Issue Position: Healthcare

Issue Position

The healthcare system in the United States is in need of reform. Many people speak about making access to healthcare available to everyone, yet not many are addressing the topic of costs. While working in the allied-healthcare field, I don't remember anyone being turned away and not treated. I do not believe that access to care is the problem. There certainly are uninsured and underinsured people in our country. The real question, I think, should be, "why" do we have uninsured. I know some of the uninsured. Some are in this predicament by choice. They have chosen to hedge a bet that they will not require long-term medical care. They "bank" the money that would have been spent on insurance premiums. When they require medical assistance, they pay the bill with their savings. What a novel idea!

The underinsured are another matter. Still, in situations such as these, medical care is available. The costs, not paid for by insurance or the patient, are spread to others who use the system. Of course, these unpaid fees are partly responsible for raising the costs of medical care. Another reason costs rise is due to the payouts by insurance companies. When the costs of procedures takes money from the insurance pool, more money is needed to maintain a large enough reserve to offset the potential risks (and as a result insurance premiums rise).

I've spoken to healthcare administrators and physicians who advocate reform -- not government takeover. Reform, however, must address one problem at a time. It must be manageable -- not a 1,000+ page bill such as the Affordable Care Act passed by the U.S. Congress. The current legislation will punish individuals and companies by levying fines for non-participation. I find it odd that the taxes to fund the plan will began shortly after passage, however, the actual healthcare plan will not be implemented until years later.

Tort reform is another must. When a patient is injured as a result of malpractice they should receive just compensation, not a windfall judgement. The latter will either bankrupt the system or, as it is doing now, perpetuate the increase in costs.

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