Got health insurance?

Got health insurance? The answer for millions of Americans is no. Nationally, 16 percent of Americans are without health insurance. In Idaho, that number is over 17 percent. That’s the population of Boise and Meridian combined.

Think the uninsured are unemployed? In Idaho, 80 percent of the uninsured are employed. While small businesses in Idaho generate most of the job growth, it’s generally these employers who cannot afford to provide health coverage for their employees.

Think health insurance is a luxury we can do without? Diseases, accidents and illnesses have no preferences when it comes to whether an individual has health insurance. National findings indicate the uninsured are more likely to be hospitalized for avoidable medical conditions, more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage cancer and 30 percent less likely to obtain preventive care. Compared to the insured, adults and children without insurance experience worse health overall.

Harvard professor and clinical physician, Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle, visited Boise recently to talk about his book, “Uninsured in America: Life and Death in the Land of Opportunity.” He and his coauthors used individual case studies from several states including Idaho to describe the ‘death spiral’ associated with the disabling cycle of untreated injuries and chronic conditions resulting from lack of access to health care. Can we continue to rely on the old adage of, “come on – you can do it – reach on down and pull yourself up by your boot straps” when it comes to access to health care, or do we all share some responsibility?

Dr. Elizabeth Foster, a family physician with the Terry Reilly Clinic in Nampa, is noted for getting people to think outside the box on what health insurance should look like by asking if we are best served by the current system. Foster, who has expertise in economics as well as medicine, says in the private insurance market, 20 to 30 cents of every premium dollar goes toward administrative fees and profit margins. That’s twice what other industrialized nations spend; yet we have poorer health outcomes.

Dr. William Whitaker, Social Work Professor at Boise State University, supports a universal health care plan and single payer system offering basic health coverage for all Idahoans. He believes such a plan will drastically reduce administrative costs through increased efficiency. Whitaker believes no new resources would be needed for Idaho to implement a universal health care system and within the next seven years or so, all Idaho citizens will have health coverage.

These topics, along with others, will be explored in the Treasure Valley May 1

Related Posts:

1. Mandatory health insurance, increasing premiums — students feeling the pinch
2. Health insurance survey turnout less than hoped
3. Center for Health Policy looks out of state for health insurance alternatives
4. Student health insurance goes up for bid
5. No Insurance? No Classes