Universal Coverage: One Man's Story
Tens of millions of Americans lack health insurance. Extending coverage to them has been a core goal of health reform proposals since the 1960s. President Richard Nixon offered a universal health plan in his first administration, but since then Republicans have hesitated to commit the nation to so costly an undertaking. Is it time to rethink? Should Republicans accept universal coverage as a goal? We posed this question to NewMajority's contributors.
Bradley Smith notes that the United States already has a universal health care system called "show up at the emergency room" which he thinks works pretty well and that it makes no sense for Republicans to push for universal healthcare since it messes with freedom.
Frankly his idea of universal healthcare is probably the most expensive kind of healthcare, tackling problems when they are more serious and therefore more costly.
In 1996, I moved to Minneapolis. I was in my mid-20s and making $6 an hour and not able to buy healthcare insurance. I got sick with the flu in November of that year and the flu later became pneumonia. When I had trouble breathing, I went to an emergency room and was looked at. The doctor on call gave me a five-day supply of antibiotics and sent me on my way. My illness only became worse. Days later I went to a clinic for low income people and the nurse practitioner found out that I had a massive infection and needed to be placed in the hospital immediately. I was afraid since I didn't have health insurance, but she told me not to worry about it.
In the end, I was able to get on to Medicaid which paid for a good chunk of what turned out to be a two week hospital stay.
I don't favor single payer, or Obama's public option. I also don't think healthcare is a "right." That said, I do think that Republicans should find a way to ensure that when someone is faced with illness, they are able to focus on getting well and not about if they can afford it.
Republicans should try to get to some sort of universal healthcare through things like health savings accounts and subsidies. We can show that one can achieve this without a massive government program.
My illness taught me that relying on emergency room care is not a good approach from a physical or fiscal standpoint. If Republicans truly care about this issue (which at times I wonder about), then we need to find ways to make sure that all Americans have access to affordable healthcare.
To read other contributions to this symposium, click here.