Reasons to Support Universal Health Care in the United States of America
The United States is the only developed nation without universal health care coverage, and the current state of affairs is bankrupting millions.
In 2001, half of all bankruptcy filings were related to medical issues. From 1981 to 2001, the number of medically-related bankruptcy filings increased 2300 percent. With numbers like that, there is little doubt that the current situation of health care in America is killing Americans.
In fact, while the United States spends more on health care per an individual than any other nation, the World Health Organization reports that the United States only ranks 28th for life expectancy and 37th for mortality of children under the age of 5. For immunizations, the United States ranks 67th – Botswana is 66th.
More than 46 million Americans go uninsured each day, 9 million of whom are children. Millions more go under-insured – more than 76 percent of those who filed for bankruptcy in 2001 due to medical issues had insurance at the beginning of their treatments.
Some believe that universal health care would bankrupt America, but the Congressional Budget Office found that it would actually save $100 to $200 billion dollars per a year, according to the Connecticut Coalition for Universal Health Care.
The cost of health care in the United States is also costing American jobs. To avoid hefty insurance premiums, American businesses have moved offices out of the States.
An ABCNews/Washington Post poll found that Americans support universal health care 2-to-1, so long as it doesn’t mean limited doctors or waiting list for non-emergency issues. The poll also found that more than half of all Americans are unsatisfied with the current states of health care in the country.
WHAT CAN I DO?
The House of Representatives is currently looking at HR 676-The National Health Insurance Act. The bill fully insures all Americans for nearly all medical needs. The bill was first introduced in 2003 and currently has 73 co-sponsors. Visit www.house.gov to contact your representative today.
MomsRising, an organization that focuses on mother/children/family-related issues, is working with 40 other organizations to promote the Campaign for Children’s Health Care. You can sign a petition on www.MomsRising.org. The petition will go to Congress in Spring 2007.
