Social Security and Medicare were created to insure the poor, the elderly and that the retired so that they could be ensured of having healthcare at affordable rates. Much of this was copied from the pragmatic social policies that were already in use in Germany and Great Britain's National Health System .Now, fast forward Eighty years later where approximately 50 million Americans "did not" have healthcare insurance at all and several million more are still under insured. Enter an era where 35% of Americans are overweight and 30% are obese. At a time where over 20 million are diabetic and many of the newly diagnosed are pediatric cases along with heart disease and cancer rising at a rate that make them the number one and two causes of death. Healthcare costs are 2.7 Trillion a year and is rising. Now, we are in dire straits of the "health" of our nation not just fiscally but some have said that the health a Americans should be considered a national security issue because of the implications.
DEPENDENT ON THE HEALTHY AND YOUNG:The current new healthcare law is dependent upon a continuous source of subsidizing that if it works. That source is the very healthy and the young. That group between 18 and 35 years of age who are typically healthier because they workout regularly and are not laden with multiple chronic illnesses. It is this group that the new system has to be dependent on to "subsidize" the system into flowing. But, there is a glitch...there is no incentive for either a young or healthy person to "buy in" . The young can save about $500 USD NOT signing into the new healthcare system and just be hit with the penalty. Not only that you do not have to "buy in" until you have a medical issue. Studies show that the elderly cost the healthcare system penalty of $95. The elderly are 7x(seven times) more costly than the young and healthy when it comes to paying the for those costs.
MANDATE PREVENTION: The new system forgot to "mandate" that its users have to have a set standard of checking what real health is> Mandate that those who utilize the system also have to maintain their health in the standards considered healthy . That means regularly checking (every six months) ones cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure,hemoglobin A1c, cancer markers are within normal range. The Government should Mandate that exercise and nutritional programs and marker amounts are set to an individuals metabolism to prevent cancer, heart disease and diabetes.'''Creating a Lifestyle Mandate that the utilizers of the healthcare system should participate in activities such as walking three times a week for at least an hour, mandate that they lose two pounds a week if overweight, make sure they keep a normal (BMI) and make sure they hit a target heart rate weekly. These all cost much less than the $2.7 Trillion in acute care that we spend on today with surgeries, emergency interventions and fiber-optic procedures.
APPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGY: Billions of dollars could be saved with prevention services on a daily and weekly that could be called a weekly measure of health progress as either body mass or laboratory measures. why not give participants receive some time of credit that can be put to health use. Such as if you lower your blood cholesterol, glucose and body mass;you get free spa facilities uses , work out with a professional team for a a week in camp. Also give them incentive tools) to eat better by putting organic soft drinks and organic lunches in. Reward kids who take off weight with more activities that will motivate them to lose more wait. For older adults these positive benefits could be translated into health savings account credits that can be used in an event or medical activity that improves health while reducing cost.
INCENTIVE: We've just discussed why the young and healthy do not seem to have any incentive to "buy in" to the system because the fact they are already healthy and have a lower risk of disease and would much rather pay the $95 penalty. But, the same question should be asked of those who receive the subsidy of health insurance but do nothing to reduce risks by performing activities in exercise and diet or lab checks to improve outcomes over long term. If the young and healthy are subsidizing the unhealthy, elderly or uninsured ; those groups also do not feel they have any incentive to try to improve their health prior to seeking medical help. If the youth and healthy see a 50% rise in premiums because they have to assist "subsidize" healthcare they do not only feel it is advantage, they may feel they are being taken advantage of . The question is where is the "middle road"? It does exist. It exists where both groups feel an incentive and both the healthy and unhealthy perform tasks in prevention that can offset costs or actually reduce dramatically the costs of acute and chronic care medicine. The healthcare law is already in effect, so now lets improve upon it by "mandating" performances that improve health. Two other subsets still need to be looked at: those who are under-insured and unhealthy and compare that to our congresspersons who get to opt out of the new healthcare law and get their healthcare subsidized. If it is good for one American, it should be good for all. It is time to look at superimposing a Healthy Lifestyle Program to the Healthcare Bill. If not , it looks like its just a insurance tax and nothing is. Worksite health promotion programs at work, Physical Education programs in schools and community health/social centers with trails, gyms, and other outdoor and indoor equipment can help reduce childhood diabetes and obesity.This is what makes health a human rights issue, not just a insurance tax.If the young and the healthy feel that they are not getting anything out of this except just showing you have a government card, there is not much us for them to join in mass. This shrinks the sources for paying for the growing aging population.Another factor that will have to be looked at rather seriously will be bio-medical technology such as the microchip of genetic manipulation in maintaining a healthier society.
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