Health Insurance Does Not Equal Health Care, Opinion Piece Writes
According to Poplin, what U.S. residents need "to lead full, productive lives is good health care," and health insurance "may be one way to get there." She uses the example of car insurance -- which "works well in this country" -- stating that despite the fact that "[m]ost drivers don't get into accidents," we "require all drivers to have insurance to cover the expenses of innocent victims." She adds that two key features of car insurance are limits on insurers' liability and the fact that insurance does not cover routine maintenance. Poplin states that health insurance "was never designed" to care for people who survive illnesses and live with chronic conditions.
According to Poplin, "There are some goods the private market just cannot provide efficiently that we need to purchase collectively: defense, roads, sanitation." She writes, "The rest of the developed world believes that health care is another." Poplin proposes "split[ting] the difference" to let "those who can obtain good insurance buy it" and to let "those who can't get decent insurance at a reasonable price buy into Medicare." She adds that "wherever the debate goes," U.S. residents must remember that the "real goal is not health insurance, but universal health care" (Poplin, Philadelphia Inquirer, 2/25).
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
De Asigurãri de Sãnãtate nu Egalitatea de sãnãtate, avizul bucata scrie - Health Insurance Does Not Equal Health Care, Opinion Piece Writes - articole medicale engleza - startsanatate