Why are there so many people without health care? Is there a cost effective solution to this growing problem?

Question

I have a paper to write and I was wondering what other people think of this problem

Answer 1

Among the 47 million people who've chosen not to buy health insurance there are many reasons. Some are faced with the choice of buying health insurance or paying rent and simply choose the more immediate expense. Some count on the compassion of the system to treat all patients even if they don't have health insurance. For others, the system is just too cumbersome to navigate. My sister in law is young and healthy. She works part time for an organic farm owned by Dave Mathew's. She could buy health insurance, but it just doesn't seem worth it.

There is still debate, however, over the nature of this problem. Some folks think it’s fine if people don’t want health insurance; we should just let them roll the dice and suffer the consequences. Still, there are good reasons why I should have to give up some of my tax money to pay for the health of others. From an infectious disease standpoint, I stand less of a chance of getting sick if others around me are in good health. We collectively benefit when each of us is mitigating his/her health risks on a proactive basis.

Currently, there are a lot of perverse incentives in the health care industry. The government subsidizes health care, but through people’s employment. Therefore, if you don’t have a job, you don’t get the subsidy. Also, if you change jobs you typically suffer much in the transition. Most insurance plans are sold to HR managers who represent groups of workers. As such, individuals find it difficult to get plans that meet their specific needs. Health insurers have little purview to discriminate between the risks of different patients; they may have to insure everyone in a particular group for the same cost for the same benefits. Many insurers actually have policies where they go looking for claims they can deny. They simply have no interest in satisfied customers so long as the bottom line looks good for the HR manager deciding which insurance company to choose.

Just because there are reasons for universal health care doesn’t mean that all such plans will be beneficial. A universal health care plan that lowers quality, introduces overbearing limitations on folks, or eliminates cost-saving measures from the industry could make us worse off.

I’ve proposed that universal health care come in the form of a voucher, like Social Security. Basically, the government will pay a certain amount for everyone to buy health insurance, but you’d be able to buy the insurance you wanted. Distribution of the benefit would be progressive, the poor, elderly, and congenitally ill would get more than the healthy wealthy and wise. Some folks will find they are forced to spend more on health care than they otherwise would, but they’ll also receive a little extra boost from the government. The wealthy will have to subsidize some of the costs of those less fortunate, but their choices for care will not be imposed upon. Lastly, as insurance companies will actually be selling plans to individuals, they are more likely to provide diverse options that optimize quality and keep costs in check. When people are forced to pay for the riskiness of their lifestyles they will act to keep costs down. Those who have special needs can be supported by a redistribution of income through the tax system, not by forcing insurance companies to provide products and services at a loss.

There have been many good economic studies of the health care industry, yet there is still much debate over the extent to which public health is a public good and the proper role of the private sector in the health care industry. It’s a shame that some of our teachers don’t look at the whole picture when claiming to have the backing of the field of economics.

Answer 2

The biggest cost in health care is the cost for physicians and hospitals to carry malpractice insurance. There are too many frivolous lawsuits with people and lawyers trying to get rich quick. The size of the settlements in most lawsuits is completely beyond reasonable limits. Health care costs would be more affordable (along with health insurance) if two simple reforms were enacted. 1. Lawsuits should only be for actual loses and not for the fictitious pain and suffering. This would limit the size of the settlements. 2. The losing party in any lawsuit should be required to pay the legal fees of the winning case and the losing lawyer would get nothing. This would curtail frivolous lawsuits.

Answer 3

jesus christ the answer is not that complicated. for a person aged about 35-45 it costs at least 300 dollars a month and after paying that the health care is not totally covered and there are deductables and also on prescriptions. To pay 300 dollars a month is a large amount to deduct from living expenses for a person who is trying to make ends meet. For a family the cost is more so how can anyone who needs to work for a living afford that cost.

Answer 4

For one thing, people can't afford it. Another reason is that people don't have jobs (health care is usually a benefit of full time employment). Medicaid and Medicare are the only two solutions I see to this problem. However, to call them "cost effective" would be a joke.

Answer 5

The biggest problem is the huge number of undocumented workers who are working under the table, off the books and for cash. Legal workers usually have access to reduced insurance benefits through their employers. Even fast food chains offer health and insurance benefits.

This is just another of a number of problems created by the illegal invasion.

Answer 6

i think the drug company should be the one responsible for the huge cost of health care. Most doctors and nurses are paying fairly amount of money they well deserved.Pharmacist , ultrasound technician, administration level of people etc... are getting pay way too much then what do they do . Making no sense to me.

Answer 7

Economics -- people choose other things, like car payments, housing, food.

If you mean, "Why doesn't the government force people to pay for other peoples' health care?" then you would have to find permission for the government to do that, in the Constitution, and it isn't in there.

The more subsidies that are given to those who need health care, the higher the price can rise. Think about it.

Answer 8

Yeah, they should get jobs that provide health insurance or buy health insurance themselves. Why should we, the taxpayers, have to buy insurance for someone else?