Universal Health Care II

Why is it that we do not have Universal Health Care? Most agree that we need it. The question has, up until now been, how is it to be payed for. Some information avaiable to all may be of assistance.

In a Harris Poll (09/6-12/05) appearing in the WSJ it was revealed that 75% of Americans strongly/somewhat favored Universal Health Care. What this poll does not tell us is how strongly they would favor that care if they were asked to pay for it. And, how much each segment of the question is influenced by the Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

On the Public Agenda web site I found the results of a Gallup poll (11/04) with 64% of Americans agreeing that we should have guaranteed health care. In a Kaiser/Harvard poll (11/04) when the above was asked along with the condition that they pay for the care, only 45% agreed.

Can one surmise that if the 64% went to 75%, that the 45% also rose to 55%? No way of knowing without further data. However, it is worth some thought. Because, that would mean that over 50% of the country feels that Universal Health Care is important enough to pay for. That would indicate a sea change is occuring in this country.

In a 2004 report, found on the National Coalition on Health Care website, we find that although 45 million Americans are uninsured, the U.S. spends more on health care than other industrialized nations, and these countries provide health insurance to all of their citizens.

Further, 50% of people who had low and mid-range- compensation jobs either had problems with medical bills in previous 12 months or were paying off accrued debt due to medical related bills. Lest we consider otherwise, fully 25% of those considered to be in the higher-compensated category were in the same situations as those previously mentioned.

How this is helpful to a healthy and vibrant economy escapes me. Since most of these medical bills and accrued debts seem to be attributable to hospitalizations due to a lack of basic disease prevention, it seems to me that a good percentage of the bills and debts could be eliminated with very basic health care. It further occurs to me that if one were to prevent childhood diseases, one would also be reducing adult diseases.

So, why don't we have Universal Health Care?

Congratulations!! to Tom DeLay. For being booked in the state of Texas;>)