Universal Health Care

The recently passed Healthcare Reform Bill (HR-4872) is a necessity and long overdue. As one of the wealthiest countries in the world, it is a travesty that one hundred percent of our citizens are not adequately covered for their healthcare expenses. According to the United States Census Bureau, there were approximately 45.7 million people in the United States without basic healthcare insurance in 2009.

It is my position, that a “Universal Health Plan” is a necessary for the continued integrity of our nation. There are many opponents to the proposal of such a plan. Their arguments are often unfounded and are inflated with biased political hype.

Why is healthcare coverage a necessity? Under the current medical practices in the United States, a patient requiring care who does not have insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare would have to find a physician who is willing to accept a “Self-pay” patient. Costs incurred for the office visit or treatment would need to be paid at the time of the delivery of services. What this means is that the uninsured may rarely, if ever, visit a primary care physician unless it is absolutely necessary. Preventative care is typically avoided by the uninsured due to the out of pocket expenses and the price tag of modern medicine. Therefore, doctor visits are limited to Emergency Room services for illnesses or injuries as most have no primary care physician of record. Often, curable diseases or conditions are not diagnosed in the early stages and are allowed to become life threatening before care is sought. Patients are then forced to undergo extensive and costly treatments which may be too late to render any relief and often result in a premature loss if life. The uninsured or even the underinsu...

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... Adding an additional 47 million people to the primary physician caseload will undoubtedly throw a wrench into the logistical aspects of the new plan. HR-4872 realizes this is a problem and has made some considerations to help alleviate the problem. The new legislation is allowing for tuition reimbursement for both doctors and nurses. Advance Practice Nurses (APNs) will begin to play an expanded role in the preventative care of the American public. States are now beginning to look at the scope of practice of APNs and most are allowing them to practice to the fullest extent of their license. There are sure to be some bumps in the road as the winds of change begin. But for the general health and well being of all Americans, HR-4872 is a positive step in the right direction towards healthcare cost reform and the widespread availability to the people.