There is an interesting 'disconnect' I believe most Americans can identify with in regard to 'quality of care' and 'access to care. This was a Gallup Poll from May of 2008.
Most people believe (the blue column) the USA has high quality health care. But, they also state their personal experience (the tan column) is not what they believe. In other words, there is a disconnect between a person's personnel experience with health care and what they generally believe.
That is a 'phenomena' attributed to the 'aloneness' one feels when experiencing poor quality access to care or poor care at all. It is a reality that needs to be explored. The movie "Sicko" began to bring a consenus of understanding that people were actually receiving poor care on a larger scale then they believed.
For the most part, Americans believe the poor care they receive is isolated. That is not the case. We are 'told' that we have the best health care in the world. We 'believe' that. Perhaps we HAVE TO believe that to seek care and not regress from hope. The REALITY is that while we are told we are receiving good care, we are not.
The question arises as to how an American defines good and poor quality care. Do we define good quality by 'pain relief' or 'relief from worry' or 'grateful access?' Or do we define quality health care by ease of access that prevents disease, worry and pain?
The current trends in the USA in regard to a spiraling poorer and poorer quality of care are due to 'cost' and 'access.' As health care becomes more expensive, fewer Americans can afford it. The percentages of 'copays' might remain the same from year to year in any policy, but, the escalating cost drives up the actual out of pocket costs to consumers and health care becomes unaffordable.
There has to be a National Health Care Reform Bill that brings costs under control while returning function to all Americans. In other words, with new parameters on how health care costs are allowed to impact on Americans across the spectrum of income, the access will generate a far healthier nation with access to preventative care. That access stems the higher costs of chronic and potentially fatal disease.
Everyone knows that preventive care and early detection saves lives. It is vital to the USA that a new health care system will result in actually lower costs across the board of health care to the average American. With prevention of disease, costs will decrease. More Americans will have quality of life returned to them and the nation will have a healthier work force. That is a fact. Early detection saves lives and lowers the cost of health care. Stemming chronic illness through early intervention will definitively return function to lives and our economy.
The goal of any USA health care system has to be to empower its citizens to better quality of life. With better quality of life comes a better economy by people that are not sedentary, but, 'involved' in life's enjoyment. A person that is active is happier and healthier. Changing our nation's 'lifestyle' from one of 'screens and dreams' to an active and involved citizen will perk our economy and diminish our nation's costs.
There is so much more to achieving high quality health care that brings a new reality to Americans than just access. Understanding what to 'expect' from our health care system and knowing that a poor experience is the reality of many and not just one will bring a higher esteem to the demand for 'good health' and 'quality food and water' empowered by our legislative experience.
We have to do this if we want to turn the corner on 'quality of life' for our country. There is no doubt we need to change the health care system and access.
This was a survey in August 2008 by the Better Business Bureau and Gallup.
Try saying to oneself, "We do not have good quality healthcare in the USA and I have experienced that." Then realize that experience is in the majority when poor quality healthcare also includes more than medical errors and poor technique, but, also access and low costs. Americans have gotten used to being 'burdened' rather than relieved of burdens and that needs to change.
Please support the new National Health Care Reform Bills being drafted by the House and Senate and be sure Representatives and Senators understand that reality and support.
Thank you.
