Universal Health Insurance
Letter to President Barak Obama |
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Dear Mr. President First of all, I want to congratulate you for your leadership and courage to take on difficult issue of Health care Reform, which has been pushed under the rug for many years, knowing very well that one day, chickens were coming home to roost. In last a few weeks it is becoming apparent that some of the elected representatives are playing games with the Health Insurance for each and every American irrespective of their economic status or condition. Obviously it has become a complex issue because of diverse objectives of vested interest groups. However, this is the time where leadership and determination to solve the health care issue for now and going forward will be a major accomplishment, and universal health insurance for every American is realized. In past, elected representatives and vested interest groups have successfully scuttled any consensus on how to solve the problem. At this time in the history, and with the economic conditions becoming more and more difficult, it is imperative on each one of the law makers to make universal health insurance a reality. Business as usual is no more acceptable. Past legislations giving portability to carry insurance when changing jobs, or have market place work through the cost containment in the health care system has not worked. These are basically avoidance tactics on part of the elected representative. For an example, I do understand the importance of portability of insurance when changing jobs, but if one does not have a job, and cannot afford to put food on the table for his/her family, portability of health insurance is absolutely meaningless. The second example is Medicare/ Health and human services not being able to negotiate better pricing for prescription drugs for Medicare/ Medicaid. These two simple examples make one wonder as to whose interests the elected representatives are watching. Definitely not of the common man/women in United States. We have been hearing a chorus of echoing chant that having a universal health insurance system (You can name it differently) for each and every American would result in rationing of health care services, and the decisions about one’s health care would be made by some bureaucrat . Again these scare tactics without proper understanding have been exploited by vested interest groups. I hope each one of the elected representatives can do some soul searching, stand in front of a mirror and convince themselves that they are doing the right thing. That they are not working at the behest of any interest group, that their decisions are for common good. I am sure there is going to be a debate about how to pay for it and how to make it universal. As such at this time the private insurance is in anyway skimming young and healthy in to their insurance pool and stiffing the middle aged and people close to retirement. This is not acceptable any more. The universal health care must decouple the employer based insurance, and make a national universal health care system with cost controls, a reality. Again, for an example, many of the elected representatives have touted the Massachusetts state private/public health insurance legislation. This legislation has not worked as it was intended, because of some of the following reasons. (1) Employers have been steadily cutting the employment base, and moving the cost base to individuals or temporary work force, or outright ship the work overseas. (2) The state mandated insurance purchasing pool has not been able to control the insurance premiums, and as a result the premiums between 2007-2008 have gone up by almost 30%, and are projected to go up by additional 10% this year(2009-2010). All this translates to an annualized premium of $14796.00 to $15600.00 for a family of four. This is absolutely unaffordable and unacceptable. On top of that one gets penalized by way of surcharge on state taxes for not being able to afford health insurance. (3) Small businesses (mom and pop operations), are not in a position to absorb the health insurance costs as part of their normal business. There have been many studies, and the subject has been beaten to death. We have reached to a point where you can not draw blood from stone, and it is time to stand for Universal health care system in United States. There is no perfect system for health care delivery, but we certainly have excellent infrastructure for providing decent healthcare to our citizens, and it is time to stand up for the common good. Mr. President, you have shown enormous courage and leadership to take on difficult issues which others in past have avoided. This is an opportunity to change the status quo, and make the Universal health care for each and every American, a reality. “Yes WE CAN”. Sincerely Anupam Wali Ph.D |
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