Guest columnist
In recent months, health care reform has become the center stage of political debates. One of the most polarizing and heated debates is the inclusion of a public option. Those opposing a public option argue that the government is heading toward socialism. They instill fear in the American public by asserting health care will be more expensive and bureaucrats will be in charge of medical decisions. In reality, these are just scare tactics insurance companies used to decrease their competition and increase their profits. So far, they have achieved great success.
There are currently over 40 million uninsured Americans and 25 million more are underinsured. As insurance premiums soar and health care costs skyrocket, millions of people will have to pay medical costs out of pocket, leading them to bankruptcy. As the health care debate continues, millions of people are an illness away from poverty.
A recent interview by Bill Moyers with Wendell Potter, a CIGNA executive, shed new light to the public option debate. Moyers investigated how insurance companies are using scarce tactics to kill the public option as well as using different schemes to make profits at the expense of policyholders. Moyers pointed out that Frank Luntz, a Republican strategist, wrote a detailed script to argue against a public option by using phrases like, "government takeover," "delayed care is denied care," "consequences of rationing," "bureaucrats, not doctors prescribing medicine."
Potter gave some interesting facts about how insurance companies use different tactics to increase their profits. He stated that Aetna, using a special computer program, dropped 8 million policyholders because they were unprofitable or marginally profitable. In addition, insurance companies use only 80 percent of the premium money for medical cost versus 95 percent ten years ago. Insurance companies are denying claims and dropping policyholders to increase profits. They clearly do not have the policyholders' interests at heart but rather the company's profits and stockholders.
The high unemployment rate as well as continue increase in premiums and deductibles will likely add millions to the number of uninsured and underinsured. According to the IRFPRI, ill health is the number-one poverty trigger. Millions of people fall into poverty because of ill health and high health care expenditures leading to the "health-poverty trap."
A national study by Harvard researchers found that 62 percent of all bankruptcies in 2007 were due to medical debts. Out-of-pocket medical expenses averaged $26,971 for the uninsured and $17,749 for policyholders. The results also showed that most medical debtors were well educated, middle class and three quarters had health insurance. There is a clear need for a public option so that everyone can have access to affordable and quality health care.
A public option is crucial in providing everyone with health care. Health care should be affordable so that no one has to worry if they can see a doctor, receive surgery or undergo needed treatment. Insurance companies are using many tactics to prevent the inclusion of a public option. Their selfish interest lies in having higher profits and pleasing stockholders.
We must realize anyone of us can fall ill and require medical treatment. If the private insurance companies deny our request then who will cover the medical cost? If they drop our policies for unknown reasons then how will we pay for our health care? We must all stand up and fight for our basic needs so that we do not end up with costly medical debts and living in poverty as a result while insurance companies rake in profits.
Bang Duong is a master's degree candidate the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Social Work.
