! LOL
Also, since aspirin now sells at $800 per pill in hospitals, the rest of the pharmaceutical industry would like part of that, please.
And, if you're upset about any of that, you probably have a disability yourself, that 'intermittent explosive disorder' or somesuch, whatever they call it when people lose it...
good news is, there's something you can take to treat it, it's called 'thorazine'...calgon, take me away! LOLOL. Now you know wwhy people smoke dope, it's a coping mechanism....

Answer 3

I suggest that you should look into an HSA (Health Savings Account). They are a great way to ensure that you and your young ones are covered. Plus, it is a great tax vehicle too. Furthermore, to get at the root of the question. States have driven up the cost of health insurance since they mandate certain coverages to be included in health insurance policies. Also, we need a consumer driven health insurance system that keeps emergency visits to a minimum. Those visits are where we incurr tremendous costs. When someone knows that if they visit the emergency room and they are not required to pay for the visit they will continue that behavior. But if we make them pay for that type of service they will use the emergency room for emergencies and not for colds.

Also, frivolous lawsuits.

Answer 4

They reason people can not afford health care is because it has become a business, even 100 years ago when a person wanted to be a Doctor-it was to help people, to cure the sick, now someone becomes a Doctor to get $RICH$! There are web sites that may help her, go to Montel's web site, I believe there are places to help, I know many people in the same situation, she could always sign the house over to you and then get free medication.

Answer 5

A very tiny group of extremely rich people are able to control our government. More than anything else they do NOT want to see our country mature and develop a more compassionate view of our society. This is simply because people who are not desperate have more of an opportunity to deal with morally reprehensible situations.

Answer 6

I would like to know how your mother got disabilaty for her epilepsy, I was turned for mine. And I agree with what you say about the whole war and healthcare issue.

Answer 7

Healthcare is expensive, very expensive. Providing free healthcare for ppl that can't pay increases the costs for those that do.

Answer 8

Yup.

Answer 9

We have reached record levels in spending on health care in the United States. What is most remarkable about the statistics below is that we play more of our GDP than any other nation in the world, and our government doesn't provide healthcare like most nations.

In 2004, health care spending in the United States reached $1.9 trillion, and was projected to reach $2.9 trillion in 2009 (2).
Health care spending is 4.3 times the amount spent on national defense (4).
In 2004, the United States spent 16 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care. It is projected that the percentage will reach 20 percent in the next decade (2).
Although nearly 46 million Americans are uninsured, the United States spends more on health care than other industrialized nations, and those countries provide health insurance to all their citizens. (4)
Health care spending accounted for 10.9 percent of the GDP in Switzerland, 10.7 percent in Germany, 9.7 percent in Canada and 9.5 percent in France, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. (5)
Employer and Employee Health Insurance Costs

Premiums for employer-based health insurance rose by 9.2 percent in 2005, the fifth consecutive year of increases over 9 percent. All types of health plans -- including health maintenance organizations (HMOs), preferred provider organizations (PPOs) and point-of-service plans (POS) -- showed this increase (3).
The annual premium that a health insurer charges an employer for a health plan covering a family of four averaged $10,800 in 2005. Workers contributed $2,713, or 10 percent more than they did in 2004 (3).The annual premiums for family coverage eclipsed the gross earnings for a full-time, minimum-wage worker ($10,712).
Workers are now paying $1,094 more in premiums annually for family coverage than they did in 2000 (3).
Since 2000, employment-based health insurance premiums have increased 73 percent, compared to cumulative inflation of 14 percent and cumulative wage growth of 15 percent during the same period (3).
Health insurance expenses are the fastest growing cost component for employers. Unless something changes dramatically, health insurance costs will overtake profits by 2008 (6).
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust, premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance in the United States have been rising five times faster on average than workers' earnings since 2000 (3).
The average employee contribution to company-provided health insurance has increased more than 143 percent since 2000. Average out-of-pocket costs for deductibles, co-payments for medications, and co-insurance for physician and hospital visits rose 115 percent during the same period (7).
The percentage of Americans under age 65 whose family-level, out-of-pocket spending for health care, including health insurance, exceeds $2,000 a year rose from 37.3 percent in 1996 to 43.1 percent in 2003 - a 16 percent increase (8).
The Impact of Rising Health Care Costs

National surveys show that the primary reason people are uninsured is the high cost of health insurance coverage (9).
Economists have found that rising health care costs correlate to drops in health insurance coverage (10).
Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of the uninsured reported changing their way of life significantly in order to pay medical bills (10).
Almost 50 percent of the American public say they are very worried about having to pay more for their health care or health insurance, while 42 percent report they are very worried about not being able to afford health care services (11).
A recent study by Harvard University researchers found that the average out-of-pocket medical debt for those who filed for bankruptcy was $12,000. The study noted that 68 percent of those who filed for bankruptcy had health insurance. In addition, the study found that 50 percent of all bankruptcy filings were partly the result of medical expenses (12). Every 30 seconds in the United States someone files for bankruptcy in the aftermath of a serious health problem.
One half of workers in the lowest-compensation jobs and one-half of workers in mid-range-compensation jobs either had problems with medical bills in a 12-month period or were paying off accrued debt. One-quarter of workers in higher-compensated positions also reported problems with medical bills or were paying off accrued debt (13).
If one member of a family is uninsured and has an accident, a hospital stay, or a costly medical treatment, the resulting medical bills can affect the economic stability of the whole family (14).
A new survey shows that more than 25 percent said that housing problems resulted from medical debt, including the inability to make rent or mortgage payments and the development of bad credit ratings (15).
A survey of Iowa consumers found that in order to cope with rising health insurance costs, 86 percent said they had cut back on how much they could save, and 44 percent said that they have cut back on food and heating expenses (16).
Retiring elderly couples will need $200,000 in savings just to pay for the most basic medical coverage (17). Many experts believe that this figure is conservative and that $300,000 may be a more realistic number.
Time for Action on Reining in Health Care Costs

Policymakers and government officials agree that health care costs must be controlled. But they disagree on the best ways to address rapidly escalating health spending and health insurance premiums. Some favor price controls and imposing strict budgets on health care spending. Others believe free market competition is the best way to solve the problems. Public health advocates believe that if all Americans adopted healthy lifestyles, health care costs would decrease as people required less medical care.

There appears to be no agreement on a single solution to health care's high price tag. Many approaches may be used to control costs. What we do know is if the rate of escalation in health care spending and health insurance premiums continues at current trends, the cost of inaction will severely affect employer's bottom lines and consumer's pocketbooks.

Answer 10

Well said..... I agree....