Saving money on health care
I've run into two different people in two different situations today who do not believe that universal health care should or would cost them more than the current system we've got. I got into a particularly difficult conversation today with a woman who has a master's in public health and is convinced that getting health insurance profits out of the picture will make costs go down. Yes, those costs will go down.
In its place, however, we would have the vastly increased costs associated with providing health care for everyone. Did I mention that my 88 year old senile grandmother got a hip replacement surgery this week? This woman is utterly impoverished, depending entirely on Medicaid. Her life expectancy is measured in weeks, and yet she got a shockingly expensive surgery this week. Wuhoo. Guess what happens when we put EVERYONE on universal health care? 16% of Americans are uninsured, and probably many more than that are under-insured. People, the cost of health care is about to SKY ROCKET.
Listen, I think we should do it. I really do. I think we should provide a safety net. No three year old should die from pneumonia. No 47 year old should have to face cancer without the help of a doctor. No 55 year old should have to skip heart medicine because he's too poor. Yes, we should do it. Yes, we probably HAVE to do it. There's a huge "there but for the grace of God go I" element to this. This recession has made it clear that any of us could be uninsured any time now. There's no dodging it: this is where being poor will kill you. We are a civilized nation and our duty of care extends to our citizens. I believe this. The President believes this. Every single soul in Massachusetts believes this. If you don't believe this you are about to be stunned to discover how much you're in the minority these days. Joke if you want, but this is NOT the Clinton White House. The groupthink has changed on this in the past fifteen years.
But don't for a moment think that universal health insurance is somehow going to save you money. OMG, no! Because everyone has an unlimited interest in spending other people's money to improve their own health. Massachusetts is sinking under the cost of this, with per capita health insurance expenditures 30% higher than any other state, and upwards of 40% of the people are being subsidized by the State. Look to your left. Look to your right. Look in the mirror. Have you spotted "the State" yet?
Rationing cannot be far behind. Should all 88 year old dementia patients have hip socket replacements? Should alcoholics get liver transplants? Do all obese people get the quadruple-header of gastric bypass surgery, knee replacement, kidney transplant and panniculectomy? What level of care are we obligated to provide to people? Think about housing: if you're getting subsidized housing is it likely to be a beach house on Cape Cod? No. If you're eating at a food pantry is it likely to be fillet mignon? No. Expect state-subsidized base-level health insurance to be bare bones, by which I mean you'll have bare bones. No snazzy prosthetics. No organ transplants. This story is nearly all about grey areas. It makes me feel ill when people talk about it as a shining white knight.
The woman I was arguing with tonight said I was spouting health insurance propaganda. She seemed under the impression that I was against universal health care coverage because it would cost too much. I really am not. I'm just against people fooling themselves. If you are in favor of universal health insurance I recommend you man up and face the fact that health insurance is likely to cost the same for you as either food or shelter does right now. Get used to it. Own it. Believe it. Because that's what you're asking.
In its place, however, we would have the vastly increased costs associated with providing health care for everyone. Did I mention that my 88 year old senile grandmother got a hip replacement surgery this week? This woman is utterly impoverished, depending entirely on Medicaid. Her life expectancy is measured in weeks, and yet she got a shockingly expensive surgery this week. Wuhoo. Guess what happens when we put EVERYONE on universal health care? 16% of Americans are uninsured, and probably many more than that are under-insured. People, the cost of health care is about to SKY ROCKET.
Listen, I think we should do it. I really do. I think we should provide a safety net. No three year old should die from pneumonia. No 47 year old should have to face cancer without the help of a doctor. No 55 year old should have to skip heart medicine because he's too poor. Yes, we should do it. Yes, we probably HAVE to do it. There's a huge "there but for the grace of God go I" element to this. This recession has made it clear that any of us could be uninsured any time now. There's no dodging it: this is where being poor will kill you. We are a civilized nation and our duty of care extends to our citizens. I believe this. The President believes this. Every single soul in Massachusetts believes this. If you don't believe this you are about to be stunned to discover how much you're in the minority these days. Joke if you want, but this is NOT the Clinton White House. The groupthink has changed on this in the past fifteen years.
But don't for a moment think that universal health insurance is somehow going to save you money. OMG, no! Because everyone has an unlimited interest in spending other people's money to improve their own health. Massachusetts is sinking under the cost of this, with per capita health insurance expenditures 30% higher than any other state, and upwards of 40% of the people are being subsidized by the State. Look to your left. Look to your right. Look in the mirror. Have you spotted "the State" yet?
Rationing cannot be far behind. Should all 88 year old dementia patients have hip socket replacements? Should alcoholics get liver transplants? Do all obese people get the quadruple-header of gastric bypass surgery, knee replacement, kidney transplant and panniculectomy? What level of care are we obligated to provide to people? Think about housing: if you're getting subsidized housing is it likely to be a beach house on Cape Cod? No. If you're eating at a food pantry is it likely to be fillet mignon? No. Expect state-subsidized base-level health insurance to be bare bones, by which I mean you'll have bare bones. No snazzy prosthetics. No organ transplants. This story is nearly all about grey areas. It makes me feel ill when people talk about it as a shining white knight.
The woman I was arguing with tonight said I was spouting health insurance propaganda. She seemed under the impression that I was against universal health care coverage because it would cost too much. I really am not. I'm just against people fooling themselves. If you are in favor of universal health insurance I recommend you man up and face the fact that health insurance is likely to cost the same for you as either food or shelter does right now. Get used to it. Own it. Believe it. Because that's what you're asking.