EQUALITY ISSUES
Everyone agrees that we are in a health care crisis. It is estimated today that some 44 million Americans lack health care coverage, and some 12 million of these are children. Clearly a large portion of the population cannot afford health insurance, and the cost of staying insured never ceases to rise. Medicare recipients will pay substantially more for health care if no changes are made to the system, and those who are poorer, sicker and older will disproportionally absorb the rising costs, according to a study released Tuesday. The average annual out-of-pocket cost for services not covered by Medicare is $3,142. That is expected to increase to $5,248 by 2025, according to the report by the Urban Institute, a Washington-based research group. Challenges facing Medicare include health care costs that are increasing faster than income, a growing elderly population and inadequate funding, the report said. The Medicare population is expected to increase from about 40 million to 70 million in 2025. Elderly Americans now pay about one-fifth of their income on out-of-pocket health care costs, such as premiums and prescription drugs, the study said. By 2025, elderly Americans on average are expected to pay nearly one-third of their income. Low-income elderly women in poor health now spend on average nearly 52% of their income on out-of-pocket health care costs, the study estimated. That will increase to nearly 72% by 2025 without changes to the program. Poor, sick Americans without insurance will spend about 63% of their income on health care in 2025, as opposed to 44% now, the study said. Older, disabled Medicare recipients will see their spending increase to 41% in 2025, up from 29% currently. Clearly, we are in a crisis situation with regards to health care. Moreover, the situation is deteriorating.
But if all agree there is a problem and that something needs to be done, few can agree on what to do. Technology has changed the ability and power of a doctor to serve patients; nevertheless, cost factors have also made being a physician very different than it used to be. Providing health care today is a profit-driven enterprise which is subject to the forces of the marketplace and operated by administrators with their eyes on the bottom line. Nobody can foresee the future and everyone has much to lose. What we choose to do over the next few years will directly affect our quality of public health.
Questions to keep in mind: How has new technology affected the price of health care? The equality of the delivery? How has being a doctor changed in the past two decades? What is "Doctor Solomon's dilemma?" How many Americans are presently uninsured? What is universal health care coverage?" How many children lack health insurance? What is the cost to the nation of people not having health insurance? Why are some people calling for it? What would be the costs involved? What are HMO's? Why did they come into being? What do critics say about them? What is the "Patient's Bill of Rights?" Why do HMO's oppose it? What are some of the solutions proposed by lawmakers to the "health care crisis?" What are the obstacles to such solutions?
RESEARCH LINKS:
"Healthcare Crisis" Explore in depth! Great report! (Read this review first.)
"The High Price of Health" A report on the managed care revolution and its impact on nurses, doctors, and patients.
"Dr. Solomon's Dilemma" Check it out! Lots of valuable information!
"Doctor's Under the Knife" from CNN. Great link! Also, CNN: The HMO debate. Check it out!
