National health insurance - the triumph of equivocation

Article Abstract:

Because of the high cost of medical care, it is estimated there are 37 million Americans without medical insurance. This statistic has led to renewed interest in a national health insurance program. Political leaders, academics and leaders in business and industry are all interested in some form of a national health policy. There has been much equivocation throughout the past 50 years on national health policies. The special interest groups, especially the medical profession and the insurance companies, are opposed to national health policies. There is a fear of socialized medicine. There is resistance to national health policies on the part of the consumers, providers, and payers. Consumers do not realize the costs of medical care, because the majority of the time a third party pays them. They have the attitude that more care is best, without any limits. The demand for services must be thought of in terms of what is best for society as opposed to oneself. The health care providers such as physicians must refrain from overutilization. This can be achieved with a policy of budgeted resources, careful review, and education. The payers, which include businesses, insurers, and the government can control the rising costs of health care through financial constraints and incentives such as increased deductibles and co-payments. The problem with national health care is largely financial. To adopt such a policy will mean higher taxes and costs. There are many models and plans, all of which have been highly criticized. The federal government will have to be the one to organize and finance the programs; otherwise there will be fragmented policies and more equivocation.

Analysis, Medical economics, Economic aspects, National health insurance, editorial

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Job turnover - a problem with employer-based health care

Article Abstract:

Approximately 18 million American adult workers do not have health insurance. Often these individuals have family incomes below $10,000 a year, and over one-third are between 18 and 24 years of age. Because many of these individuals live at home with their parents, their true level of poverty is further hidden because the family income includes that of their parents. Having health insurance is largely tied to income. A study has shown that only 20 percent of workers with family incomes less than $20,000 a year have health insurance, while 82 percent of individuals with family incomes greater than $20,000 have it. Recently, plans have been proposed to pressure or require employers to provide insurance. However, many of the workers who are presently without coverage are seasonal workers, or frequently change jobs. This instability means that it will be very difficult to assure coverage for these workers. Also, insurance companies are not responsible for covering pre-existing medical conditions, meaning that for those with frequent changes in jobs and therefore in insurance carriers, there will be no effective coverage. Schemes which fail to insure through a single agency and which rely on a pluralistic system using coverage purchased by the employer from different companies are unlikely to provide the coverage that is required. Without a single-payer system, legislated health care plans will most likely fail, and the present chaotic system will further deteriorate for those individuals most at risk. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

United States, Demographic aspects, Medically uninsured persons

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Health insurance for children - a model for incremental health reform?

Article Abstract:

The State Children's Health Insurance Program, which is Title XXI of the Social Security Act, may not cover all uninsured children. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that only 3.4 million of the 11 million uninsured children in America would be covered by this legislation. States must provide matching funds to receive this funding. If children are dropped from private insurance plans, the program may have little effect. A 1998 study added more evidence to show that uninsured children are less likely to have a regular physician or to receive adequate medical care.

Editorial, Children, Insurance

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