Health Care Cheat Sheet
Everything You Need to Know About Universal HealthCare Policies
Nov 14, 2009
If you turn the channel to any major news network, you may hear the political pundits talking of death panels and communism; but how much do you really know about the status of health care in the United States of America? And what do you know about President Barack Obama’s proposed new system? To stay informed about one of the most crucial policy decisions of our time is sometimes difficult with everyone spewing information (sometimes falsely) over the airwaves. This list will keep you up to date on some of the most pertinent information on the issue.
Facts About Today’s System
Here is the current state of our healthcare system in factual and understandable terms:
- According to the National Coalition on Health Care, employer-sponsored health insurance premiums have increased by 131% in the last ten years (this is four times the rate of inflation and wage increases during that decade). Further information and statistics from the NCHC is available at the National Coalition on Health Care webpage.
- The number of citizens of the United States without health insurance has grown to over 45 million men, women, and children.
- Extensive polling from the Congressional Budget Office indicates that the cost of health insurance is steadily rising annually and the number one reason people are uninsured is due to the escalating costs of coverage.
- The National Coalition on Health Care estimates that approximately 1.5 million families lose their homes to foreclosure every year due to unaffordable health costs.
Facts About the President’s Proposed Plan
The terms of President Obama's newly proposed plan and its main effects on the American Health System are outlined below:
- Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Cuba, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, South Korea, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom each have a form of Universal Healthcare in effect today (information obtained from Barack Obama's health-care oriented website).
- President Obama plans to create a system that will not add to our mounting federal deficit.
- The plan consists of a centralized national database which would make diagnosis and treatment easier and more efficient.
- The proposed system will be designed to end discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions and will prevent insurance companies from eliminating patients’ coverage when they are sick.
- Most polls indicate approximately 55% of Americans approve of the public health care option.
Now that you know all of the facts, it’s up to you to make an informed stance on the most popular and thought-provoking debate of the year. You are now equipped with the knowledge necessary to begin your own research on the topic, or at very least carry on a conversation with your peers.
Sources: Barack Obama's website
National Coalition on Health Care Facts and Resources Page
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