HEALTH CARE POLICY REFORM

Health care policy reform and its impact on healthcare access, cost, and quality

Health care policy reform and its impact on healthcare access, cost, and quality

America has long been termed the "Land of Opportunity;" a place where every man is given the same god given rights and has an equal access to prosperity. Is this truly the case though; is the government of the United States of America, still, currently able to make this statement truthfully to every citizen in its' domain? Many say it is not; and consequently, many believe it is time for change in the Whitehouse. Our system of prioritizing major issues involving the national well-being is currently skewed, and there is need for immediate reformation in policy. One man promising to address this problem, and bring on this change in the government, is current Democratic Presidential Nominee: Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

There are two major issues that are currently fueling Obama's campaign; two issues that he finds flawed and in need of immediate attention the first of which being healthcare. The Bush Administration's plan for healthcare reformation, which he announced when campaigning for presidency in the 2000 election (and has been in effect since then), has yet to show any signs of producing more coverage or economic benefits for the average citizen. Why is this; why can the United States, one of the wealthiest and most technologically advanced countries in the world not provide care for all of its' citizens? Why is it that "Well over 30 million Americans are uninsured" (Woolhandler, 772)? This is a major problem now, and unless there is change in the near future, one could only presume that it will continue to rise in severity. One scholar, Dr. Walter Tsou, supported this theory stating, "The prevailing national vision for the future of health care, with components such as health savings accounts, will not achieve universality and could in fact destroy any hope for future cost savings." (Tsou, 3) With this being the case, how can we allow the government to continue using this failing plan? Our politicians are allowing us to be subjected more to their ideology, and less to rationality, at the great expense of both dollars and lives.

But what are the alternatives; how can this problem be fixed? Senator Obama wholeheartedly believes and supports the idea that providing a universal health care plan similar to that used by members of congress, to all citizens, can resolve this issue. In a 2007 Democratic primary debate, Obama makes this point crystal clear after stating, "My attitude is since you are paying my salary as taxpayers, you should have health care that is at least as good as mine." This concept of universal healthcare is one that has been debated for years, and often been considered infeasible for the American public; at least till now! Senator Obama has revised this concept in a way to where he not only suggests that we could accomplish this in a timely ...