Ask Judge Mathis

17 percent of the nation’s economy goes toward healthcare costs; far more than in any other industrialized nation. Yet, 50 million Americans are currently without health insurance. For those fortunate enough to be covered, the high premiums and deductibles make a serious dent in their household budget. Companies are paying less for employee healthcare while workers are coming out of pocket more often, sometimes for fewer services. A medical emergency can often leave a family financially drained. In fact, a large percentage of those who  file bankruptcy do so because of mounting healthcare bills.  There is a clear and urgent need for healthcare reform.  The system is broken.  It is time that it is fixed.

According to a recent study by the Kaiser Foundation, healthcare insurance premiums for families have increased 113 percent over the last ten years.  The group, a private non-profit that focuses its work on the major health care issues facing the U.S., also found that the general inflation rate increased by only 28 percent over the same period.  The average cost of a family policy offered by employers rose 5 percent while the average wage only increased 3 percent.  Some companies are eliminating health benefits to its employee’s altogether; between 2000 and 2008, the total percentage of U.S. companies offering health insurance to its workers dropped 6 percent. Small businesses, which drive the nation’s economy, are most likely to drop coverage, citing rising insurance costs.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton and then First Lady Hillary Clinton tried to reform America’s healthcare system. Then, America spent more than $900 million each year on health care.  That reform never came to pass and the country continued on with the same ineffective system. Thanks to government’s inaction, we are spending more on healthcare –an expected $2.6 trillion this year – and more people are finding themselves uninsured.

When there is no competition, health insurance companies have free reign to increase prices, hurting millions of people, most of whom earn modest incomes, in the process. Those days are over.

Healthcare companies should be required to compete with a public insurance company or co-op to ensure both companies that provide insurance to workers and the workers themselves are getting the best possible prices. As we gear up for the fall, and Congress considers sweeping healthcare legislation, there will be many more public debates on the pros and cons of healthcare reform. It is important to remember that, for far too long, Americans have been falling into debt to pay their medical bills while insurance companies continue to fatten their bottom line. We all deserve better.

In his recent address to Congress, President Obama made what many consider his most passionate speech, urging law makers to put aside the ‘bickering’, to think about the American people and make a push for real health care reform.   Despite the disrespect shown by South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson, a Republican, during the speech, the President was able to maintain his composure and his focus. He’s serious about changing the way health care is provided in this country. So much so that he’s been willing to listen to and address the concerns of insurance companies worried about their bottom line. The time for arguing whether or not reform will work has past. Congress needs to heed the President’s advice and begin the difficult task of building and passing a plan that serves the needs of the people. Action is indeed needed.

The number of Americans without health insurance rose to 46.3 million last year as the economy forced people out of jobs and away from employer sponsored health benefits. Among those fortunate enough to work, nearly 1 in 5 are uninsured. 20 percent of those who go without insurance are children and nearly half are below the age of 30. The majority are people of color.

The President’s health care plan, which he detailed in his speech, would change the way health insurance is offered in this country. Private companies would no longer be able to deny coverage because pre-existing conditions, limits on the amount of coverage individuals can receive in a given year or over their lifetime life time would be eliminated and insurers would be required to cover routine checkups, such as mammograms and colonoscopies. The President also supports a public health care option, where individuals can choose a health plan outside of the one their employer offers, and mandatory coverage for everyone.

The President estimates it will cost $900 million to put the plan into effect. But we should not focus on cost here.  The U.S. health care system is already the world’s most expensive and is considered by many one of the most wasteful. With all that we spend now, so many go without coverage or are covered by policies that don’t take care of all of their health needs. Hospitalization or a serious illness can mean financial ruin for some under the current system.

Is this plan perfect? That remains to be seen. What is clear is that is the most thought out and comprehensive option that has been presented. It takes into consideration the needs of the average person and the big corporations. It balances public and private. It is what we need at this moment in time.

Take action: call your legislators and urge that they support the President’s plan. Call them, no matter what party they represent; they need to know that their constituents want health care reform. Go online to find your legislative contact info at www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml.