Health at Hand

With the heated debate about health care reform, it goes to show how lucrative the health care system is in the status quo for those that are on the winning end of the equation.  Even in a perfect system, where everyone has some sort of insurance, the rising cost of health care makes coverage a moot point.

It’s almost as though the politicians are trying to distract our attention, so that we don’t realize that the cost to run our health care system will continually rise over the next few years, eventually bankrupting us as a nation.  The path that we’re on frightens me, because as a family that gets our health insurance through an employer, we are still at risk for becoming individually bankrupt simply through inflation in our medical system.

Doctors are incessantly pushing that we try the latest and greatest, even though the latest technologies might not make a difference in overall health, thus pushing up costs.  Insurance companies are also no angels in the system, and have proven to be inefficient.  The cost can be more (on average) if an individual or family simply saved up and paid for services on an as needed basis.

Now, we can shift blame to this or that, but it would be unfair to not take a closer look at the high instances of obesity and smoking that puts an overwhelming strain on the health care system.  Obesity and smoking cause preventable diseases that can be averted by simple changes in lifestyle.

Is it fair to ask others that depend on health insurance to help pay for those that choose to live a lifestyle that brings preventable diseases?

I’m still on the fence about the whole health care debate simply because I don’t think the right issues are being examined and the problem is certainly not being solved.  I’d equate the current health care reform to offering a child that needs open heart surgery, a rub, band-aid, and kiss from mommy…for the mean time, at least.

I know that health care is a heated topic, but I would like to hear where you stand on the debate.  I don’t care if your opinion is different than mine, or is even similar.  I understand that we do need a reform, but I think that costs should be examined more closely than is currently.  Make your case about the health at hand.

~Hale Mom

Tagged as: hale mom, health at hand, health care, health care bankrupt, health care reform, insurance, insurance costs, medical reform, medical system, medical technology, obama health care plan