'Sick' a checkup for our health care system: Panorama: Rocky Mountain PBS: a1

Denver

30°

Blogs Health Care Tech Talk Green Living National Parks Super School News The 1930s

Facing the Mortgage Crisis
Colorado State of Mind - Budget Cuts to Higher Education
Women in power: what drives them to lead and what holds them back?
Public lands in the media spotlight
Native American Heritage Month
Health Care

Masterpiece Contemporary: Collision (Part 2 of 2)
Sunday at 9pm

Mystery of Chaco Canyon
Wednesday at 8pm

True Whispers: The Story of the Navajo Code Talker
Tuesday at 8pm

Movie: Harry and Tonto (1974)
Saturday at 8pm

Nova: Why Do We Dream?
Tuesday at 7pm

'Sick' a checkup for our health care system

posted Tuesday, April 1, 2008 2:10pm

See more on: Blogs, Health Care, Canada, Documentaries, Frontline

In my Tennessee hometown, you'll see a change jar at nearly every convenience store counter, collecting funds to help a family with a sick child. When this topic comes up, I've overheard or been part of many conversations that go like this.

Chris: Oh brother.

Pat: Who knows what their situation is?

Chris: They don't buy insurance because they want to just leach money from the rest of us.

Pat: But insurance costs a fortune, especially if they have pre-existing conditions. I'm sure it's just impossible for some people.

Chris: I'll bet they have a big screen TV.

Pat: Arggghhh! You don't know that! But what you do know is that there are children in that house who don't have health care. That doesn't seem fair.

Chris: Yes, that's true. And they'll probably repeat the cycle.

Pat: Don't freak out, but I think some form of universal health care is a decent idea. I think it would save money in the long run.

Chris: My Canadian friend hates universal health care! He had to wait a million years to get his toe sewn back on! He has to drive to Wisconsin!

Pat: Don't you think most Canadians are happy with the arrangement?

Chris: They hate it! The government can't run health care! Health care needs the free market to keep it competitive!

Pat: But! Wait!

[abrupt subject change or someone leaves the room, grumbling]

Sound familiar? No matter where your beliefs fall in this debate, chances are you're the least bit interested in health care in America. If so, don't miss "Sick Around the World" on "Frontline" Tuesday, April 15, at 9 p.m. Hosted by Washington Post reporter and Boulderite T.R. Reid, "Sick Around the World" investigates the health care practices of other capitalist democracies around the world to see what we can learn from them to mend our broken system.

In "Sick Around the World," it's mentioned that 700,000 Americans go bankrupt each year because of a health catastrophe. Reid asks Japanese and then Swiss health care leaders how many people in Japan or Switzerland go bankrupt each year paying for health care. The Swiss man looks stunned and says, "It does not happen." The Japanese man looks to a colleague in question, and comes back with "We've never heard of it." Both say that it would be a scandal in their country if a citizen went bankrupt to pay medical bills.

With a terrifying number of Americans (47 million, 9 million of whom are children) without health coverage today, our country is ready for a serious talk about health care. Perhaps a happy medium can be found that allows for profitability and healthy competition but doesn't cause a family to lose everything.

Rocky Mountain PBS is hosting a free screening of "Sick Around the World" Tuesday, April 8, at 6 p.m. at the Anschutz Medical Campus. T.R. Reid will be there to lead a panel discussion afterwards with Denver-area physicians.

If you're concerned about health care in American, please come to the screening and be part of the discussion.

For the time being, let us know what you think. What's your experience with health care? And what do you think is the answer to more equitable health coverage?

- Allison, Rocky Mountain PBS

Tune In

Frontline
"Sick Around the World"

Check out rmpbs.org/health for real-life health care stories, blogs and resources.

What's your point of view?

Ginger
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 › 4:51pm
I've been reading so many stories about productive, working and financially-sound people losing everything because of a car accident or major disease. In one instance, the wife had to quit her job just to manage insurance companies after her husband was in a major accident. That's not private insurance "managing" healthcare any better than the government. I'm not sure I'm ready for universal care either but I sure do hope there's a fix in between.

Rates keep going up while care seems to suffer and the only people who seem to benefit are the insurance companies.

Frank
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 › 4:59pm
I agree that something has to be done to make sure there is at least "major medical" for everyone. Not to sound too much like Chris, but I personally know several folks (mostly but not all single and younger) who can afford it but choose not to pay $400+ a month for healthcare so that they can ski, get a new car payment every 2 years, and live better than good old responsible me who carries COBRA at $1200 a month while unemployed and looking for a job (my salary was $56K and I am the sole wage earner of a family of 4 in Fort Collins). I know how great welfare works so I don't really trust Uncle Sam to treat my ills. As it is, most doctors hate what they do and grumble about their "low" income after malpractice, loan repayments, etc - a computer programmer makes more. Also, did Reid ask the Japanese what it's like for them to declare bankruptcy - I wager it's a bit more severe than here where you can keep your house, car, etc if you do it right.....

Ron
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 › 5:21pm
I think the answer is getting employers out of the health insurance business. They do not pay for my car, home or life ins. Legislate that the ins. companies must take all who apply and make everyone who earns a paycheck buy at least a basic health insurance policy. By increasing the pool of insured the rates for all will come down.

John
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 › 7:17pm
If you are concerned about the expense of universal health care, consider this. My gross income is about $40,000 per year. My tax on that this year was about $1,600. But my insurance premium for one month is $1,200. So I figure my effective tax rate is around 38% rather than the %4 a tax-phobic, right-wing politician might claim.

When I consider the horrible waste in the system, it makes my blood boil and my hair curl: 30% of health care dollars are for clerical expenses - accountants, billing, record keeping - and the insurance companies get their nice 10% to 15% profit and they fight every claim all the way to the bank. And because we sue everyone at the drop of a hat, doctors do self-defense medicine where they order up every test, no matter how remote the use for it, just to cover the next law suit.
It looks to me like we could save at least half by correcting these glaring problems.

I do empathize with those of less fortunate circumstance who must live in dread of the next car wreck or illness that may force them into a hospital then bankruptcy.

My advice is to eat healthy, exercise regularly, not smoke, and have a wheel borrow full of money. And vote on the politicians' record, not on the latest sound byte or with whom they spent the evening in May of 1992.

Joellyn
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 › 7:23pm
I am a Senior citizen and I am appalled at the number of people in our country who do not have access to any health insurance, especially so many children. If other countries can see to it that all of their citizens have health coverage, I see no reason why we can't. I am tired of nothing being done while the situation gets worse. The health benefits that I got when I retired are constantly being chipped away at, leaving me concerned that I will be able to keep up with increasing expenses.

Anne Courtright, MD
Tuesday, April 1, 2008 › 8:30pm
We need a National Single Payer Health Plan, like Medicare for all. The government collects the money, it goes into a trust fund and a health board (like a large non-profit insurance company) pays hospitals and providers who remain in private practice. It would save billions of dollars and provide quality health coverage for everyone.

The other option for universal doverage is mandated insurance, like Mass. has. It isn't working there. Thousands still aren't covered and the cost is going out of sight.

Go to www.pnhp.org, or www.healthcare-now.org to find out more.

Elingreso
Wednesday, April 2, 2008 › 1:12am
We all have to be concerned about who we send to congress and the WH. They should be able to see what is beneficial and what is waste. They should be able to develop a health care program that is eficient. Cut waste in other areas especially war expenditures. Others keep saying let the market do it. They are concerned about the free market. The Gov't can't do it they say. All is forgotten about Bear Sterns, Countrywide, the Savings and Loan problems of the past 30 years and the horrendous profits of energy and drug companies. It 's the greed stupid! It's what appears to drive the american free enterprise system. Would Adam Smith be ashamed? I beleive so. Satan has to be enjoying the fruits of his labor We allow it to be.

Anne
Wednesday, April 2, 2008 › 2:10am
I would seriously like to know some figures - percentages of how many of those 47 million will require medical assistance
compared with what is actually paid out by any or all insurance programs. Folks pay an arm and a leg simply for the peace of mind, knowing it's there IF they need it. How many really need it? Where does their money go in the case they don't? Not to help anyone without coverage! It certainly isn't refunded!

Is what Obama has proposed - making it available (not compulory) - a good place to start?

This is an intelligent society with the ability to solve problems. For heaven's sake LET'S START SOMEWHERE. Cost is the major problem for those who can't. Is a doctor honestly worth a $50 office call? Can the general public afford to pay insurance premiums in addition to the emergency room visits which are basically welfare for the uninsured?

There IS A WAY! If plan A doesn't work then go to plan B! Who knows, plan C may evolve! But let's do something other than moan about it.

Linda
Wednesday, April 2, 2008 › 7:10am
I was diagnosed with MS 4 years ago. I am not disabled and am fortunate (so far) to not have any physical disabilities. I have worked my entire life from the age of 16. I am currently 59 years old and live in constant fear of losing my health insurance coverage. I have coverage through my employment. If I lose my job I am uninsurable. Why should I be uninsurable?

Health insurance in the United States is only for people that are healthy....is that crazy or what?

The medication I currently take costs me $250 a month with insurance. If I lose my insurance it would cost a minimum of $1250 a month. My employer keeps downgrading my coverage benefits each enrollment period, but keeps increasing my share of the cost for coverage.

There has to be a change in this country regarding health coverage. I have paid my taxes and paid my fair share into this government my entire life. I have never been a burden to society. I can't understand why I live in fear every day and seem to do nothing but worry about what I will do if I lose my coverage.

This country should be able to provide for "everyone". Why can't we use the money we spend financially backing other countries to take care of our own country? There is something disgustingly wrong with our country that we can put billions of tax payer's dollars into wars in other countries, pharmaceutical companies, oil companies....and the lists goes on and one, and yet we cannot take care of our own.

We are at the BOTTOM of developed nations in the WORLD for providing health care.

CHessin
Wednesday, April 2, 2008 › 9:45am
RELATED: The correspondent on the PBS Frontline documentary, "Sick Around the World," is T.R. Reid (a Colorado resident) who also writes for the Washington Post. He is one of the guests on the panel for the weekly "Colorado State of Mind," for Friday, April 11 at 7:30pm, on Rocky Mountain PBS.

Mike
Wednesday, April 2, 2008 › 4:33pm
There has to be a fix. But the feds controlling is isn't it. If it was then why are Canada, the U.K. and France trying to get away from it before it bankrupts their govts. Insurance companies make huge profits. US citizens pay for everybody around the world to have medication. Why else would it be cheaper to buy medications in Mexico made by US manufacturers. There is huge waste. Used to be the people had a say. Congress answers to PAC's not us anymore. It is time for Congress to be accountable to the US citizens. Not making more laws to tell us what we need. How many drug company and insurance CEO's worry about not getting their way?

Donna
Wednesday, April 16, 2008 › 9:52am
A very good friend of mine recently went to the ER due to symptoms consistent with a heart attack but does not currently have insurance. He is 60 years old and paid his dues. He is now uninsurable due to this incident with the exception of a high cost premium which then excludes the condition for which he would actually need coverage.

At the ER he was treated very well. When admitted the hospitalists and social workers treated him as if he was unworthy of care because he didn't have insurance. The doctor even made mention of his insurance status. Yes, hospitals have to be paid. That's the bottom line but we're willing to kick sick people to the curb without further thought. So the system is not only broken it's morally and ethically defunct.