Health care controversy has become the norm over the last few years. I think this is all very interesting for a few reasons... How should we pay for such an animal? Why we spend so much time debating a symptom as opposed to the real problem?
I will not solve the issue in this post; I only want to get the thinking muscle going a little bit about where the focus should be.
Let's first look at how to pay for such an animal as public health care. Well, the baby-boomers do pose quite a problem here. First of all, there are a lot of them, and not as many of everyone else. When we look at the ratios that the government used when creating Social Security, one of the things they noted was that each generation was a certain size larger than the last. However, since the baby boom, that has not been the case, the ratio has not been big enough to cover the cost. That's one side of the ticket- how we are going to pay for the baby boomers. On the other side of that ticket we observe the younger generations. Has anyone noticed that there are more kids today on prescription medicine than any other time in history? How about the Autism epidemic? Has anyone noticed that the mean age of cancer has gone down? The list goes on... The point is, your younger generations are far less healthy and needing more and more medical attention. So, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR THAT!? WHO IS GOING TO PAY FOR THAT!? Do you realize how much the government would have to collect in taxes to make that happen? Taxes would go through the roof! You'll find many conservative Canadians (yes they exist) who are starting to warn Canada and the U.S. of this very pending problem in their country.
The real problems. Why is health care so stinkin' expensive in the first place? And, Why are we as a nation so much less healthy than the rest of the civilized world. (Hint: The answer is not, because it's too expensive to see a doctor)
So, why is health care so expensive...I believe there are 2 causes to that... Malpractice insurance is well over 250k a year for many Doctors (frivolous lawsuits, and activist judges). The insurance company claims practices. To fully explore these items would take as much space as the U.S. Tax Code book. (It would take the average American over 4 years to read the entire code without taking a break). Finally, why our country is so unhealthy compared to so many other countries out there. Again, there is a lot of things I could say here about our education system, our mass media that understands how we're educated and totally plays to our weaknesses, I could talk about government subsidized farming, or even the fact that some grocery stores force employees to wear gloves while handling produce (because the employee can get sick from handling so much produce with all the chemicals on it). We can even get into genetically engineered seeds; there is no one culprit for this particular issue, but the bottom line is this...
Personal Responsibility.
I really don't think that anyone in this country believes that a Twinkie is good for you. Even a naked hermit in the woods could tell you that. I think everyone on the country can tell you that preservatives are not good for you either. Most everyone knows what is good and what is not. There are some things that seem good that aren't (I.E. Product that you must wear gloves to handle safely). Everyone knows that they would eat less junk food, and do more exercise, everyone KNOWS these things!!! And if you don't, there are plenty of consultants out there that would be more than willing to help with that. People like Karen Langston (www.iamworthit2.com) for example, will help you get the right food in your body to maximize your energy, your mental focus, etc. Paying for her, is far less than paying for medical expenses, (One of the leading causes for bankruptcy).
So, if we know all of this, why don't we do it? Is discipline so hard? It all comes down to personal responsibility! So again, I'm not here to solve the problem, but I do know, just by dealing with my own kids, that you cannot make someone take personal responsibility for cleaning his room by going in and cleaning the room for him.
So, my answer to Health Care is to focus on the real problem, health care is just a symptom.
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Kevin Mogavero holds a Master's Degree in Leadership and Management and has launched many successful companies. Kevin discovered his true passion in Six Degrees Leadership; which is a tool to serve people who yearn to create a better life. He does this through building social capital which is effective, quality relationships in all aspects of life. Learn more at http://www.SixDegreesLeadership.com
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