Some steps we should take to mend our underdeveloped health care system.
1- We must start by acknowledging that our system for paying for health care insurance is broken. Its an economic system that was born premature and under-developed. We’ve never had an American Health care System. Instead we have had a series of health care hack jobs. We came close with the passage of Medicaid and Medicare in the 1960s and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in the aughts, but no cigar.
2- We must build on these pilot attempts, not try to kill them, especially without a better affordable health care alternative plan. Canceling the ACA is like cutting off our noses to spite our faces. Doesn’t make sense. Underfunding or cutting Medicaid and Medicare is not only wrong, its unethical.
3- We must understand that the health security of the nation hinges on health care coverage for all its citizens. The pandemic has given us a wake up call. And its not over yet. No two ways around that fact. In health care we are our brother’s keeper or else we will all suffer the consequences of our brothers’ illnesses.
4- We must reinstate mandatory health insurance. But this time, at the Federal and State level or a symbiosis of the two. We started by expanding medicaid (Obama). We must now expand medicare (Biden). If we can constitutionally mandate medical liability coverage for unforeseen car accidents why can’t we mandate health insurance for unforeseen health hazards? Think pandemic!! Think pregnancies! Think mass shootings! Think motor vehicle crashes! Think natural disasters! etc. etc.
5- We need legislation to prevent for-profit corporations, especially private investment companies, from entering the health care sector. Health care is an exercise in humanitarianism not raw capitalism. It is an inalienable right covered under “the right to life and the pursuit of happiness.” Try pursuing quality of life and happiness with a looming 6-figure hospital bill.
6- We need legislation to place limits on the earnings of non-profit hospitals and health insurance companies. See #4 above: ‘Health care is an exercise in humanitarianism not raw capitalism’. There are many not-for-profit health care institutions who have built veritable health care empires in many regions of this country who act more like monopolies and pay little to no taxes. (i.e. UPMC in Western PA is a good example).
7- Health care reimbursement must be reoriented towards preventative care. Specifically, in public health areas where we are experiencing major crises. These include: A- mental and behavioral health; B-Violence; C- Obesity; D- Diabetes; E- Malnutrition; F- Communicable dieases; G- Cardiovascular health; H- Cancer — among other preventable diseases (smoking/vaping).
8- Finally, we must place limits on how much health care executives can earn.