ISSUE: Health Care
Health Care Debate Still Seeks A Cure
by Sarah Moon '09
Lane and Amy Chicos of Decorah, Iowa run a small business providing Internet access to their community. When Lane was 21, he developed cancer. Therefore, he lost a lung, a leg, and part of a hip.
17 years later, Lane is cancer free but their family’s fledgling business is on the verge of bankruptcy. The Chicos have three children and their medical insurance costs more than $1,000 a month. Each year, their premiums increase by hundreds of dollars and the Chicos have not found a more affordable provider. Currently, 40 percent of their income goes to healthcare premiums. The Chicos do not have a retirement plan or savings.
According to the U.S. Bureau of the Census, approximately one in 11 people in Iowa do not have health insurance. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, nearly 47 million Americans are uninsured.
Health care in the 2008 presidential election
Some 2008 presidential candidates are pushing universal health care coverage. Although American Family Insurance agent Kristi Demuth of Waverly, Iowa said she supports it, she said it will be hard.
“It’d make things a lot easier for me too as a self-employed person, but I think it’s going to be a tough dream and I think it’s going to take a long time to get to that point, just because medical insurance is not cheap,” Demuth said.
However, State Sen. Bill Heckroth (D-Waverly) said the feat is attainable.
“I don’t think it’s impossible. I think we’ve just got to reallocate our dollars for health care,” Heckroth said.
Demuth said not enough people have health insurance and often don’t realize the risks of being uninsured with age.
“Most of them don’t think about it until they’re in their 60’s. Well, that’s when it becomes expensive,” Demuth said. “So it makes it very restrictive and it’s very expensive at that age.”
Universal health care
Heckroth said health care should be universal, which does not mean government run hospitals.
“What it means is just that it’s available to everybody, it’s affordable to everybody and it’s effective for everybody. That’s universal health care.”
Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) wants a universal health care plan in place within his months in office as president. His plan would include decreasing health care costs through improved preventive care, making sure all children are insured and decreasing the costs of prescription drugs.
Sen. Mike Gravel (D-Alaska) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) supports universal health care through a single tax payer system. Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) favors tax cuts to give more access to private section health care plans. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) favors market-based reforms to promote more private section competition and individual decisions. Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) wants all Americans to have portable coverage comparable to plans that are available to federal workers.
Treatment delays
Heckroth said not having insurance delays “wellness types of treatments.” He also stressed the United States health care program should focus on wellness.
“We do not have a health care program in this country, we have a sick care program,” Heckroth said.
According to Heckroth, health insurance should be required and affordable for all citizens.
Candidates who support requiring health insurance:
· Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.)
· Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.)
· Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.)
· Gov. Mitt Romney (R-Mass.)
Candidates who oppose mandatory health insurance:
· Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-N.Y.)
· Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-Ark.)
· Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
· Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.)
· Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.)
Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) would not require insurance for everyone, except children.
Demuth has been an insurance agent for 18 years.
When Demuth started working for American Family, group plans were cheaper than individual plans but that has reversed.
“Normally when it’s an employer sponsored program it’s what’s called a true group and those true groups mean that whether you or I have a medical problem those employers group plans have to take you,” Demuth said.
Personal insurance plans
With personal insurance, insurance agents underwrite everyone so they can choose whether or not to accept someone based on their medical records, Demuth said.
Waverly Health Center chief financial officer Lisa Bennett said the hospital does treat patients without health insurance.
“Our policy here is not to refuse anyone who walks in the door. However, we’ve been fairly fortunate in that our private paid portion or uninsured portion of the population is only about 5 percent of our business,” Bennett said.
Help for uninsured patients
If patients are uninsured, Bennett said Waverly Health Center helps them pay for their care.
“We have a very generous financial assistance program here. We do offer assistance to individuals that are up to 300 percent or three times the poverty level which a family with several children could be up to the amounts of $70,000 or $80,000 in income and they still would have some type of assistance available,” Bennett said.
According to Bennett, the Waverly Health Center has seen many trends in how health care is being paid. The hospital receives numerous phone calls and questions from patients about the cost.
“I think there’s a lot more general awareness out there among individuals to be more alert on what they are spending on health care,” Bennett said.
Cost of prescription drugs
Another concern for insurance holders is the rising cost of prescription drugs. Pharmacist Ryan Frerichs, of Meyer Pharmacy in Waverly, Iowa, said Meyer Pharmacy tries to find cheaper alternatives for prescription holders.
“Our patients are very open and willing to hear that partially because it makes more economic sense for the entire healthcare system and it makes more sense for them as well,” Frerichs said.
Frerichs said prescription insurance can help to keep prescription costs lower. If a patient does not have prescription insurance, he or she can try to receive assistance from the drug company.
Thirdly, a patient should see if their state has any programs that would allow them coverage from Medicare or Medicaid.
Although universal health care sounds like a good idea, the plan is not as easy as it sounds.
Until the health card debate is resolved, the Chicos will continue to wonder how to pay for their insurance.