Health Care

WomenMatter will continuously post updates on all this and other issues as we monitor the continuing philosophical and practical debates nationwide. Please check back often for updates. Past updates are available for reference on the Healthcare Archives page.

Healthcare, Economics, Politics: Till Death do us Part

For better or worse, our healthcare is married to economy and politics.

Since most Americans get their health insurance through their employer, the health of Americans is bound to the health of the economy. In the post 9 -11 economic downturn, many Americans have lost their jobs and, therefore, their health benefits. Without work, there are few options. Some qualify and apply for Medicaid, but many just go without insurance and hope for the best. For more on Medicaid reform [click here]

The slow economy is also affecting the healthcare of people who are employed. There is concern that employers are offering less comprehensive health benefits in order to cut costs. Employers complain that they are faced with rising healthcare costs at a time of fewer customers and low prices because of increased competition.

From the employers’ perspective, they have no choice but to shift some of the burden to employees. In small and midsized businesses in particular, employees have started paying percentages of healthcare costs instead of a flat co-payment. This shift has a double purpose. The first, of course, is to require employees to pay more. The second is to make employees more cost conscious about all of their medical expenses.

The rising cost of healthcare

The cost of healthcare increases or inflates more rapidly than the cost of other things. This is mainly because the healthcare industry continuously incorporates new (and expensive) medicines, tests, and medical devices. Doctors and hospitals want to use the latest and best. Patients want to receive the best care.

So compared to other costs in our overall economy, “healthcare" grows faster than other industries. At question for some people is concern that healthcare is quickly becoming more and more expensive in comparison with other services. There are others who believe that quality health care is more important than the cost of gasoline or aircraft carriers.

Providers and insurers: a strained relationship

Who gets the increased dollars for health care? Who should get them? The health care industry includes doctors, nurses, hospitals, pharmacists (independent and chains). All of these are getting less money because they depend on what the insurance companies and the government (Medicare and Medicaid) are willing to pay for their services.

Between patients and our doctors/hospitals are several kinds of private organizations that collect money from us and/or our employers (premiums) when we don’t need medical help and pay out money to providers when we need them.

Insurance companies are a major part of the American health care system, as are companies that buy and sell health services, trying to get a lower price by representing larger numbers of patients and their employers.

It is supposed to be to their advantage to keep us healthy. It is also to their advantage to keep costs as cheap as possible. As WomenMatter has pointed out, citizen voters have to decide whether it is primarily a question of quality or cost. A question of personal risk or shared risk among the young and the old, the well and the sick.

Malpractice debate: what is fair?

Insurance companies also insure doctors against lawsuits from patients when medical care happens to harm them. Doctors pay malpractice premiums. When something goes wrong the insurance companies have to pay for the damage.

What is fair? Fair for doctors who study for years and try to heal people. And fair to people who may be hurt by treatment that went wrong. In a number of states there are laws which say that wages that a patient lost should be replaced by the doctor’s insurance company, but that measuring “pain and suffering" is almost impossible to do. Should all injuries be capped at the same dollar amount, no matter who got hurt or what kind of injury? There is evidence on every side of this question of fairness.

Republicans in the federal government recently proposed national legislation to limit pain-and-suffering awards to $250,000, a move that would make malpractice insurance more affordable for doctors. Republicans also blame lawyers who represent injured patients and get paid only if they win a case (on contingency). Many of these trial lawyers take clients who have little or no money. The clients and the trial lawyers tend to vote Democratic. Democrats in the Senate blocked this legislation on grounds that it is unfair to specific cases where the injured person was not making a lot of money but that her/his life was ruined. it is likely to be a part of candidates’ platforms in the 2004 elections.

Democrats claim that this legislation protects HMO’s and insurance companies while further victimizing people who have received poor healthcare.

Republicans claim that astronomical jury awards are inflating malpractice insurance and forcing doctors out of private practice.

Both sides are hoping to protect patients, but in different ways. Democrats are trying to defend patients who have been mistreated by the healthcare system; Republicans are attempting to control the cost of healthcare, which affects all patients.

Speak up

Healthcare, like all of our issues, are, first of all, personal. Every woman has experience with healthcare – quality, cost, and risk. Understanding the connections among the three is the best way to stay informed.

Which are the most important to you? Join our Healthcare discussion forum and exchange your views with others through WomenMatter.

Take Action

When you are ready, click onto Taking Action. From there you can contact your representatives and tell them what you want and need. Make sure they are representing you. Our government is based in people speaking up, helping candidates (with time and money), and choosing a political party.

If women speak up from our experience, we can have a powerful voice. To be angry about “Special Interests", that is, groups who are already giving time and money doesn’t help.

We need to be sure each of us has registered with a political party so that what we want can make a difference in a primary. That is when we get to choose the candidates by what they personally believe. That is when the representatives become our representatives.

Posted on: 7/15/2003

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