Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction:

The issue that I am going to be focusing on is health care reform. This is a very hot topic right now as it is something every person in the United States will be affected by. There are currently 47 million people in the United States or about 15% without health insurance. The current health care reform bill is a bill that will control the rising costs of health care, give those seeking care a choice of which doctor to see, and give high quality health care while remaining affordable. Currently the health care reform bill or H.R. 3962 has been passed by the House of Representatives and is moving on to the Senate.

Who is affected by this Issue?

It seems that everyone will be affected by this issue if it becomes a law. Those who receive insurance through an employer may pay more as companies will be required to contribute less than the national average currently is. This means that you will more than likely be paying more out of pocket if you chose to keep your current coverage with your employer. In this sense these people might be the ones to lose but they also could gain if their company isn’t contributing enough. Another group that would be affected is those who currently do not have health insurance. This bill would make insurance more affordable for those that cannot afford it or chose not to have insurance because of the costs. Those without insurance in turn will gain because they may not seek coverage because they cannot afford it. If more people are covered under health care insurance it will decrease some costs because rising costs of health care are mainly due to those without health care seeking the most expensive health care, the emergency room. As the poor delay seeking treatment until it is too late for simple treatment.

What are the consequences of the issue?

The consequences for those already with insurance will be very minimal as their costs may rise a little bit. It would also affect those that are on or are going to be on Medicare, these people might lose the coverage they receive now. Although this has been upsetting to a lot of people, if you look at the big picture our country should benefit in the long run. The consequences for those without health insurance are that they aren’t paying anything for insurance as they aren’t covered. Thus increasing costs for the people without insurance is probably the biggest consequences as they will move to the public option. The consequences for families are that they may have to pay more out of pocket to cover their insurance costs, as their employer may be paying less. The consequences for society should be relatively minimal as this is a bill to benefit the United States.

What is the economic impact of the issue?

The costs of this issue are going to be spread out among the entire nation. The cost is expected to be an estimated $1 trillion over the next 10 years. For the most part the government will be paying this amount, while there is some talk of taxing the rich. There is also talk of increased cost sharing by the patient. Costs will also be put on insurers, drug makers and medical device manufacturers. Those that will benefit from this bill are those that are without insurance. The public option will cover those without health insurance and will benefit the most.

What is the social impact of the issue?

It seems that health care reform will benefit the poor more than it will benefit the rich. The rich will most likely bare some of these costs as the government feels they can afford to contribute more than others. The upper-middle and middle classes will then be taxed. It seems as though with the rich being taxed along with the upper middle and middle classes being taxed everyone will still benefit because costs should be able to be controlled for all. Reminder that one main goal of this bill is to control costs in health care.

What are the barriers?

The barriers to the issue are to inform those that do not understand this bill. Another barrier is working with those that are not in favor of the bill and to hear their reasons why and make changes to make things somewhat fair for everyone. It is important to take all of the people opinions into account because this is a bill that will affect people living in the United States. Simply hearing people opinions through town hall meeting is a way to overcome some of the barriers.

What are the resources?

To get this bill going the government will have to come up with the money to implement this plan as money does not grow on trees. Again this money will come from the government, drug makers, manufacturers, the people, and other sources of money.

What is the history of this issue?

The history of this issue is that many Americans have been without health insurance for many years and the government is now looking at a way for this issue to be solved by making a public option. The issue was first brought up in 1912 by former president Theodore Roosevelt, when he tried to promote national health insurance. The issue was again brought up in 1934 but was again not considered. In 1948 socialized medicine was again brought up but quickly ended when the Korean War began. It wasn’t until July 1965 that Medicare and Medicaid programs came into play for Americans. In November of 1976 a comprehensive national health insurance system was introduced by Jimmy Carter and as the recession hit, it became less of a priority. November 2008 Obama begins his campaign for health care reform, resulting in where we currently stand in health care reform.

Allies and Opponents:

People who seem to support this issue are of course the President of the United States Barack Obama and some democratic parties. Those also in support are those without health insurance. Those that are opposed to this issue are the rich, those that don’t want things to change from where health insurance currently is, and others who are worried about the quality are care they might receive if this bill is passed.

My Recommendation:

I personally think this is a tough issue to debate but in the end I would say I am a little more for the bill than against it. I think that something needs to be done for those that do not have health insurance and if this is what government has come up with for the nation then it might be our best option. I think that although it may not benefit people in the beginning, in the long run costs will be able to be minimized. I think that our country will go through substantial changes in order to make this better for all but I hope that in the long run we would all see this as a positive move for the better of our country. It has been said that the devil lies in the details regarding this issue.

Resources: 

CNN

White House

CBS

Washington Post

New York Times