(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
If we are to believe in the sound principles and the intuitive ethics outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights we must be serious about healthcare reform. “According to the latest date from the Census Bureau, in 2007, there were an estimated 13.2 million uninsured young adults. It's the fastest growing group of the 46 million uninsured Americans today. (cnn.com)”
So there are questions to be answered in the health care debate and we'd like to hear some opinions on possible courses of action in health care reform. Is “the Obama Plan” our answer? Should there be a public option to compete with private plans? Where on the spectrum should this reform fall (the far left being complete government control over health care and the far right being a completely privatized system)? Should the government be getting involved at all and if so/ not why? Is the status quo acceptable?
The current debate over health care has our nation up in arms. Something that seems to have been forgotten in the debate ensuing over health care is how young Americans feel about these issues. If we want our opinions to be considered and our voices heard we must formulate our ideas and speak out on the issues. We can't let our emotions get the best of us and I've posted the following link to show the type of counterproductive debate we cannot afford in the discussion over our nation's health care reform:
Consider this a prompt with liberty for improvisation and a call to speak out as the “Next Generation's Republic.
I believe that this issue is two-fold, firstly being the role of the government in either providing health care or creating incentives for employers to provide healthcare. Though it would be nice for the government to provide this healthcare, I believe that this approach would be extremely problematic in a nation with over 300 million inhabitants who's current healthcare system is significantly different from a socialized or subsidized system (pardon the use of "buzz words", socialized is not a bad word for me). However, the move to a healthcare system that gives companies, especially small businesses, significant tax or other benefits in order to supply employees with healthcare or affordable options for healthcare.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, individual accountability for the current costs of health care should be addressed. Obviously, health care insurance companies care more about the bottom line than the customer; however, with 66% of Americans overweight and 32% considered to be obese (CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm) there is clearly a need for personal accountability for one's health. This may be the easiest step to take. by making better health decisions and by putting pressure on food companies where it hurts (their wallet) a large contingent of people could quickly change the nature of U.S. food supplies.
Though there is no immediate solution, the first step one can take is to take steps to ensure one's own health while simultaneously holding their local, state, and national representatives accountable for one's health care options.
I think the US should look to Englands and Australias healthcare systems for a starting point for reform (there would probably have to be some big differences because of the population difference of the US and those countries).
ReplyDeleteEnglands government provided healthcare system works great. Whenever you need to see a doctor you can go without having to think about cost. If a doctor says you need some major surgery then you get it without any hassle whatsoever. Half my family lives in England and they have never had any trouble getting the medical treatment they need.
Some critics say that you have to wait for surgery under a government program. This is simply not true. For example my Uncle living in England had to get surgery for possible cancer, once the doctor said he needed surgery he was immediatly booked in for a surgery a few days later. Also when I was living in Australia(which has a similar program) I had to get tubes put in my ears and again there was no major wait for the surgery. Also in Australia(and probably England) you can buy additional healthcare to supplement your government healthcare.(Obama has suggested this)
The beauty of government healthcare is that it covers everybody, yet you can supplement with private healthcare or opt out of the government program completely(just have private care).