Yesterday the US passed a bill for health care reform.
The intent, the scale- you have to admire them for their guts.
No one who needs medical attention should be turned away, no matter what,
Perhaps this is what access to health care means, not some meaningless slogan made for a conference and forgotten.
Health insurance for the poorest of the poor. Penalty if you don't buy insurance.
How will they pay for this?
Taxes on investment income at the individual level.
Arm twisting big pharma.
Negotiating with big insurance companies.
Robin Hood? Perhaps.
But if they get it to work...
Nothing short of amazing.
4 comments:
Isn't this a bit too late for a "developed" country like the US ?.. and look at the opposition....the bill just scraped through....
Yea-nothing short of amazing...:)But somehow, I prefer the healthcare options mushrooming here in India...for eg,did you know,ICICI Lombard now has a policy where dental and OPD also get covered?(I just switched from Mediclaim to this,so I know..hahaha)
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In fact, in UAE also, it's tough,even if u're insured-dental,eyes,beauty-none are insured..and, there's a set of hospitals and clinics-if u increase the list,the premium goes up. Pay less premium and go to an unlisted doc, and you don't get the insurance..pretty frustrating.
Without medicare, its too expensive to get even a small checkup here.
In general I find India's health services much more accessible in terms of having a clinic in most places and affordability.
But yes for the masses, health is still not accessible. I too wonder how the poorest of poor would pay though.
PQ- yes, for the poorest of the poor- this will cover 94% of the population. In our country 33% of the population has access to western meds.
amit- I guess that system has its drawbacks...
shiv-well before this medicare covered some 84%, now it will be 94%- numbers we can only dream of. and where ever there are interest groups, there would be opposition, dont you think?
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