“I want you all to know that I am confident that if we come together, and work together, we can finally achieve what generations of Americans have fought for and fulfill the promise of health care in our time.”
—President Barack H. Obama, 44th President of the United States
The Obama Administration has hit the ground running.
On February 4, less than a month after taking office, President Barack Obama signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program bill. This legislation will continue health care coverage for more than 7 million children, while extending coverage to an additional 4 million uninsured children by the year 2013. The President considers this the first step in an ultimate goal to provide quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
It is an ambitious goal, as currently more than 50 million people in this country cannot afford medical coverage—a number that increases daily with the rising rate of unemployment. Under the President’s proposed health care plan, the nation’s health care system would be revamped and modernized from the ground up, including plans to extend quality, affordable health care coverage to all Americans regardless of preexisting conditions or illnesses; implement electronic medical records throughout the medical community; and create a comprehensive prevention and wellness program. Additional initiatives include programs for assisting individuals with physical disabilities and mental illness.
Of course, as the country becomes further affected by an uncertain economy, more than a few opponents have expressed concern as to how the President’s health care proposals will be financed. Others express concern over the government becoming more “hands-on” in health care matters that should remain in the private sector.
Why are so many Americans wary of government-funded health care? Some fear not being allowed to select their own physicians and manage their own care under a national health care plan. The fact is, with many existing health plans, their choices are limited under PPOs and HMOs. With the current situation in this country, even the dwindling number of individuals with insurance coverage can visit only physicians and specialists specifically covered by their plans—otherwise, the insurance carrier will not reimburse the cost.
Also, with more than 70 million Americans heading into their senior years, and another 13 million low-income adults reliant on medical care, the need for accessible health care is paramount. It is shameful that a country that is considered to be one of the leaders of the free world is still unable to offer quality, affordable health care for all of its citizens.
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Hopefully, bipartisan rivals will work in unity with President Obama over the next 4 years, and provide the nation with a viable health plan that will benefit not only patients, but medical industry professionals, providers, and practitioners. Remember, we’re Americans, and revolutionaries at heart. Let’s devise a health care plan that will be the benchmark for other nations. As Mohandas K. Gandhi once said, “A society is ultimately judged by how it treats its weakest and most vulnerable members.” Let’s set an example for the rest of the world.
—Rogena Schuyler Silverman
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