Uninsured and Underinsured Two Good Reasons for Universal Healthcare
March 16, 2023
Healthcare Reform
March 16, 2023
Happy Thursday Healthcare Advocates
I am so thankful for all of you and for the actions you take to move us towards a universal healthcare system.
So Many Band Aids So Little Time
I did a quick search of the Library of Congress this morning to see how many bills have been introduced with the word healthcare. THE ANSWER IS 321.
Of course there are plenty related to reproductive rights to restore and to deny. Lots of bills seek to make sure certain types of illnesses, procedures have coverage. One one search I saw one bill that sought to pay for diabetic shoes.
It's not uncommon to see that special legislation is passed at the federal or state level to cover medical expenses for an obscure illness, because a legislator knows someone (or is related to someone) that has that condition. Sort of gaming the system.
I have previously researched how many bills pass in each congress and it is 4 to 8 over a two year period. Also, lots of grandstanding, lots of getting your name and pet bill into the congressional record, not a lot of action.
According to the bi-annual Commonwealth Fund Survey forty-three percent of working-age adults were inadequately insured in 2022. These individuals were uninsured (9%), had a gap in coverage over the past year (11%), or were insured all year but were underinsured, meaning that their coverage didn’t provide them with affordable access to health care (23%).
Twenty-nine percent of people with employer coverage and 44 percent of those with coverage purchased through the individual market and marketplaces were underinsured.
Forty-six percent of respondents said they had skipped or delayed care because of the cost, and 42 percent said they had problems paying medical bills or were paying off medical debt.
Half (49%) said they would be unable to pay for an unexpected $1,000 medical bill within 30 days, including 68 percent of adults with low income, 69 percent of Black adults, and 63 percent of Latinx/Hispanic adults.
Sixty-eight percent of Democrats, 55 percent of Independents, and 46 percent of Republicans said President Biden and Congress should make health care costs a top priority in the coming year.
A lot of numbers but what it says is that almost all Democrats, more than half of Independents, and almost half of all Republicans want something done about the cost of Health Care.
Meanwhile, let’s remember, it is really the wild west in the healthcare arena. If there were not nearly unlimited rapid profits then you would not see private equity firms gobbling up health care providers. You would not see Pharmacy Benefit Managers raking in record profits because there are virtually no limits to the prices that can be charged for drugs.
The unchecked chicanery by so many at so many levels has changed the system from providing care to a money harvesting machine.
This is what my daughter likes to call a hot mess. But you can change it. Our representatives need to know we mean business. Let them know.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TODAY
RESISTBOT
Text SIGN PYPKHR to 50409 to send your Congressperson, Senators, and the President this message (or use it on the phone or copy and paste it to email - Links are in the resources below)
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal will be bringing her Universal Healthcare bill back to Congress shortly. I strongly support this bill and I want you to support it as well.
A recent Commonwealth survey discovered that 43% of Americans from 18 to 64 either have no health insurance or are underinsured and half of them are unable to take care of a $1000 medical bill.
Americans of all stripes want better health care at affordable costs and you can do it by supporting Universal Healthcare for All. Even the CBO says it will save $600B a year in overhead and excess prescription costs.
Resources
Contact White House or other federal agencies: usa.gov/federal-agencies
Contact the White House https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/
Contact State and Federal Representatives
https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/change-your-address
Contact all members of Congress
By phone: (202) 224-3121
By email: democracy.io
By US mail: Representatives / Senators
By fax: Representatives / Senators
By Resistbot: Resist.bot
With this massive under-coverage and lack of coverage, America is the largest economy in the world. That comparison alone tells us that there's something very wrong here.
Part of how we were sold on this was the idea that we had the greatest medical research capabilities in the world, and that had to be funded. So how is it that all first-world countries don't join us in paying the same prices for our medications and devices? Many more arguments have been advanced to push the burden to the poor and middle class.
The racket continues but we haven't yet found the votes to fix our healthcare regime. Yes, Alan, let's advocate for getting the word out to our elected officials. It'll be difficult to get anything worthwhile through this House of Representatives but healthcare has to be one of the core issues that challenges the corrupt majority.