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Health care costs in the United States continue to rise daily, as does the number of people that can no longer afford it. Americans will never agree on how this problem needs to be addressed. The fact is a change is not only needed but unavoidable. Each year thousands of Americans are forced into bankruptcy because of unpaid medical bills. Thousands of Americans are denied coverage, or have no access to it. Americans are turned away from hospitals and medical clinics because they do not have health insurance. Yet we are told that health insurance companies do not control the hospitals and physicians.

There was a time when we were consumers and had choices when it came to out health care, but that time has long since past. We are offered a health care package on a take it or leave it basis. Most plans charge as much a the average person's mortgage each month for family coverage. This does not include co-pays and deductibles. Our house payments should be the largest expense that we have, but it's not. We are seeing an increase in the amount of Americans filing for Medical Assistance. The United States Government is already paying for this. More and more Americans are not getting annual check ups because they can not afford to pay the doctors. This is a necessary part of preventative care. Without these check ups certain diseases and medical conditions will not be caught in time to prevent expensive medical treatments. Then we have another set of Americans that are going to be forced to apply for medical assistance to pay for these treatments. In the end the government will end up paying for all of this. So why not look at some much needed changes now.

If the government were to step in a pass laws that govern the health care industry now they may be able to avoid paying the expense of all of the Americans that are eventually going to depend on them. If the government would pass laws requiring all health insurance companies to cover preventative health care, and any treatments that at least two doctors agree is needed without the option of denying the claims. Or perhaps by capping the maximum premiums that can be charged and not allowing increases for 36 -48 months. Or even abolishing deductibles and co pays. Any of these would give some relief to the Americans that have health insurance. Then they could begin to concentrate on the people that have no coverage. No business or industry exists or remains in existence if it can not make a profit, however there is no reason for health insurance companies to make the billions and billions of dollars in profits that they currently make each year while the people that pay them go broke and die from diseases that they don't cover.

The universal health care plan is a good idea. It takes the power out of the health insurance companies hands. I would worry about the quality of care that we would receive under this type of plan. That could be easily overcome by setting a sliding scale premium that each person had to pay each month. For those that are below the poverty line no payments would be required and for those Americans with six and seven figure incomes they would need to flip the bill for those who could not pay. My fear is that under this plan the rich would have the best hospitals and medical treatments while the poor would be forced to take whatever was left over. We need to keep in mind that health insurance was a good concept when it was created. Whatever health care system we adopt Americans must keep the costs and coverages under control.

Learn more about this author, Regina W.
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