Thursday, December 26, 2013

Health care is a mandate and it should be.

Insurance pools across the country are going to be basically the same. There are going to be outliars in every group, but, for the most part the pools won't vary that much in the numbers of ages in the group.

The cost of insurance vary state by state. The insurance premiums vary state by state. The amount insurance companies pay to health care providers will vary from state to state, but, the people insured in any particular pool will be statistically about the same based on the state's population, their level of poverty and the quality of their health care system.

So, within a group if an 18 year old goes to a family medical doctor for illness the cost of the office visit is the same as the office visit for a 64 year old with an illness. If they both have come down with the same sore throat and it is strep, their medication will cost the same at the pharmacy.

THAT sameness mitigates the cost of the health insurance. Where the costs vary is when an age group begins to use MORE SERVICES and MORE SPECIALIZED SERVICES. Let's say a fifty year old needs a knee replacement, that will effect his costs. But, if a 20 year old crashes his or her car and send them to the ER and ICU that will effect their costs.

Each age of any American carries with it their health focus. Children die more frequently of accidents than illness. Those over forty run cancer risks. Not to say younger Americans can't get cancer, they do and frequently as in the case of testicular cancer it has a high mortality rate.

But, the rates across any age demographic in the country is going to prove to be based in similar risk factors. Added to that is the HEALTH CONDITION found in states. The people in poverty are going to more ill, therefore, Mississippi runs the risk of having higher premiums because the state's population is more ill. But, Mississippi's population will also receive more financial subsidies to insure them. So, those most effected by poor health will also be receiving subsidies to have them attend to their health issues and improve their quality of life.

As in Kentucky there are many, many people receiving health care for the first time in their lives. Their health will improve, their ability to be employed as a healthy American will improve and their 'on the job' work days will increase with less sick days, their production will go up and the company will increase their profitability. 

Health has an intricate relationship with a country's economy. The healthier the workers, the less down time for a company and an increase in profitability. 

Take Africa for instance. Before there was HIV diagnosis and treatment what were the economic opportunities for the people? Why would a company invest in a community suffering from chronic illness? Same thing holds true in the USA, except, generally we are a healthier country than other nations.

Every American needs to have health insurance. Either through parents when young and/or in college past the age of 18 or independently through a State Exchange or the Federal Exchange for states without their own exchange. It is silly not to have it because there isn't one person in the USA that will never use it.