You’ve probably been reading a lot about the US Health reform over the last week in the press. And the British Health Care system has been mentioned quite a lot in this coverage. So here’s a roundup of the whole saga and why it’s such a big deal.
Unlike here, the US had no universal system of health care so everyone had to get themselves health insurance. Most people got this through their employers but others had to sign up for private health care insurance schemes. Most people paid their regular monthly payments but often would have to pay for part of their treatment depending on what health care plan they had and what treatment they needed.
No one was forced to pay for a health insurance policy so if you didn’t have insurance and then got ill you would just have to pay out of your own pocket. This was the cause of 50% of all personal bankruptcies. The government did help people out a bit though through two schemes known as Medicare and Medicaid but this was costing them 7% of their whole GDP and was set to rise to 12% in 2050. This is quite bad news considering the economic situation and the huge US budget deficit.
This system is clearly quite flawed particularly as insurance companies, being profit driven, would try anything to get out of playing for people’s treatment. So changes have been made.
There’s a big divide in the US over this issue though as the Republicans are strongly against it and see it as a form of socialism. When voting on the bills which make up the health care reform no Republicans voted for it and in surveys of public opinion the whole country is divided, with 45% thinking that the current system was best.
Film maker Michael Moore has been particularly out-spoken about his thoughts on the subject and has written an open letter which says:
“To My Fellow Citizens, the Republicans: 
Thanks to last night’s vote, that child of yours who has had asthma since birth will now be covered after suffering for her first nine years as an American child with a pre-existing condition.
Thanks to last night’s vote, that 23-year-old of yours who will be hit one day by a drunk driver and spend six months recovering in the hospital will now not go bankrupt because you will be able to keep him on your insurance policy.
Thanks to last night’s vote, after your cancer returns for the third time — racking up another $200,000 in costs to keep you alive — your insurance company will have to commit a criminal act if they even think of dropping you from their rolls.
Yes, my Republican friends, even though you have opposed this health care bill, we’ve made sure it is going to cover you, too, in your time of need. I know you’re upset right now. I know you probably think that if you did get wiped out by an illness, or thrown out of your home because of a medical bankruptcy, that you would somehow pull yourself up by your bootstraps and survive. I know that’s a comforting story to tell yourself, and if John Wayne were still alive I’m sure he could make that into a movie for you.
But the reality is that these health insurance companies have only one mission: To take as much money from you as they can — and then work like demons to deny you whatever coverage and help they can should you get sick.
So, when you find yourself suddenly broadsided by a life-threatening illness someday, perhaps you’ll thank those pinko-socialist, Canadian-loving Democrats and independents for what they did Sunday evening.
If it’s any consolation, the thieves who run the health insurance companies will still get to deny coverage to adults with pre-existing conditions for the next four years. They’ll also get to cap an individual’s annual health care reimbursements for the next four years. And if they break the pre-existing ban that was passed last night, they’ll only be fined $100 a day! And, the best part? The law will require all citizens who aren’t poor or old to write a check to a private insurance company. It’s truly a banner day for these corporations.
So don’t feel too bad. We’re a long way from universal health care. Over 15 million Americans will still be uncovered — and that means about 15,000 will still lose their lives each year because they won’t be able to afford to see a doctor or get an operation. But another 30,000 will live. I hope that’s ok with you.”
Personally, having always lived in Britain I seem to have taken free health care for granted and find it hard to imagine not being entitled to it so the bill is definitely a step in the right direction. People dying and going bankrupt because they can’t afford health care, especially in one of the richest countries in the world, seems quite outrageous to me.
Danielle Almond
