US Health Care

I made this video after seeking out my healthcare options in the U.S. and being astounded by the realities. I should mention that my daughter is covered under the Healthy Families program - there are some things that work in our system, but so many things that don't and we have a ways to go to change them. Please go to the following links to view more information.
Frontline Graphs: U.S. Health Stats Compared to Other Countries
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/etc/graphs.html

"Health care costs for a family of four have doubled in less than a decade from $9,235 in 2002 to over $19,000 in 2011."
http://money.cnn.com/2011/05/11/news/economy/healthcare_costs_family/index.htm

"The nation's major health insurers are barreling into a third year of record profits, enriched in recent months by a lingering recessionary mind-set among Americans who are postponing or forgoing medical care."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/business/14health.html?_r=1

"The public sector is the main source of health financing in all OECD countries, except in Chile, Mexico and the United States." Go to this link for the percentage of health coverage for a core set of services in all the 34 OECD countries. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/6/28/49105858.pdf

"According to the Census Bureau's 2011 Current Population Survey (CPS), there were 49.9 million uninsured individuals in 2010, or 16.3% of the total population. Those that lack insurance are a diverse group. Understanding the uninsured population is important for policy makers looking to design solutions to the problem." http://aspe.hhs.gov/health/reports/2011/CPSHealthIns2011/ib.shtml

"Nearly two out of three bankruptcies stem from medical bills, and even people with health insurance face financial disaster if they experience a serious illness, a new study shows." http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/medical-bills-cause-most-bankruptcies/

"The United States has the most bureaucratic health care system in the world. Over 31% of every health care dollar goes to paperwork, overhead, CEO salaries, profits, etc." http://www.pnhp.org/facts/single-payer-faq#socialized

The rationing that takes place in U.S. health care is unnecessary. A number of studies (notably a General Accounting Office report in 1991 and a Congressional Budget Office report in 1993) show that there is more than enough money in our health care system to serve everyone if it were spent wisely. Administrative costs are at 31% of U.S. health spending, far higher than in other countries' systems. These inflated costs are due to our failure to have a publicly financed, universal health care system. We spend about twice as much per person as Canada or most European nations, and still deny health care to many in need. A national health program could save enough on administration to assure access to care for all Americans, without rationing. http://www.pnhp.org/facts/single-payer-faq#socialized

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