The Ripple Effect
Paul Krugman today had a piece (link) in the New York Times in which he contrasted the American health care system to other countries’ way of providing health care. He pointed out that most other countries spend far less than we do on health care, but have better results in terms of infant mortality, life expectancy, etc.
One of the primary reasons (and there are many) why health care costs are so high in the US is the fact that our “system” fails to cover everyone. Excluding some people from reliable access to high quality healthcare inevitably raises costs for everyone. Each time someone loses their job, and with it their health insurance, costs rise for the rest of us. Each time a company cuts benefits, the costs for the system as a whole rise. In other words, when a person in Springfield loses insurance, the costs rise for the residents of the other the 355 other cities and towns in the Commonwealth, whether they have insurance or not. It may be just a penny or two but when you have over 500,000 uninsured it starts taking a big chunk out of your pay check in the form of higher premiums and taxes.
Cover the Uninsured Week is May 1-8. In the lead-up to the effort, the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) is promoting the Health Students Week of Action-- a series of coordinated events at each of the 50 state capitals to lobby for better access to health care for all patients. The AMSA effort will be April 25-29. The students who are working on this are the future of our health care system. We all want to ensure we have a system of health care that is always there for everyone who needs care. AMSA has endorsed the constitutional amendment campaign and we wish them success in their coming effort—for the sake of people everywhere in this country who suffer needlessly because they can’t see a doctor, afford medication, or get the help they need.
One of the primary reasons (and there are many) why health care costs are so high in the US is the fact that our “system” fails to cover everyone. Excluding some people from reliable access to high quality healthcare inevitably raises costs for everyone. Each time someone loses their job, and with it their health insurance, costs rise for the rest of us. Each time a company cuts benefits, the costs for the system as a whole rise. In other words, when a person in Springfield loses insurance, the costs rise for the residents of the other the 355 other cities and towns in the Commonwealth, whether they have insurance or not. It may be just a penny or two but when you have over 500,000 uninsured it starts taking a big chunk out of your pay check in the form of higher premiums and taxes.
Cover the Uninsured Week is May 1-8. In the lead-up to the effort, the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) is promoting the Health Students Week of Action-- a series of coordinated events at each of the 50 state capitals to lobby for better access to health care for all patients. The AMSA effort will be April 25-29. The students who are working on this are the future of our health care system. We all want to ensure we have a system of health care that is always there for everyone who needs care. AMSA has endorsed the constitutional amendment campaign and we wish them success in their coming effort—for the sake of people everywhere in this country who suffer needlessly because they can’t see a doctor, afford medication, or get the help they need.
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