Health Care
By: Venu Pothula
"People have access to health care in America. After all, just go to an emergency room." —George W. Bush
This has been the Republicans' stance on health care that has dominated the past eight years. The healthcare system has been wasteful, insurance companies have been corrupt, and the people have suffered. We need change that guarantees reasonable healthcare insurance to all Americans.
Availability
DYNO supports President Obama's Health Care Plan, which includes the public option and guarantees affordable health care for all Americans. His plan calls for stricter rules to be placed on health care insurance providers. No longer would an insurance provider would be able to drop a client based on their health history (i.e. diabetes, high blood pressure), and no longer would insurance companies be able to put annual or lifetime caps on the medical coverage you need. Perhaps best of all, no longer would insurance companies be able to charge the astronomical prices they do for some of their plans.
President Obama's Health Care Plan guarantees Americans what citizens of other industrialized countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland have had for ages: a healthcare system properly managed by government. To think that we in the United States, the most powerful country in the world, do not have such a system is truly dreadful.
If a citizen of the United Kingdom suffers a severe illness in his or her country, the British National Health Service will provide him or her coverage during his or her hospital visit without question. If a citizen of the United States suffers a severe illness, his or her health insurance provider could drop him or her.
Affordability
A study by Harvard researchers determined that 62% of bankruptcies were filed due to healthcare expenses.1 This is an inexcusable practice, and laws must be passed to prevent such gaming of the system. Advanced medical procedures which do save lives should not be restricted to the wealthy. Any American should be able to receive proper care without having to fear about becoming broke.
Under President Obama's Plan, private health insurance companies would be forced to lower their prices in order to compete with a government run insurance plan. This government provided plan would guarantee competitive coverage to everybody but would be solely an option to those that want it. The government provided health insurance plan which citizens and businesses could acquire gives people more options which only be better.
Accessibility
All these options, government and privately provided, would be easily accessible on a proposed "Health Insurance Exchange." This exchange would revolutionize the way Americans obtain health insurance. People and businesses would be able to compare all available health insurance plans and be able to choose what is suitable for them.
Preventative Care
With all these proposed improvements, more Americans will be able to receive proper treatment for their illnesses. Perhaps the biggest improvement afforded by Obama's health care bill though is advocacy for preventative care. Unlike President Bush, President Obama understands the importance of preventative treatment. Instead of making people wait until they must go to the emergency room, why not prevent the emergency room case from happening in the first place? Under President Obama's plan, preventative care such as mammograms and colorectal cancer screenings which used to not be covered under certain health insurance policies will now be required to be covered by all health insurance policies.2
DYNO supports Barack Obama's Health Care Plan. What President Obama's Health Care Plan advocates is more choices for everyone and makes health insurance work for Americans rather than against them.
1http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/opinion/30kristof.html?_r=1
2http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/statehealthreform/newjersey.html