This morning I was reading a very heartwarming story about two formerly conjoined twins -
Erin and Jade Buckles - who were separated successfully about 6 months ago. Although Erin was partcally paralyzed during the surgery, her parents are thankful that both their girls are alive, healthy and developing well.
At the end of the article, however, a brief mention of the costs involved caught my eye ...
The family, which includes Kevin Jr., a seventh-grader, moved from a three-bedroom townhouse in December. The larger home means a longer commute for Kevin, a Marine gunnery sergeant who travels extensively with the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, but as medical bills climbed toward
$2 million, they traded proximity for affordability.
The charges not covered by insurance worry them, although Melissa, 31, worries more than Kevin, 35. "Our concern is our family," he said. "We did what we had to do."
More below the fold...
The article does not mention how much of the operation was paid for by insurance, and how much the Buckles paid for out of pocket. As a parent, I don't begrudge the family one bit for doing whatever it takes to make sure their children have the best lives possible. But the $2 million pricetag got me thinking about the problems in our health care system, and where we go from here.
First, the legal disclaimer - I work in health insurance for a non-profit company, and I have worked in health care as an IT analyst for going on 15 years. So my livelyhood, at least for the moment, is pretty dependent on the overall health of the industry.
The question I wrestle with all the time is whether access to health care is a right that by definition must be extended to every American. Since the 1980s, we have been trending further and further towards a three-tier system - the wealthy can afford 'anything goes' treatment, the middle class with good jobs can get whatever their insurance will pay for, and the lower middle and lower classes rely heavily on public programs. Often, in fact, the lower-middle class gets caught in the middle and ends up with no health insurance at all (my in-laws are a perfect case in point.)
At the same time, health care has become a commodity, is marketed like never before, and is prey to the same profit and loss mentality that drives the sale of cars or potato chips. And you can't say "no" - how do you tell anyone that the procedure they need is too expensive, that their life isn't worth spending the money? You can't.
I have watched my company fall prey to an increasing spiral - costs go up, the company raises rates, employers balk and either drop or reduce coverage for their employees, more uninsured drives hospitals to raise their costs etc etc ... and I'm not sure where this is going to end.
It would seem that we need to decide on some overriding principles before a true solution can be reached. Is every citizen entitled to any and all health care? That would seem a recipe for disaster in a profit-driven climate. Is everyone entitled to a certain level of basic health care and after that you're on your own? Or do we scrap publically-funded health care altogether and let people get by on the money they will save from their taxes?
The Democratic Party has been severely burned on this issue, but its one that calls for a clearly articulated vision in the coming years. Personally, I favor having government paying or subsidizing private health insurance (I did put a disclaimer above!) So much of your premiums already go to meet various federal and state regulations now, I can't imagine how it could get any worse (okay, yes I can.)
So what kind of of healthcare system would you like to see?