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To: Bucky Katt who wrote (12610)	6/26/2003 12:33:01 PM
From: tsigprofit	Respond to of 48461

Yes, I used to be solid Republican myself in the 80's, believe it or not. Voted for Reagan in 84, had his picture on my wall, etc. Thought the free market would solve everything. Started changing my opinions somewhat when I voted for Bush I in 88. Saw firsthand what happens when someone gets sick. We were frozen in our healthcare at that time. Couldn't change jobs (Clinton fixed this when he was President by insurance portability - bless him. I'd pay out of my pocket for a date for him with Monica for that one...) Also, had friends in the healthcare industry too. ER nurses seeing people wait to go in because they didn't have insurance. People then waited until they had major life-threatening problems - went to the ER very sick - and it cost a lot (human and financial) Also, see people we know with a sick child. So sick, the wife (2nd income earner) has to stay home with the child. Couple can't make it on one income, then Dad loses his job. Couple now owes hundreds of thousands in medical bills - and must go bankrupt. Somehow, not according to the Reagan script. I've now rejected all of that nonsense. I'm 100% capitalist, but capitalism with a human face: * universal healthcare * some kind of minimal housing for everyone * very good education for everyone Gee, treat people like human beings - and bring everyone into the club, and they might not be as violent, or take their own lives in despair - think so? We can do it. We are the richest country, and we pay more for healthcare than anyone else.

To: Bucky Katt who wrote (12610)	6/26/2003 2:19:34 PM
From: tsigprofit	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 48461

U.S. Loses up to $130 Billion Annually as Result of Poor Health, Early Death Due to Lack of Insurance WASHINGTON -- The value of what the United States loses because of the poorer health and earlier death experienced by the 41 million Americans who lack health insurance is estimated to be $65 billion to $130 billion every year, according to a first-ever economic analysis of the costs of uninsurance for society overall. This lost value is a hidden cost that could be recouped by extending health coverage to all, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. "By identifying and, where possible, quantifying the economic inefficiencies and losses that stem from having 41 million Americans without health insurance, this report looks at our national health policy within a cost-benefit framework," said Mary Sue Coleman, co-chair of the committee that wrote the report and president, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. "Our findings are based on the same approach that federal agencies use to determine whether the benefits of reducing a particular risk or harm justify the costs to society. As policy-makers weigh the costs and benefits of expanding coverage, they should factor in the estimated $65 billion to $130 billion value of improved health that could be realized each year through continuous coverage." The societal costs of maintaining an uninsured population usually are thought of only in terms of the public costs of free or reduced-price care used by uninsured individuals. To capture the hidden costs of uninsurance's effects, the committee employed the concept of "health capital" to estimate the value that would be gained if health insurance were extended to all. Health capital represents, in monetary terms, the value of an individual's health over future years of life, and includes the subjective value of being alive and healthy, earning potential, and children's physical and mental development. The differences in health status and life spans between the uninsured and otherwise similar people with coverage represents the value of health capital lost due to being uninsured. The estimated value of improved health that an uninsured individual would gain with each year of coverage ranges between $1,645 and $3,280 annually. The aggregate value that could be realized for the entire population – $65 billion to $130 billion – likely exceeds the estimated costs – $34 billion to $69 billion – to provide the uninsured with the additional health services that they would use if they gained coverage and used the same amount and kind of services as the insured. It is important to note that the committee did not attempt to project the full costs of a plan to cover everyone. The report also examines evidence that there are other costs related to lack of health coverage beyond the $65 billion to $130 billion estimate that cannot be calculated with current data. These costs include reduced availability of health care services for both the uninsured and the insured in communities with high rates of uninsurance, and higher costs for public programs. "Providing health care coverage to those who lack it is likely to be a cost-effective strategy that pays not only in lives saved and better health, but also in economic dividends," said committee co-chair Arthur Kellermann, professor and chair of emergency medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta. The value of providing coverage to those who are now uninsured accrues over the lifespan of the individuals and to society as a whole. One challenge is that employers may not individually derive enough value to make it worth their while to offer insurance to their workers. At the same time, studies have demonstrated that impaired health – which is more common among those without health insurance – is related to absenteeism and reduced productivity. Almost one-fifth of the working-age population lacks health coverage. With the publication of this report, the fifth in a series on the consequences of uninsurance, the Institute of Medicine offers the most complete evidence-based picture of the coverage issue and its effects on individuals, families, communities, and the nation as a whole. The series is designed to lay the groundwork for a more informed public debate about health care coverage. The committee's sixth and final report will identify promising strategies for addressing the problem of uninsurance. The series is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The Institute of Medicine is a private, nonprofit institution that provides health policy advice under a congressional charter granted to the National Academy of Sciences. A committee roster follows. Read the full text of Hidden Costs, Value Lost: Uninsurance in America for free on the Web, as well as 2,800 other publications from the National Academies Press; tel. (202) 334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at nap.edu. Reporters may obtain a pre-publication copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above). wwj.com