Over 80 million Americans are without health care at any given point during the year, Dr. Daniel Blumenthal, Morehouse College School of Medicine, said. This is higher than the often cited 45 million, Blumenthal said, because 45 million go without for an entire year, and additional Americans cycle in and out of coverage each year.
At least another 50 million Americans are estimated to be inadequately insured. This means their plans do not cover everything they need them too. Also, many Americans cannot afford co-pays and deductibles, meaning they cannot benefit from private insurance even if they have it.
"More and more I've seen people with health insurance, but it doesn't cover jack. The new thing is the insurance companies are selling skinny insurance," Rita Valenti said in a phone interview.
"Nothing tugs at a pastor's heart more than when we see the suffering of parishioners," Rev. Timothy McDonald of the First Iconium Baptist Church said. The First Iconium hosts monthly social justice forums on the first Tuesday of each month but will be off next month.
A doctor originally from Canada spoke at both events. "Canada's health care system is really great. This is a good model for a good financing system," Karen Hochman said. "It was great being a doctor in Canada. I was able to provide good care for patients without worrying about money. It never crossed our minds to think about money. We didn't know how much it cost because we never got a sheet telling us."
"People worry... a national health care system... would be mired in bureaucracy and red tape. I can tell you right now our system is already bureaucratic and already inefficient. And something needs to change," Larissa Thomas, President of Health Students Taking Action Together, and third year medical student of Emory, said.
Medicare is one of the most efficient health insurance programs in the nation, with administrative costs at only 3%.
"When we are in classrooms we learn the most cutting edge technology. Then when we go out into our medical rotations we learn that we do not have the most cutting edge healthcare system. What we learn in our clinical practice is not implemented to patients. We are limited to the kind of tests we can order and the kind of treatment we can provide based on the patient's insurance plan and based upon whether they have insurance at all. This is not the way to practice medicine," Thomas said.
"It has been so exciting to see this as an issue," Marguerite Rece, a Registered Nurse, said. "I tell rich people, who do you think is going to be taking care of you when you go the hospital? People who don't have health care. We have to demand this."
Since its inception last year, The Atlanta Progressive News has endorsed universal health care as a key element of our founding editorial principles. We will continue to follow the efforts of universal health care advocates until universal health care passes the US Congress and is available for all Americans.
About the author:
Matthew Cardinale is the News Editor of Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.comSarah Epting is a Staff Writer for Atlanta Progressive News and may be reached at sarah@atlantaprogressivenews.com
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