Why Should There Be Any Reform?

By Kevin Kelley
Updated September 22nd, 2009 

Why is it important to reform the American health care system?  With the current debate taking place, including all the controversial headlines you may have been exposed to, this still remains an important question.  You may have heard claims that America has the greatest health care, so if we have the greatest health care, why do we need to change things?

The reality of the matter is that America does have great care, just not the best.  According to the World Health Organization, America ranks 37th, nestled between Costa Rica and Slovenia.  Although there are still critics of these rankings, Americans pay more for health care then their foreign counterparts and receive similar results, but in tune with American isolationist rationality, providing universal coverage has become a must for some and an unnecessary evil for others.  International health care systems have been demonized, but the fact is they still contribute groundbreaking medical research.  The French pioneered hip and knee replacement, the Canadians developed deep-brain stimulation to treat depression, and laboratories found in Switzerland, Britain, and Japan have brought us medicines American's love, such as Viagra.  Strict cost controls had actually forced the Japanese to develop more cost effective MRI diagnostic techniques, making their method one-fifteenth the price of the American procedure ($98 compared to $1500), and the Japanese still make a profit.   

The major problem with the current debate is cost.  Americans are suffering from fatigue as a consequence to the numerous bailouts of the banking and automotive industry over the past couple years, not to mention the economic stimulus plans of the previous administration.  Americans tend to be fiscally conservative people when it comes to government spending, and understandably so, but another important question is why have we as a nation allowed health care costs to balloon out of control?  Health care spending per capita in the United States has been increasing in recent years at alarming rates, and the trend only points upwards, but with such raises in costs, quality remains to stay the same, but arguably, those who are uninsured will face shorter life expectancies and worse health conditions then those who are, so it is reasonable to say that the current system offers adequate care to most citizens.  Consider the following graph:

America pays almost twice as much as any of the other 31 nations on that map, but our life expectancy is more comparable to Cuba and Cyprus. America is a wealthy nation, with roughly three hundred million citizens, but when comparing health care spending as a percentage of gross domestic product, America's percentage of spending is again greater then other nations. 

The overall GDP is no indication that the standard of living has increased or decreased, but considering the period of 1990-2006, earnings of American workers had increased 0.5%, while the GDP during that same period of time increased 3.6%.  The consumer price index for medical care services has also risen, increasing 3.2% in the past twelve months alone.  Costs are getting out of control, and this would eventually have a negative impact on quality of care.  Currently, figures regarding reforming our current health care system have ranged between $1 trillion and $2 trillion over the next ten years.  While these numbers can seem intimidating, the costs of providing universal health care can cost upwards of $200 billion dollars each year, which comparatively, is one-third the United States spends on defense, or if you consider the current cost for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the global war on terror, including the Administration's 2009 supplemental request and Congress approving 2010's war funding, the total would amount to over $1 trillion, equal to the lower estimates of reform.

This leads to the topic of this website.  Where can America get the funding for universal health care?  The current legislation that is being drafted has been floating around ideas that include various sin taxes, such as on alcohol and high fructose corn syrup, taxation on employer provided benefits, and the use of savings from Medicaid, but all are hotly debated issues.  There have also been thoughts circulating that call for greater taxation on church-owned properties.  Another unrealistic proposal that has circulated is pulling out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and cut funding in national defense, but there are problems with that idea as well; America cannot withdraw troops until the region is stabilized and any cuts to national defense would be political suicide.  Although it is possible to integrate these other ideas into a more comprehensive plan, I do not think such overhauls could be made to last.  This leads to this sites proposal: Legalize marijuana and use the funds generated from taxation, as well as other associated benefits, to fund universal health care.

While there has been serious consideration in recent times to legalize marijuana to help fill budget gaps, I believe that the amounts raised from taxation by individual states would not make a significant impact on state budgets, and would overtime be abused by local municipalities, much like the increased tax revenues seen from the boom in the housing market, with local governments finding themselves in a tough economical situation in the future, due to improper expenditures and planning in the past.  By earmarking any tax generated from the legalization of marijuana to go towards universal health care, the necessary reform needed on our system could take place now, and allow for debate to continue, minus the distractions we are experiencing now.  Legalization can fund the system, and allow lawmakers the time to focus on other issues, and understandably, not all reform may work effectively, and so America would have a greater opportunity to work the kinks out of the system before it becomes too late and costs have bankrupted the citizens of this nation.

Considering the insurance status of Americans under 65 years of age, if nothing is done, the burden on the government will continue to grow, so now is the time to act.

Hopefully, those who consider this proposal will raise these questions to their local elected officials, and begin the serious debate on legalization of marijuana.  I am reminded of the presidential campaign run by Eugene McCarthy in 1968, with the unofficial slogan "Get clean for Gene", which involved anti-war supporters with long hair and beards, who resembled "hippies", to get a haircuts and shave, to go door-to-door and campaign for McCarthy, who was in opposition of the Vietnam War.  It is a general consensus that health care needs reform, but to propagate this issue, a degree of professionalism is required.  Doctors, lawyers, politicians, and students alike must conduct themselves reasonably to get serious consideration of these ideas.  Respectful discourse is required, or this will fail. 

Contact all of your elected officials and spread this information.