The United States of America House of Representatives (Similar to our House of Commons) has approved legislation to change the Healthcare system in the US. Although the new law only got through by a narrow majority it is expected to be signed by President Obama today and go to the Upper house and be effective very soon.
Full story and further information on:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8580192.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8160058.stm
Healthcare provision in the US depended on people taking out their own insurance polices or having a policy through their employment. However many people could not get insurance as the insurance companies would not give policies to those with pre-existing health conditions and for many families on low incomes the high cost of paying the insurance premiums made them unaffordable. It is estimated that 46.3 million people in America, out of a population of 300 million, were uninsured in 2008. Under the new legislation the insurance companies will not be able to refuse anyone a policy and there will be subsidies for those on low incomes. The Bill is complex and has been very controversial as there are large numbers of people in the US who do not agree with their taxes being used to help pay for healthcare for the poorer people in society.
The problems with the current system also include the fact that the US spent some $2.2tn (£1.36tn) on healthcare in 2007, this is nearly twice as much as other countries in the developed world. Even among those with insurance there are millions of Americans who are deemed "under-insured". This means that when they are ill and their insurance does not cover the full cost of treatment they either have to borrow money or go without treatment or medication. Half of all personal bankruptcies in the US are at least partially the result of medical expenses.
Politically this is a very significant point in Barak Obama’s presidency as it was one of the major policies changes that he promised during his election campaign. There have been many who have critisised him for not making his promises happen quick enough, this may help to stem some of the criticisms.
Since 1948 in the UK we have had the NHS which ensures free healthcare at the point of need. There are many people in this country who are very critical of our healthcare system but it would be hard to imagine not having the NHS and having to pay for all our healthcare needs through insurance rather than taxes.
Let us know what you think:
* Should people have to take out their own insurance polices to cover the cost of their healthcare?
* How important and good do you think the NHS is in the UK?
* Would there be a higher standard of healthcare if we had to pay for it directly rather than through taxes?
* How significant will this new legislation be to the US and to President Obama?
tam@funkydragon.org