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September 30, 2005

Health Care Crisis in U.S. Grows More Urgent

by Faithful Progressive

President Bush and the GOP leaders of Congress have ignored a huge decline in the number of people who have health insurance, and a staggering decrease in the percentage of employers who provide health insurance.

In 1993, U.S. Catholic Bishops passed a resolution on health care that concluded: "Every person has the right to adequate health care. This right flows from the sanctity of human life and the dignity that belongs to all persons, who are made in the image of God... Our call for health care reform is rooted in the biblical call to heal the sick and to serve 'the least of these,' the priorities of justice and the principle of the common good. The existing patterns of health care in the United Sates do no meet the minimal standard of social justice and the common good." Since 1993 the situation has gotten much worse. There is a health care crisis in the U.S., though it gets very little attention.

According to a recent Families USA report, “The number of uninsured has risen to “nearly 48 million Americans will be uninsured for the entire year in 2005. What happens when some of these 48 million Americans get sick? Research has shown that the uninsured often put off getting care for health problems—or forgo care altogether. When the symptoms can no longer be ignored, the uninsured do see doctors and go to hospitals. Without insurance to pay the tab, the uninsured struggle to pay as much as they can: More than one-third (35 percent) of the total cost of health care services provided to people without health insurance is paid out-of-pocket by the uninsured themselves.”

This means that fewer employers will provide health insurance. The number has been dropping in the past years. Jack Faris, President of NFIB (the National Federation of Independent Business), the nation's largest small-business advocacy group recently noted this past week that, "...(O)nly 60 percent of the companies provide health coverage to their workers, a sharp drop from 69 percent five years ago. The decline is centered mainly in the small-business sector. Nearly all businesses that have 200 or more employees offer health benefits. There is no greater concern among small businesses than the rising cost of health insurance. The most recent National Federation of Independent Business "Small-Business Problems and Priorities" survey reported that two-thirds, 66 percent, of small-business owners again named the issue as their single most important problem - up significantly from 47 percent four years earlier.”


Almost as alarming, as Bloomberg reported yesterday, “U.S. companies will pay an average of 8 percent more for employees' health insurance next year, according to Towers Perrin, a human resources consultant. Employers will pay almost $600 more next year for each worker, bringing total health insurance costs to $8,424 on average, Stamford, Connecticut-based Towers Perrin said today in a survey. Workers will shoulder $155 of the additional expense, 10 percent more than in 2005. “

Religious leaders of all types have urged fundamental health care reform in the U.S. One organizing group has been the The Faith Project of the Universal Health Care Action Network They have produced a Statement that has been endorsed by an impressive array of national and local groups. Their web-site has resources to get involved at many levels. I hope that we will add the Christian Alliance for Progress to the list, and that others join these groups in this important work.

American Baptist Churches in the USA

American Jewish Congress

Anabaptist Center for Health Care Ethics

Church Women United

Episcopal Church, USA

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran Office for Governmental Affairs

Friends Committee on National Legislation

Interfaith Voices for Peace and Justice

Islamic Society of North America

Mennonite Central Committee, US

Mennonite Medical Association

Mennonite Nurses Association

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA

NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby

Presbyterian Church (USA), Washington Office

Union of American Hebrew Congregations

Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

United Church of Christ

United Methodist Church, General Board of Church and Society

State/Regional

Alaska IMPACT

American Baptist Churches of Indiana & Kentucky

American Baptist Churches of New Jersey

American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island

Coalition of Religious Communities, Utah

Church Women United, Alabama

Church Women United, Arizona

Church Women United, Illinois

Church Women United, Indiana

Church Women United, Kentucky

Church Women United, Michigan

Church Women United, Mississippi

Church Women United, New Mexico

Church Women United, New York

Church Women United, Tennessee

Church Women United, Utah

Florida Council of Churches

Illinois Conference of Churches

Jewish Labor Committee

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Nevada

Michigan Ecumenical Forum

Nevada Health Care Reform Project

Ohio Council of Churches

Pennsylvania Council of Churches

Religious Society of Friends, Western Yearly Meeting, Peace & Christian Social Concerns Committee

United Church of Christ, Maine Conference

United Methodist Church, North Alabama Conference, Prophetic Ministry Team

United Methodist Church Wisconsin Conference - Board of Church and Society

Local
Amistad United Church of Christ - Vacaville CA
Fresno Metro Ministry - Fresno CA
New Spirit Community Church - Berkeley CA
Second Samoan United Church of Christ - Long Beach CA
South Coast Ecumenical Council - Long Beach CA
Diocese of St. Augustine, Office of Justice and Peace - Jacksonville FL
Lakewood United Church of Christ - St. Petersburg FL
Atlanta/Fulton Coalition on Health and Wellness GA
Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ - Sioux City IA
Congregational Church Algonquin, United Church of Church IL
Emmanuel United Church of Christ - Carlyle IL
Friedens United Church of Christ - Farina IL
San Jose Obrero Mission - Chicago IL
St. Peter's United Church of Christ - Frankfurt IL
Trinity United Church of Christ - Chicago IL
Church Women United, Indianapolis IN
Grace Reformed Church, United Church of Christ - Gary IN
St. Paul United Church of Christ - Ft. Thomas KY
Zion United Church of Christ - Henderson KY
Maple Street Congregational Church, United Church of Christ - Danvers MA
Milbridge Congregational Church, United Church of Christ - Milbridge ME
Access - Dearborn MI
Central Lutheran Church - Minneapolis MN
Cathedral Church of St. Mathew, United Church of Christ - Baltimore MO
Church Women United, Columbia MO
Gethsemane Lutheran Church - St. Louis MO
United Methodist Church, MO Social Concerns Committee - Columbia MO
United Methodist Women of the Missouri UM Church of Columbia MO
Community United Church of Christ - Greensboro NC
Maple Temple United Church of Christ - Selma NC
Parkway United Church of Christ NC
Congregational United Church of Christ - Valley City ND
Smith Memorial Congregational Church, United Church of Christ - Hillsboro NH
Faith Health New York NY
Greater Rochester Interfaith Health Care Coalition - Rochester NY
Long Island Council of Churches NY
Sisters of St. Joseph Justice and Peace Committee - Rochester
Annunciation Parish Community - Cleveland OH
Catholic Ministry of Health Care Professionals - Cleveland OH
Commission on Catholic Community Action, Health Care Committee - Cleveland OH
Community of Christ the Servant - North Olmstead OH
Community of St. Malachi - Lakewood OH
Congregation of St. Joseph - Cleveland OH
Greater Cleveland Community United Church of Christ OH
Heights Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) - Shaker Heights OH
Lutheran Metro Ministry, Social Justice Task Force - Cleveland OH
Presbytery of the Western Reserve - Cleveland OH
Project H.O.P.E.- St. Philip Neri - Cleveland OH
Religious Society of Friends, Athens Monthly Meeting OH
Religious Society of Friends, Cleveland Monthly Meeting OH
St. Malachi Parish - Cleveland OH
St. Noel Catholic Church Social Concerns Commission - Chardon OH
Toledo Metropolitan Ministry
St. Mary's Catholic Parish - Corvallis OR
Breezewood Trucker Traveler Chaplaincy PA
Old First Reformed Church, United Church of Christ - Philadelphia PA
St. Paul's United Church of Christ - Spring City PA
St. Thomas United Church of Christ - Bethlehem PA
Barrington Congregational Church, United Church of Christ RI
Holy Rosary Catholic Church - San Antonio TX
Orem Community Church, United Church of Christ UT
Church Women United, Virginia Beach Unit VA
Metaline Falls Congregational United Church of Christ WA
First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ - Rhinelander WI
United Christian Church - Campbellsport WI
La Fondita de Jesus - San Juan PR


Posted by Faithful Progressive at September 30, 2005 12:11 AM

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Comments

I agree. Health care just sucks today. The government should shape up and give health care a big boost before it becomes another crisis. A man-made one at that.

Posted by: Kenny at October 6, 2005 11:32 AM

If some one would do true cost study you would find that Americans pay 3 times more than any one else in the world for health care, take a simple look at the American Ins. There must be a cost for selling and writing health Ins. Polices and the cost advertising, just selling and writing the polices is a staggering cost. Next comes the cost of Ins. Co. receiving claims and paying claims and investigators to check for fraud all this together is another high cost. Then the Doctor has to bill the Ins. Co. and the patient or another Ins. Co. because no Ins. Co. pays 100%. What a mess just think how much paper this takes. If it wasn’t for the cost of Ins. A car made in America would be cheaper then one made in any other country. Most of our industry that left America would still be here if not for medical costs.
And the reason why is a bunch of crooked Republicans government who sell out America for dollars in their pocket. And the reason why is a question and answer thing.
Who gets to be a multi million airs two years out of school -----doctors and dentist
Who gets to bill two parties for their work ----doctors dentist hospitals auto body shops
Who gets to charge for not doing anything like when you are ailing and go to a doctor and he prescribes some pills you go home take the pills and you are still sick ----doctors and hospitals
Who goes to the Republicans 2,000.00 dollar a plate dinners------- Doctors dentist politicians and the rich and elite.
Who got the most benefits from the theft of the social security fund---- doctors dentist politician the rich and elite.
Yes it was stolen by Bush and the Republican Congress, The social security trust fund is what they spent to get the money for the short fall of income tax revenue. Now they want to cut social security benefits to make up for the theft. Thanks you lying thieving Republicans. There is enough money for both. Do you remember hearing that About a million times.
How many times do the doctors double dip when the hospital charges you for a doctor and the doctor charges you to


Posted by: monte schlarman at October 7, 2005 10:38 PM

I hope U.S. does grow much more urgent and pays attention to the health care society.

Posted by: Blue Cross of California at November 23, 2005 02:09 AM

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Posted by: CHARLES KING at May 13, 2006 07:22 PM

.Monte

Your post is about the most passionate and passionately stupid one I've seen on any forum in a long time.

There are lots of problems with health care quality, availability and affordability in the United States, and several realities behind them. And all your third grade moronic whining about evil Repubicans, the sole cause of all problems in your calculus, notwithstanding, there are even bigger problems in most other countries that don't have evil Republicans to blame.

The problem is doctors and dentists are all
"multi million airs " 2 years out of school?
How uninformed, uninterested in actual reality, and totally stupid are you?

If having some actual knowledge of a topic were a requirement before being allowed to post on forums like these, you'd be the perfect poster example for the requirement.

"2 years out of school?" What is "school?" And how long is it?

Suppose you want to be a heart doctor, and save someone's life in the middle of the night who is otherwise going to be dead in about 15 minutes. How long after high school to get to day one? 2 years? 4 years? How about maybe, wow, 6 years?

Try 14 YEARS of year round school/training after high school. OH, minor matter, when it's starting day after 14 years, try being about $300,000 in debt before sending out your first ever bill. And, no problem, people like you rage and whine that doctors shouldn't get paid any more than the shoe shine boy, and they work two to three times more hours per week than most whiners like you. Also, keep in mind that physician reimbursement by medicare and private insurance has been scaled back about 40% from what it was in l990 for the same work.

If you get appendicitis, or get smashed up in an accident because of another lousy driver, you'll live because of what is usually first rate care at your local hospital. Suppose the doctor decides to never bill you. Your hospital bill will be tiny, right? Wrong! You'll still have a multi thousand dollar bill from the hospital, even if the doctor works for free.

Why the big hospital bill even if doc's for free? Well, the hospital has a huge payroll to meet, so every kind of therapist, Nurse, xray technician, janitor, plant engineer, etc. etc. isn't "exploited", yet paid for their work.

And, chances are it will involve top notch xray and other imaging, "scanning" equipment. all start of the art, amazing technology, which if not available, or not used according to cookbook standards, will lead to major lawsuits (mainly after money, as opposed to "justice" but the

always present 1-800 SUE THEIR ASS OFF people trying to use your contrived "victimhood" for their 33% take.

Doctors have to order billions and billions dollars ot tests to avoid the
APPEARANCE of negligence, or face the possibility that the people who get their care and concern without ever paying the bill, may still turn around and end their careers with ruinous litigation.


Hospitals, medical care, medical tests, and prescription medication sometimes cost 2-6 times what it would cost in other countries (IF YOU CAN EVEN FIND IT THERE!), and the reason?


LAWYERS. And, high public expectations and demands over every detail, otherwise, run to the

LAWYERS.


most doctors are never millionaires, not even close, let alone "2 years out of school."


AND WHY DO WE HAVE ALL THESE LAWYERS, WITH HELPFUL FOR ALL TORT REFORM NEVER MORE THAN A PIPEDREAM?

DEMOCRATS LIBERALS PROGRESSIVES CLINTON VETO

(Note to Monte; Republicans not to blame here! My oh my, who'd ever think, Republicans not really behind every single evil in the universe!)

With doctors, including the best ones, retiring early or leaving the profession if possible, in record numbers, who can you thank?

DEMOCRATS LIBERALS PROGRESSIVES POSSIBILITY OF HILLARYCARE. LAWYERS.


IF BADLY NEEDED MEDICAL CARE IS TOO EXPENSIVE, WHO CAN YOU THANK?

LAWYERS DEMOCRATS LIBERALS PROGRESSIVES

MILLIONS OF COMPLETELY UNINFORMED SHRILL DEMAGOGUES LIKE MONTE


IF YOU SOMEDAY (TODAY IN SOME PLACES) CAN'T FIND BADLY NEEDED MEDICAL CARE AT ANY COST, WHO CAN YOU THANK?

LAWYERS DEMOCRATS FEELGOOD SOOPERDOOGOODERS/PROGRESSIVES AGAINST SOCIAL INJUSTICE

MILLIONS OF VOTING UNINFORMED SHRILL DEMAGOGUES LIKE MONTE!

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Posted by: jack sparrow at August 18, 2008 08:39 AM

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