Health Care Costs Destroying America

I was reading an article in Business Week and I got very excited about the future of medicine in the United States. I am a proponent of universal health care and the article gave me hope that our country is heading in that direction.

Medical Cost

The health care problem in America is worsening. A large percentage of our country's GDP is spent on health care and this percentage is increasing annually.

These rising medical costs represent the worsening health of our country. Our poor health is weakening America physically as well as economically.

Health care costs are eroding the profit margins of all American companies. These eroding profit margins are making it difficult for American companies to compete in a global market place.

Fixing The Problem

We can decrease the costs in this country by:

* Encouraging disease prevention and screening

* Encouraging weight loss in the two-thirds of Americans who are overweight

* Eliminating the inefficiencies in hospital care and health information technology

* Providing a universal plan to all Americans funded by tax payer

Universal Health Care

A universal plan would eliminate the problem of the uninsured. There are 43 million Americans without health insurance.

Their lack of health insurance increases the costs for all Americans. The uninsured are less likely to get the prevention education and disease screening they need. This leads to chronic diseases, emergency room visits, and decreased productivity.

A universal plan with wellness incentive programs would spread the costs burden to all Americans and encourage healthier lifestyles.

Source: Dunham, Richard S. "One CEO's Health-Care Crusade" Business Week. 3 July 2007

Source by Kalvin C. Chinyere, MD