Government still blocking universal health insurance

April 24, 2006 —

The fact that so many Americans lack health insurance is completely ridiculous.

Over 45 million Americans, or 15.6 percent of the population, do not have health insurance coverage. Within this number, 30 percent of all young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 do not have any form of health insurance and account for the largest uninsured age group.

Individuals not covered by health insurance receive less preventative care and are therefore diagnosed at higher disease stages. This in turn leads to higher mortality rates amongst the uninsured.

People should not be unnecessarily dying because their government refuses to provide them with health insurance. The rest of the Western World views health insurance as an essential human right. The U.S. views health insurance as a vehicle for privatization and profit.

According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948, "Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family ... including medical care."

Wasn't America one of the essential founders of the UN? Yes. And, isn't the UN headquarters still located in New York City? Yes. Therefore, shouldn't America be not only following but setting the standard for all UN declarations? The answer should be obvious.

In any case, the UN assuredly did not intend to have its beliefs about human rights followed by a "but" or "unless" or "however."

However, America's healthcare system quite blatantly contradicts this section of the declaration since over 45 million U.S. citizens do not possess the health insurance required to obtain proper and affordable medical care. This is wrong and must be corrected. End of article.

If only it were that simple.

Of course, the underlying problem is not the fact that Americans do not have health insurance. The core problem is that the U.S. government is unwilling to admit that its health insurance scare has escalated into a full-out crisis that needs immediate and complete attention.

Annual U.S. healthcare costs have risen from $621 billion in 2000 to $1.9 trillion in 2005. This figure is over four times the amount of money spent on national defense. It is also an amount that currently comprises over 15 percent of America's gross domestic product.

In other words, the government's selfish attempt to save money has actually resulted in wasting it.

According to the National Coalition on Healthcare, "The U.S. currently spends almost $100 billion annually in order to provide uninsured residents with healthcare, treat preventable diseases, or treat diseases that could have been treated more effectively with earlier diagnosis."

The costs arisen from poor government management are definitely largely to blame for high healthcare costs. Nevertheless, the ever-increasing number of hospitals owned by investors has caused healthcare costs to skyrocket.

The expenses accompanying privatization have not only prevented Americans from affording health insurance, but they've also caused those with health insurance to spend more than twice as much for it as most countries with universal healthcare.

As alluded to before, the current goal of America's health insurance agencies is not to provide people with adequate coverage, but instead to maximize profits. How do they maximize profits? By limiting what they choose to pay out in terms of health coverage to their customers.

America cannot have a universal health insurance plan operated by private, for-profit organizations. How difficult is that to understand?

The U.S. government needs to realize that something must be done immediately to counter this crisis. It is essential that all Americans have comprehensive health insurance. They do not need it at some ambiguous point in the future ... they need it at this very moment. The UN realized the necessity for universal medical care 58 years ago, so why can't American policymakers realize it now?