Health Care for all Americans

Why you should support a universal health care system in the United States.

Total Health Expenditure Per Capita, U.S. and Belgium, 2008

United States $7,538No social healthcare, for profit

Belgium $3,677 Social health care, not for profit

Teresa, 47 year old, registered nurse

● Lives in the United States● Employer insured● Total hysterectomy● No short term disability● Sick time only accumulates after 90 days● qualified for 4 week absence of leave● Job will be posted after 4 weeks

Ria, 35 year old, kindergarten teacher

● Lives in Belgium● Insured● Fractured hip● Daily home visits from nurse● Weekly cleaning crew● Regular paycheck● Job will be waiting● No extra medical bills

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family,

including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood,

old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

What is Universal Health Care?According to Mosby's medical dictionary a universal health care is

“a health insurance program that is financed by taxes and administered by the government to provide comprehensive health care that is accessible to all citizens of that nation.”

Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. © 2009, Elsevier

The Beveridge Model● health care is provided and financed by the government

through tax payments

● many hospitals and clinics are owned by the government

● low costs per capita

● Great Britain, Spain, most of Scandinavia, and New Zealand

The Bismarck Model● health care is financed jointly by employers and

employees through payroll deduction (alike)

● plans have to cover everybody, and (unlike)

● plans do not make a profit (unlike)

● Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Japan, Switzerland, and, to a degree, in Latin America

The National Health Insurance (NHI)● system has elements of both Beveridge and Bismarck

● it uses private-sector providers (Bismarck)

● payment comes from a government-run insurance program that every citizen pays into (Beveridge)

● universal insurance programs tend to be cheaper than American

● Canada

Arguments FOR● Universal medical care is a basic human right

● Universal medical care promotes the greater disease recovery rates associated with preventive care

● Universal medical care saves governments money in the long run

● Universal medical care promotes stable socioeconomic environment

France

FRANCE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE:

A universal, affordable, and high-quality health care the status of an inalienable human and civil rights. (NWHN, National Women’s Health Network).

Who is covered?

1.Anyone who resides in France longer than three months. Whether the person is legally or not.

2.Government statistics from 2004 suggest that up to 130,000 undocumented immigrants have access to the French health system.

3. Special programs for low-income people are offered

Who is providing services?

4. Hospitals, two general categories:

*The public sector, which accounts for 65% of hospital beds. Public hospitals are responsible for supplying ongoing care, teaching and training.

*Private hospitals are profit oriented. They concentrate on surgical procedures and depend on their fee-for-service for funding.

There is no significant difference in the quality of care between public and private hospitals.

Who provides funding for Healthcare?

1.Employers and employees fund the system through taxes, but paying taxes is not a prerequisite for getting benefits, nor is employment.

2.Social security system covers public hospitals “global budget”.

3.Private hospitals receive activity-based payments.

Who provides funding for Healthcare?

4.France universal system relies on competition to keep cost down and provide choices to consumers.

5.France Healthcare system , which the World Health Organization ranked the best on Earth in 2001 (US 37th), is a compromise between taxpayers, healthcare providers, and private insurers.(NWHN, National Women’s Health Network).

Sarah Gondy (NWHN. National Women’s Health Network).

As student she pays 100 Euros each year (about $144) to be covered for most of my health care.

How much does a college student in the U.S.A. pays for health care?

“My mother, suffered a serious back injury. Yet, that was the aspect of life she to worry about the least:

*The health care system took care of her.*She received medical attention as the next person, experienced no restrictions, and was not denied any needed medicine produce or medicines.*Here is a common story in France.

EXAMPLE

FRANCE

● really easy to do● completely affordable

U.S.A

● NO access to healthcare● NO access to physician

“how could so rich and powerful a country as the U.S. do such a bad job with health care coverage?". Sarah Gondy, (NWHN. National Women’s Health Network).

Canada● “Medicare” - Medical Care Act in 1966.

● Universal and affordable healthcare

● The Quality of health care ○ Guaranteed by the Government

● Publicly funded for the most

○ 70+% from Federal income taxes.

○ Only 27% from private insurers

Canada● Canada is of 10 provinces

and 3 territories.● Province or territory based

administering.

● Cost and Structurally Effective

○ Administrative simplicity

○ Doctor handles the insurance claim against the provincial insurer

○ No patient is involved in billing and reclaim

○ Most doctors are self-employed private entities

○ Competitive practices as Ads are minimized

CanadaWho is covered?

○ All citizens and permanent residents○ Not affected by loss or change of jobs○ No lifetime limits

“All Canadian citizens and permanent residents are eligible for health insurance in Canada… regardless of medical history, personal income, or standard of living.” (Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Governmental website)

Special programs?○ Immigrants - waiting periods of up to 90 days - depending on

province/territory. ○ Interim Federal Health Program for low income or ineligible persons

Canada

What is covered?○ Preventative care

○ Medical treatments from PCP

○ Emergency service

○ Hospital access

○ Dental surgery

○ Maternity and infertility problems

○ Medications for the elderly or indigent

○ Drug prices are under control - negotiated with suppliers by the Federal government.

Canada

How much does it cost?

● NO deductibles● Co-pays – low or nothing

Canada

● 2009 poll by Nanos Research: 86.2% of Canadians supported public basis of Medicare

● 2008 Strategic Counsel survey:91% of Canadians prefers their healthcare system to that of the U.S.

Unites States of America

IMPORTANT FACTS:

In 2005:● 13.5% of GDP was spent on health care● $6,401 on average per citizen● 45 million Americans had not health

insurance

United States of America

Right Now:● Health Insurance is provided by both private

and public insurance programs.○ Most employees receive health benefits from their

employers○ "Underinsured" are the working-class Americans that

have minimal health coverage from their jobs health insurance

United States

● Private Sector provides owns and operates large health care programs

● Public Sector which is run by the state offers programs such as:○ Medicare○ Medicade○ Tricare

According to Salimah Meghani author of the article Pain Medicine states that the "current health care system in the United States is structured in a way that ensures that more opportunity and resources flow to the wealthy and socially advantaged"

Comparative Chart

Source of data: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Canada , based on OECD statistics = Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

To conclude...

Universal health care is not as scary as it seems.

We've heard about how it's working for France and Canada.

Then we heard about the lack of a strong and stable health care system in the United States.

Around the globe

Except for the United States, the 25 wealthiest nations now have some form of national health care.

Countries working towards national health care: Brazil, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Rwanda, Ghana, India, South Africa, China, Colombia.

We All Deserve Health Care

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Every man, woman and child, regardless of economic class and income should have access to health care.

Making Hard Choices

Families are choosing between putting food on the table and giving their children health care.

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We need your help.

Contact the House of Representatives about the HR 676 - The National Health Insurance Act. This bill fully insures all Americans for nearly medical needs.

Go to www.house.gov to contact your representative today.

We cannot let this is continue.

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