Health, the most basic condition of human existence.

It is difficult to go a week without hearing someone, somewhere, along your daily routine bring up the topic of the healthcare reform planned for this country. You hear arguments shoot one way, then bounce back in the opposite direction. Some filled with genuine pride, others with fear, a few backed by sound research but most with blinding ignorance. 

Without knowing enough about the current state of the healthcare system, I could never push myself to blindly comment on this issue. I took time out of my schedule to do research, visit local hospitals, and learn what all the fuss is about. What I learnt is shocking.

Healthcare in the United States is a subsidiary of the Health Insurance companies.

Don't believe me? Try walking into a health facility and asking for attention. The first thing you'll be likely to hear is "What insurance provider do you have?" On almost all occasions even hinting at not being insured with one of their insurance partners - or worse, not having insurance at all - immediately changes the atmosphere into one of hostility and unfriendliness. If you are lucky enough to still be offered service, you are met with a multi-page form that asks you more questions about your finances and professional life than about the reason you are seeking healthcare.

Even with a detailed biography and qualifying insurance, a quick glance at the final bill shows an abusive amount of money being billed to the health insurance company for the most absurd things imaginable.
Spent more than 5 minutes with the doctor? That'll be the standard visit rate plus a pre-calculated rate for every additional minute the doctor was in the same room as you. Need blood work done in the lab down the aisle? That will run the insurance company  quite a hefty sum, completely ignoring the fact that after sharing the cost for the equipment, labour and the electricity with every other patient that visits the facility, the main ingredient in the blood work is free. God forbid the doctor prescribes medication. That shows up in the bill too. I'm not referring to the cost of the medication or the little orange bottles they come in, I'm referring to an abstract cost associated with the doctor issuing the prescription! Completely absurd.

Later there is the whole mess of the insurance company wanting to increase your premiums or alter your coverage based on the last check up that returned a hefty bill. There is even an ongoing risk of having the insurance cancel your coverage because of some legal technicality leaving you with the burden of the bill. In my opinion, this is not a healthcare system. Much less the type of attention a leading country like the United States should have.

With the exception of the United States, almost all developed countries offer its citizens some form of universal healthcare. Even our biggest next-door neighbour, Canada. They are not communist countries, their societies aren't in chaos, they can't even imagine a world without easily available access to healthcare.If I have to pay out of my taxes for better healthcare, I do not mind. At least it is something that I will directly benefit from, unlike many of the thousands of other things that taxes go towards. I much rather that the health insurance monopoly breaks and millions of Americans lose their jobs than have to spend another minute with my tail tucked in between my legs while month after month my money is being used to make some rich guy richer. At least then, there will be true care for citizens, where everyone and anyone can waltz into a hospital and receive care regardless of their colour, race or social status.

This is what I believe America stands for. Its people, above all.