Universal Healthcare
The rest of the nation is anxiously watching Massachusetts as it attempts to institute a universal healthcare system in the state. State law now requires that all residents must be enrolled into a healthcare plan by December 31 or face penalties. For the first year the penalty for residents will be loss of their personal exemption on state tax returns, which is about $219. Next year the penalty is expected to rise to as high as $1,000.
As expected, there have been growing pains in this bold plan. A state program was instituted to help subsidize insurance for low income individuals and families. While participation was better than expected, it’s already straining the budget of the program and it’s estimated that as many as two thirds of the previously uninsured are still without health insurance coverage.
With an estimated 60 million Americans in our country currently without health care, this is an important test to see if such a system might work nationwide. The U.S. is the only wealthy industrialized nation in the world without universal healthcare. Despite what we may believe, we do not have the best healthcare system in the world.
Although we have some of the best trained medical professionals and best hospitals found anywhere in the world, we compare poorly to countries with universal health care systems. Life expectancy and infant mortality rates ranks well behind the other industrialized nations.
The problem with healthcare in this country has always been cost. The U.S. spends more money per capita on healthcare than any country in the world. Some experts estimate that on average Americans spend about 40% more on healthcare than countries with universal healthcare systems. It’s also estimated that the government accounts for over 45% of total healthcare spending in the country.
The facts speak for themselves. I think it’s time for our government leaders to consider to following the example of the rest of the civilized world and make affordable healthcare a right of our citizens.
