A Few Current Problems
With the "new" Affordable Care Act, every citizen is required to have health care coverage, or pay a fine. It is well debated if this was a good option or not. I personally think that everyone should have some health coverage. However, I don't like the cost. Any type of insurance is simply a gamble. Am I going to get sick or not? I haven't for many years, so why pay for something that won't happen this year? If I have great insurance one year and don't use it, I might lower my premiums for the following year. Then I get sick and bear the brunt of the bills.
A difficulty with health insurance is who pays the bill. The cost of health care is surrounded around the health of the individual. It is true that more wealth grants better health. But, this is only due to circumstance. With more money you live in a better place, with good food, and health care when you need it. And in most markets, if you need more of a service, you should pay more. This is not fair for health care. The cost depends upon health. If you are more healthy, have good genes, and are not prone to sickness, you don't pay as much. Sickness is not always chosen. Sometimes it is.
Government Aid
The government has provided many programs and incentives to help people, communities, and companies grow. The idea behind this is it supports the greater good, economy, etc. I think this can be a great thing. The government provides public transit that gives everyone a means of transport. This gives the poor better access to work without the cost of owning a vehicle. It assists people in finding and having access to jobs. There are soup kitchens to help the poor, so they can theoretically focus more effort on contributing to society. Many companies help in these regards as well. Shouldn't the government focus on helping every citizen have good health? Isn't health a human right? Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness?
If someone is poor, they already have a higher chance of being sick. When that individual is sick, they probably can't afford proper nutrition and health care. Next, they can't work. They are caught in continual downward spiral. We cannot condemn others because of their status.
Finding A Common Factor
The only way to make health care fair is to find a common factor. Clearly wealth and natural health complications have no relationship. Location, birth, nationality, etc. None of these correlate. The biggest factors I can see have to do with diet and personal habits. People who eat more junk food, do drugs, and smoke will likely have more health problems. There are also other events that take place like atomic bomb testing that affects a region that will later struggle with cancer. Cities with high pollution can affect respiratory problems. These are the factors that will be addressed to support a new National Health initiative.
The Solution: National Health
The government is OK to create a new health care that they own and regulate, as long as it is done correctly. I will not discuss everything in full. This is merely an idea that the American people should discuss and build on their own. There are four areas that I will discuss: Who is covered, The Funding, A New Health Council, Charitable Contributions, and Acceptable Health Providers.
Who Is Covered
Every American citizen with a social security number will be given access to these benefits. Nobody should be excluded. If someone lives here, and is not an American citizen, they should have a visa or green card. These forms of identification will give them access to the national health system as well.
If someone is living a poor diet or has bad habits, they will be required to go through a rehab program. For instance, if someone is a heavy smoker and is battling lung cancer, they will need to stop smoking to receive full coverage. It makes no sense for a health care system to pay for something that is preventable like this. You cant help others that won't help themselves.
The Funding
Currently, health insurance is funded by either individuals or their employers. The intent of this National Health system is to make health care free. However, if someone is not willing to change their ways, or if they are not an American citizen with a form of ID, they might be required to pay a fee. However, this fee should not be more than a typical copay of $20. The employer will be required to pay a small portion for each employee and their family. Again, this will amount to no more than the copay for each individual a month. This amount may be lowered depending on how the rest of the funding pans out. All the money for the National Health program will go into one large pool that will be used for each citizen.
The majority of the funding will come from those companies that make up the "common factor". Cigarette companies will pay a fair amount to compensate the health complications they give to their customers. Junk food companies will pay a certain percentage towards the fund. Any company that affects the health of American citizens may have to face a fee to contribute to National Health.
A New Health Council
A new health council will be organized and made up of health professionals from both the traditional and natural health practices in America. This council will create a set of rules that will give each company a numerical score that determines how healthful they are for the nation. This score will be converted to a percentage of revenue that company will be required to pay to National Health. This council will apply to companies based on their size. For example, a fast food company will be given a rating, which will be divided by the number of states it operates in. The more widespread the company, the more influence it has on the nation's health.
The health score will be based upon the weighted average health of the company's products. The more unhealthy products they sell a year, the more fees. If there is a health breach, such as E. coli, and the company does not make adequate changes, they will be fined for their negligence and health consequences. if a company was found to have leaked hazardous waste, etc. they will be fined as well. Any company that affects the nation's health may pay a fine. These fines will be associated with the potential health problems that could be affected and/or created.
The benefits of these fees and ratings are great. It matches the cause and affect of most health problems in the United States. And, if a company wants to decrease their associated fees, they will have to change their products to be better fit for the American people. All products will become healthful and advantageous to every citizen. As the years go by, there might be fear that less money will be going into National Health. This is true, but the nation's overall health should also be greatly improved, with less overall cost.
Charitable contributions
Companies love to give money to improve their image and decrease their taxes. The National Health initiative is not exempt from this. Any company may pay more than the required amount, per employee, to National Health. And each company can claim the full amount paid to National Health as a tax deduction. Companies may still pay to charities, build schools, and help the world the way they currently do. But, wouldn't it be great if more companies put money towards something as great as National Health? This helps every citizen, no matter what their social status is. This builds a greater America.
Acceptable Health Providers
One of the most important things of any health insurance is who the providers are. Where can you go to treat your illness, get your annual checkup, etc? With National Health, you can go anywhere, as long as they are a registered health provider. This is true for natural and holistic practices as well.
What About The Insurance Companies
If National Health came to be, all other insurance companies may keep operating as they wish. Nobody has to get rid of their current provider. However, it would make no sense for anyone to stay with any provider. For an operation such as National Health to exist, it will need countless employees to give the expertise and customer service that everyone interacts with today. Therefore, it is expected that National Health would absorb most people that are currently working for a health insurance company today.
What Are Your Thoughts of #NationalHealth ?
I want to hear your thoughts. I believe that National Health could change America in a profound way. Please share this post with all your friends. Make National Health a conversation today. As you talk about National Health, please use this hashtag #NationalHealth
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