I have to have an injection every two weeks to control the symptoms of my schizophrenia. Each injection costs $268 dollars. That comes to be $536 dollars monthly. My insurance does not cover these costs and they are vital to my well being. I am very lucky in that my father owns his own business, a pharmacy. His business subsidizes the costs of my medications. Without his help I just couldn’t afford to take them and my life would be a much less pleasant experience. I would most likely be homeless again.
A very fiscal crisis is looming: namely, medical care. The United States has one of the most inefficient medical care systems in all the industrialized nations. I believe it is the privatization of this is why most of this inefficiency is so prevalent. The interests of insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies have too much clout in promoting their interests to the government and our leaders. It is called big business in action.
The most glaring thing is that most people want “reform” of our medical care system. As in the past, most Americans favor national health insurance. In a 2003 Washington Post-ABC News poll, 80 per cent regarded universal health care as "more important than holding down taxes." These wants have been pretty much ignored by our leaders.
On top of the growing concerns regarding medical care, Congress recently enacted tougher controls on bankruptcy. Almost half of all bankruptcies are caused by medical bills that cannot be paid. This glaring move by congress was a slap in the face to your average medical care consumer and I am sure there was much cheering in the board rooms of major health care companies.
Many progressive first world countries have national health care systems that are efficient and work. Australia’s system is one of best. Why can’t the richest nation in the world provide even the most basic healthcare options without entailing astronomical costs for said services? It is pure greed and profit driven.
I fear that in a few years that healthcare will be out of the reach of the poor. Only the wealthiest individuals will get the best care. Millions of American are without insurance and are one major illness away from bankruptcy. We will eventually arrive at an impasse and something must me done. I just hope that in the next election we will get a leader who understands the wants of the average citizen and not of those of big business. Will that happen? The odds are very remote with the corporate oligarchy that is our current government.
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