It has been said that America doesn’t have a debt problem – it has a health care problem. The U.S. government provides health insurance for 60-65% of the American people through programs like Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, the Children's Health Insurance Program, and the Veterans Health Administration. The cost of health care is a large part of the nation’s debt, it’s a large part of what is driving up the debt, and it’s out of control. What do I mean by “out of control”?
In 2004, an attack of “a-fib” (an irregular heartbeat that is dangerous because it can cause a stroke) put me in the hospital for two days. I had no health insurance and went home with a $7744 hospital bill and physicians’ bills totaling $1148, for a total of $8892. At the time, it seemed like a lot. After all, I didn’t get a new kidney. I just lay in bed and took meds and had some tests done.
Over the years since 2004 I’ve wondered what the cost would be if the a-fib happened again. In October, 2011, I found out. I experienced another occurrence of a-fib and ended up in the hospital again.
This time the hospital bill was $42,241. Added to that were physicians’ bills totaling $3172. In seven years, the medical bills for treating the same medical condition blossomed from $8892 to $45,413.
Out of control. And any attempt to rein in costs is met with howls of outrage by conservatives who claim that the government wants to kill grandma. Even the Tea Party is telling Obama and Congress, “Keep your government hands off my Medicare.” So the government has taken the default position of doing nothing and letting the problem – and the debt – grow. But I think we all know that ignoring a growing problem is a strictly limited-time option.
It’s possible for us to work together for a realistic, practical solution. That solution exists. Or we can use fear-mongering and bumper-sticker slogans to protect our own special interests. But there will come a day of reckoning.
No comments:
Post a Comment