by Sylvia Morrison

Created on: January 20, 2009

Though no one believes the health care system isn't in need of serious reform most politicians still don't understand what the real problem is. President Obama has a better understanding than the previous ones. But even he doesn't really get it.

Over 50% of our economy is generated by small businesses. Very few produce the profits needed to provide health insurance. Most of these employees work at minimum wage or slightly above. So even with a two income family at say $7.00 an hour that's only $560. a week before taxes. According to findings by HUD a large majority of those making 120% of the poverty level or below pay 50% or more of their earnings on rent alone. Thus they have less than $1,200 dollars a month for taxes, utilities, insurance, transportation, clothing, food and day care if they have any children. If they are blessed with an employer who does provides health care the deductibles and co-pays are often so high it's still not affordable. This is even more true when there is only one low income wage earner.

In the 70s England had a wonderful universal health care system. It covered basic eyecare and glasses, dental work, emergencies, yearly physical, continuing care and medication for everyone. Then you could buy additional insurance if you wanted or needed it. Since so many items were covered under the basic plan the insurance companies had to actively compete for the business. Thus the reduced expenditures and competiton kept cost low.

Health care should be a basic right for any person especially in a country like ours. There are groups like Doctors Without Borders that go to other countries and provide medical treatment that often a man working hard all his life can't afford. I have a friend who has worked since he was 12 without missing a single day for illness in over 30 years. Yet he suffered for over 20 years with abcessed gums and rotten teeth because his family's needs came first and there wasn't any money to pay for a dentist, let alone insurance. Once laid off since he had minor children he was eligible for medicaid. But it only paid to have them all pulled. Since he couldn't afford dentures he hasn't been able to find work in his former occupation due to the need of a well groomed appearance. He has had to settle for a minimum wage janitorial job.

So if President Obama really is going to fix healthcare he needs a clear understanding of why it is in trouble to begin with. He won't get the answers for this from the experts. He needs to talk to those who have suffered from the need.

We provide ridiculously good benefits to those in prison who have harmed others, yet so many get upset at providing a basic form of health insurance for everyone else. The attitude of the politicians remind me of those taken by the various corporations at the beginning of the industrial revolution. But if human life only has value to the extent it can't be replaced then we have lost our own souls for a higher profit margin.

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