Socialized Medicine

My health insurance rate just went up. Why? Because the company we use was forced by the current health care reform to open their underwriting to accept more high risk clients. In other words, they now must insure unhealthy and/or potentially unhealthy individual which raises this company's medical care payouts. In essence, I now pay to cover the health care costs of others who have chosen to live unhealthy lives. I don't expect anyone else to take care of my health for me. It is my responsibility alone. Esp. when it comes to my lifestyle and lifestyle related disease (which is the leading cause of the top 4 killers in America: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, stroke). Is this fair? No, it is socialized medicine. If Americans lived a healthier lifestyle this wouldn't be such a big deal. But we are a VERY unhealthy country!

In 2008, health care spending in the United States reached $2.4 trillion, and was projected to reach $3.1 trillion in 2012. (Keehan, S. et al. “Health Spending Projections Through 2017, Health Affairs Web Exclusive W146: 21 February 2008.)

Health care spending is projected to reach $4.3 trillion by 2016. (Keehan, S. et al. “Health Spending Projections Through 2017, Health Affairs Web Exclusive W146: 21 February 2008.)

Health care spending is 4.3 times the amount spent on national defense. (California Health Care Foundation. Health Care Costs 101 -- 2005. 02 March 2005)

In 2008, the United States will spend 17 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care. It is projected that the percentage will reach 20 percent by 2017. (Keehan, S. et al. “Health Spending Projections Through 2017, Health Affairs Web Exclusive W146: 21 February 2008.)

Although nearly 46 million Americans are uninsured, the United States spends more on health care than other industrialized nations, and those countries provide health insurance to all their citizens.

Health care spending accounted for 10.9 percent of the GDP in Switzerland, 10.7 percent in Germany, 9.7 percent in Canada and 9.5 percent in France, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

We know that we are over-utilizing many health care services such as CT, and MRI. We also love our RX drugs. We consume more RX drugs and receive more surgical interventions than ever before in our countries history, but we are sicker than ever.

What does this all lead us to believe? We have very unhealthy lifestyle compared to other industrialized countries. What lifestyle choices are we talking about? It all about what we Americans eat, how we think, and our level of physical activity. I don't want us to be Europe. I love American. But McDonald's, Crispy Cream and Starbucks shouldn't be a staple.

More to come soon . . . We need to Create Wellness