Saturday, September 21st, 2019
Stephan: Every other developed nation in the world has worked out that it is in the interest and to the advantage of their society as a whole to make health care a human right. But, in the United States, where it is every man or woman for themself, we don't have a healthcare system. All we can manage is an illness profit system because we lack the moral courage as a people to do what is right, and in our own self-interest.
Health care expenses forced 8 million Americans into poverty in 2018, according to the Census Bureau. (emphasis added)
The big picture: That’s actually an improvement from the past several years, when an annual average of 11 million people fell into poverty because of medical costs — a reflection of the country’s expensive system.
How it works: The Census Bureau tracks how various social programs and daily expenses influence poverty rates.
- Social Security, SNAP benefits and housing subsidies are among the most effective anti-poverty programs.
- But year after year, medical expenses remain “the largest contributor to increasing the number of individuals in poverty,” according to the Census Bureau.
- Most people who have insurance and who make less than 150% of the federal poverty level don’t have enough liquid assets to cover a $1,500 deductible.
The bottom line: People who don’t have insurance have the highest risk of falling into poverty, due to the high prices of drugs and procedures.
The last time my wife went to the hospital with a heart problem, they charged her over $15,000 and we are still paying the deductible. It is ridiculous. A friend of ours has a son who went to England a few years ago and while he was there he had a lung collapse and had to go to the hospital for a few days. He was worried about how much it would cost. What he found out when he checked out was that there was no cost at all, because the government paid it all; not even a deductible. We live in a totally unhealthy country because we do not have Medicare or better yet Medicaid for all, so we do not go broke for care which is unacceptable at best.