Health Care III

One more thing to think about concerning the American health care system is the disparity of health care along racial lines as well as between those with money and those without. The chasm between the rich and the poor is growing larger every day. Even the health insurance costs have risen for the poor yet are unchanged for those making more than $75,000 per year. Whites were more than 22% likely to have health insurance than Mexicans and about 10% more than Blacks, Asians or Pacific Islanders. The probability of American Indians and Alaska Natives having health insurance was the smallest of all the other racial groups. During the year 2000, 29.5% of the poor had no health insurance, despite government programs available. These are facts, not opinions; you can always voice your opinions, but it’s important to back them up with facts.

Health care II

Another problem with health care is the more than 40 million medically uninsured Americans. With such a large number of Americans not being able to purchase medical coverage (or not wanting it), then someone eventually must pay these costs in – at the very least – an emergency. Therefore, this puts another drain on the pocketbooks of either taxpayers or the medical community. Another stressor on health care system today is the affects of managed care on both the patient as well as the physician. In order to control costs, managed care companies have resorted to a micro-management style toward the physician by requiring preauthorization of referrals, monitoring physicians’ care of the patients, restricting medications, and disease management. This may hurt the patient because the physician is somewhat restricted as to how much the patient can be helped. The large managed care company usually does not know the patient’s medical history as well as the physician.

Health care I

The main stressors in today’s healthcare primarily are linked to financial burdens. They include: health care disparity between the rich and poor and between races; the effects of managed care on patients and physicians; persistent problems with the uninsured; and the politics of privatization versus universal health care. There are philosophical differences between those who think health care is just another commodity and should be purchased in a similar fashion as buying a stove or care, and the people who think all humans have a right to medical care, with equal access to whatever medical procedures exist. The former, known as marketists, don’t want to subsidize others who cannot afford the medical commodity. They want to be able to pay for goods and services privately with no government interference and they don’t feel the need to help out strangers, financially. The latter, medicalists, want a different kind of health care, with expenses shared by all. In the United States, marketists seem to prevail where health care is an ordinary article good or service. If you use a certain commodity, you pay. If you don’t pay, you aren’t entitled to use it. However, if one considers all of the government sponsored medical programs available such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and SCHIPS, then the privatization aspect of medical coverage is watered down and the medical coverage cost really is being shared by the masses. Just a few things to think about today.

Watching Television

Watch much TV of late? Did you know that there were 248 million television sets in U.S. households in 2001, which equates to 98.2% of households with at least one TV? According to U.S. Census Bureau, the average number of televisions per home in 2001 was 2.4 and the estimated hours that adults who watched television in 2004, was 1669. It is so pervasive in American homes that the average adult watching an average of two hours per day watching television potentially could view a full 90 minutes of advertising in an average week. When people watch television, I would hazard a guess they are generally not working out and possibly are chomping on chips.

Snack food promotion and advertising have been extremely effective and symbolizes one of the most financially rewarding investments, according to the Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics. Their triumphs could be a model for the success of a healthy nutrition campaign rather than non-nutritive food campaigns. Since television has been known to be a causative feature in the poor health of people, then perhaps in manner, television can be a help in getting and keeping people healthy rather than a hindrance. Some organizations are trying, but perhaps not as hard as the junque food companies.

Baby Boomers

People born between 1946 and 1964 -- baby-boomers -- are becoming senior citizens and already are impacting the face of health care significantly. The most substantial demand on the public health system with regard to the growing elderly population is financial. Specifically, people are living longer, suffering more chronic illnesses, becoming more obese, their personal functionality is dwindling; the elderly are spending more money on medications, and are taking advantage of more restorative surgeries. For example, total knee and hip replacements, two procedures to increase functionality for the elderly, has nearly tripled between the year 1980 and 1990. Bypass surgery, another procedure to increase functionality of the elderly, increased 195% between 1995 and 2004. Even chronic diseases among the elderly are on the rise (2007).

In 2002, the cost for long-term care of the elderly was $137 billion, which equates to almost 12% of all health care dollars; more than 60% of that is paid for by the American taxpayer in the form of Medicare or Medicaid. By the year 2035, spending for these socialized programs -- including Social Security – will be nearly doubled. David Walker, Comptroller General of the U.S. testified before the Special Committee on Aging that long term health involving these senior citizens isn’t just consigned to health. It also involves nutrition, transportation, housing, and social support to maintain independent living. All of this will put a drain on financial reserves from both a public view as well as a personal or individual view.

There is plenty of evidence out that that tells us exercise can help prevent diseases among older people. If we could continue with a real health care plan married up with preventive services we could save money in the long run. You need to do your part though. Get out there and take a walk, go for a run, ride your bike or just play with your kids. Wouldn’t you rather have fat wallets and thinner bodies? Think about it.

Today, I'm just testing this blog out to see if it really works. After, if given the time, I'll be able to keep up with all the healthy and happy news you'll ever need--or want.