Health Insurance Lessons from the French, Representing the Uninsured and a Cautionary Health Care Tale
Welcome to this latest installment of the Weekly Health Insurance News Roundup. Today we look at three varying articles covering different health insurance-related topics, the first of which being an article from ajc.com entitled, "Ills of French health system a lesson on reining in costs." This article takes a look at the French system of nationalized health care and, in looking at the types of reforms our own American government is trying to achieve. In looking at the French system, it was found that while they proposed a compulsory system for purchasing health insurance, this system was what they called a "Trojan horse."
Through these reforms, the French government has seized control over the costs of health care. They have also passed reforms making it harder to choose one's own doctors and specialists, proposing placing a limit on doctors who are looking to open their own practice and much more. What's worse, rather than striving to make their health care system more efficient and cost-effective, they've actually made it more bloated and expensive by adding even more bureaucracy to the system, rather than streamlining it. There are some interesting lessons to be learned here, and it's hoped that the current administration will look at other health care systems around the world and learn from their mistakes and failures.
Our next article comes to us from tothecenter.com and is entitled, "America's Uninsured Are Great in Number, Low in Representation." This article looks at how, even though there are nearly fifty million Americans who have no insurance, they are underrepresented in our government, and those in government have little motivation to work for them or represent them due to a lack of political capitol. Politicians see little incentive to vote for programs that will help the uninsured since they can't rely on those same uninsured people to vote for them in the next election.
The last of a central voice to speak for the uninsured has gotten in the way of those looking to get politicians to look at the issue. One group, Health Care for America Now, is trying to organize millions of uninsured Americans in a grass-roots movement in order to give them a larger, more organized voice in Washington. Sadly, as they admit themselves, most uninsured people are too busy just making ends meet to volunteer for political activism. Hopefully in time the uninsured will get more organized and have a larger voice in order get more proper representation, but there seem to be a lot of obstacles in the way.
Our final article comes from The New York Times and is entitled, "Health Care Cautions, From One Who Knows." In this article, they talk to Richard A. Gephardt, a former presidential candidate and now lobbyist. He says that, until the White House enacts cost-saving measures to reign in health care spending, universal health care coverage should not be passed. According to Mr. Gephardt, "I feel so much now like deja vu all over again," referencing to the failed attempt by the Clinton administration in the 1990's to also enact universal health care coverage.
The article cites others as agreeing, saying that costs must be curtailed if universal health coverage is ever to see the light of day. Several health insurance companies indeed want universal or expanded health insurance coverage, but the costs need to be kept low to make it feasible. It makes sense, and shows how many obstacles our government has to overcome to even come close to providing universal coverage.
This concludes this edition of the Weekly Health Insurance News Roundup. As always, I hope you have found it informative, interesting and useful. Until next time, have a happy and healthy day.
