We have a cool wet morning here in the Queen City.
Health care reform is the big economic story in the news this week. This nation needs a more healthy population as we are not at the top when compared to other nations, and health care costs are hurting us economically as well. But, in my mind, education is an important piece of the health care puzzle. Without better nutrition and health education people will continue to make poor choices in life style behavior. Personally, I think everyone should have health care, and especially children should have the benefit of a complete health care system. But, with that said, I believe the Federal Government can do a lot more to inform and educate people to make better choices in nutrition, exercise and a wide assortment of life style choices that do not promote a healthier population. Insuring that everyone has access to health care is just a part of the problem, a healthier nation needs to live a healthier life style too. There is, in my opinion, much that can be done to educate children (and adults) about what is good for the human body, as well as what each individual can do to promote and live their own healthier life style.
I believe that there is a contract between government and its people. I believe that government should “cover” the health care option, but I also believe that the people have a responsibility to do what they can to make and maintain themselves as healthy citizens. Let me put it this way, the government provides us with the boat, but we all need to grab an oar and paddle too. Government money alone can not make for a healthier population without a serious effort on the part of government to inform and educate the population about what each of us can do to live a healthier life style.
Stay tuned.
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5 comments:
About that whole "Health Care Cost" thing? Is it cost we need to control - or profit?
I mean, isn't there a level where the cost of health care represents money circulating in the economy? Isn't it people that build the equipment? Don't Nurses need to be paid? Don't hospitals and doctors need supplies - which, in turn, are manufactured by companies that employ people?
What we need to do is make certain the we join the rest of the industrialized world and develop some sort of National Health Care System. We, the U.S., are the ONLY country in the industrialized world in which a person can be bankrupted by medical costs. Where you can lose your home because of doctor bills. Where your child's education fund and everything else you've ever managed to save can go up in smoke with one catastrophic illness or accident.
That's what we need to control.
Health Care will take a large percentage of GDP, no matter what is done. If we leave the current system, costs will continue to increase every year unabated (this is capitalism...everyone in the line needs to make a profit). If we provide a national health care system, it will be an enormous expense(and you can be sure there will be a vocal minority against it....that will be the group with health insurance).
From my personal point of view, while I would like medical care available for all,I'm not sure I want to support those who don't take care of themselves and end up needing a lot of medical care because of their poor decisions in life.
Lou, I agree with everything you said. No one should be bankrupted because of an illness or accident.
Winslow, I appreciate what you are saying too; however, there will always be people that don't take care of themselves. That is why I think we need to educate children about nutrition and good health habits. As a nation, I think we can do a better job of educating everyone and healthy life style choices.
Thanks for your comments.
Good to see the link between health care costs and lifestyles. It's often overlooked. There are so many things that are interrelated in the economy and we have problems trying to solve the things with "compartmental thinking." Health care access relates to health care costs which relate to lifestyle choices.
Solutions interrelate also. For
instance, bicycling addresses many issues from health to the environment to energy.
Robert,
You and I are on the same page on this issue. Health care involves a holistic approach. If we all rode a bike, that is everyone that can ride a bike, can you imagine how healthy that segment of our society would be. Yes, there would probably be more bike accidents, but I think overall it would be a big positive for the country as a whole. Unfortunately, for serious transportation, we are just too spread out in some parts, but wouldn't it be nice to have us importing less oil. And, the nutrition aspect is very serious, as we read reports about children over weight and the health problems associated with childhood obesity. Some health professionals believe we already have a serious problem among children eating too much fast food and not getting enough exercise. All of these factors, are the pieces of the puzzle that make up our health care profile as a nation.
That said, no one should be removed from a hospital because they don't have health insurance and left on the street. That has happened in this country. That kind of behavior must stop, and that is why I think we need to improve our system of health care in the United States.
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