Jonathan Kelly April 20, 2012 Public Policy Op-Ed Policy Matters: Perspectives on Contemporary Problems

America has flirted with proposals to overhaul the current health care system for decades, but the spark of the discussion always seems to flicker out before any transformations happen. The time has come to wake up and smell the roses, America. Realize that reformations, such as those in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, drastically need to be made to our current health care system. Due to the poor economy, an astounding number of Americans are forced to make the difficult decision to be without health insurance on a daily basis. It has been found that, every percentage point increase in the national unemployment rate yields 1.1 million more uninsured adults; every 10 percent increase in costs pushes another 1.4 million Americans (about a third of them children) into either public programs or the growing ranks of the uninsured (Gordon). The majority of these people are without insurance not by personal choice, but because of external factors preventing them. As a country we must re-think our current health care system not only fiscally, but in regards to the current practices of insurance companies. Medical coverage in the United States is not cheap by any means. Uninsured citizens are forced to take on the uphill battle of paying the full price for medications and appointments. The actual cost of healthcare without assistance is a daunting task for any citizen to take on, and realistically, a lack of income prevents many from being able to cover these costs. However, uninsured citizens are not the only ones who are struggling to pay for healthcare: 62 percent of personal bankruptcies in 2007 were related to medical expenses

and 80 percent of those filing were insured (Gordon). Citizens who are unable to pay for needed medications and treatments present a predicament for our current system. According to the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, it is the duty of healthcare professionals to stabilize patients in hospitals without concern for the patients capability to pay for the emergency services (Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act). We are playing a costly game of hot potato under our current system regarding the cost of treating citizens unable to pay for their needed healthcare. The game has no clear winner as the bill is passed from one person to the next, and in the process we all get burned. Under our current system, healthcare providers are the first to be stuck with the bill. The burden placed on healthcare providers adds up to approximately $43 billion worth of medical related costs each year (Cole). Hospitals earn back the cost of covering patients unable to pay for treatment by increasing the cost of medical treatment for everyone. As a result, insurance premiums sky rocket by $1000 a year on average, causing citizens to reassess obtaining proper health insurance (Cole). High insurance premiums are not the only deterrent in obtaining health insurance for citizens, as insurance companies are fastidious on allowing coverage. Insurance companies, like any other capitalistic company, focus primarily on turning a profit. The main challenge faced by insurance companies is deciding which citizens should be covered, and if they are covered, the price of premiums assigned to each plan. A majority of citizens deem the practices of insurance companies to be unjust, and wish for the process to be restructured. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is legislation geared towards solving the problems of our current health care system. A key component of PPACA, called the individual mandate, hopes to eliminate insurance discrimination by making owning health

insurance a law. The mandate will implement a gradual weeding out process of uninsured citizens by enforcing sizable fines on those who choose not to obtain insurance (Cole). Decreasing the number of uninsured citizens can have a tremendous impact on diminishing the cost of healthcare in the United States. The majority of the costs healthcare providers face on a daily basis from uninsured individuals would be eliminated. Lower sunk costs for healthcare providers leads to more affordable services, and in the long run lower insurance premiums. Currently the individual mandate is being challenged by the Supreme Court of the United States regarding whether or not it is constitutional for the government to make citizens obtain insurance (Cole). America, the time has come to recognize the current healthcare system is flawed. For decades the initiative of reforming the current health care system has been brought up, but never acted upon. It is time to address this disheartening problem, America, and realize the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act offers a solution.

Works Cited Cole, David. "Why Obama's Healthcare Law Is Constitutional." The Nation. 07 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://www.thenation.com/article/166672/why-obamas-healthcare-lawconstitutional>. "Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA)." Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://www.cms.gov/Regulations-andGuidance/Legislation/EMTALA/index.html?redirect=/EMTALA>. Gordon, Colin, and Jessica Pellien. "We've Been Here Before: History and Health Reform." Weblog post. Princeton University Press Blog. 08 Sept. 2009. Web. 16 Apr. 2012. <http://press.princeton.edu/blog/2009/09/08/we%E2%80%99ve-been-here-beforehistory-and-health-reform-by-colin-gordon/>.