An ailing healthcare system

There’s a reason why healthcare is such a big issue in the US right now… actually there are a couple of reasons. When you see statistics, mortality rates, percentage of chronic conditions and the overall state of health in the US, it’s a bit scary to say the least. To be honest, it’s frightening.

First off, “legendary” legislation was passed in healthcare, but since it was from Obama and he slighted Republicans to no end by ignoring their requests, which let’s be honest, were only being drafted to stall the effort and ultimately filibuster healthcare reform out of the water. So off the bat, there’s a problem since it’s a polarizing topic that will serve to push Democratic or Republican legislative power instead of what’s best for the country.

As if that weren’t enough, health insurance plans are finally being called to cut their illicit tactics out and it’s amazing to see how many plans called foul when it was made illegal to cherry pick patients. Pretty much they wanted all the profit but none of the risk and don’t worry, if you get diabetes, we’ll just drop you from the plan. That was the case a few years back and luckily things have gotten better.

To boot, then you have hospitals, physicians and all types of healthcare providers doing anything in their power to save a buck or earn one. From putting a patient in a cab and dropping them off at another hospital, to prescribing medications people don’t need and ordering a CAT scan for someone who has allergies, the variety of Fraud, Waste, and Abuse issues are countless.

This should be enough to raise a flag that things are far from kosher, but no… it gets worse. Rising levels of diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, heart failure, kidney failure, obesity, heart disease, and hypertension means that people are getting sicker… not better. The reasons for this abound, but more sedentary home lifestyles, coupled with overworking company cultures, a broken economy and stress levels going off the Richter are some of the culprits… but it’s not like the healthcare system does anything to help… after all, this is all just business.

And THERE lies the problem. Healthcare shouldn’t be exclusively about making money… and that’s just what it is. That’s why fraud is so popular and costs the US billions of dollars every year… because it’s treated as a business. I have no idea why universal healthcare translates into socialism, but that’s what people apparently believe.

The point is that regardless of your stance or opinion, the fact is that healthcare in the US is not that great to put it lightly… the question then has to be posted: how long are we going to let politics and ignorance get in the way of the best healthcare for the people? The clock is ticking, the water is rising, the bomb clock is ticking and the time for opinions is past… we need decisions and change, or we’ll continue slipping further down the spiral.