Let's keep the need for health care in perspective. Compared to terrorism and foreign aggression, you're at least 32,000 times more likely to die from one of the many diseases our health care system prevents and/or treats.
In contrast, our federal 2008 budget for the military (not including FBI, CIA, etc.) was $613 billion, whereas our healthcare budget (Medicare and Medicaid) was $682 billion -- just 11% more.
On a per-death basis, that is ~$350,000 per healthcare-related death and approximately $11,000,000,000 per terrorism/foreign aggression-related death. Quite a disparity, no?
I'm not suggesting we spend the same per capita for defense and healthcare. That would be foolish, for one death doesn't risk the downfall of the entire country. However, it seems obvious that we can, and should, allocate more of our budget towards healthcare, as it's one of the most significant threats against Americans' well-being.
In contrast, our federal 2008 budget for the military (not including FBI, CIA, etc.) was $613 billion, whereas our healthcare budget (Medicare and Medicaid) was $682 billion -- just 11% more.On a per-death basis, that is ~$350,000 per healthcare-related death and approximately $11,000,000,000 per terrorism/foreign aggression-related death. Quite a disparity, no?
I'm not suggesting we spend the same per capita for defense and healthcare. That would be foolish, for one death doesn't risk the downfall of the entire country. However, it seems obvious that we can, and should, allocate more of our budget towards healthcare, as it's one of the most significant threats against Americans' well-being.
What it looks like instead of pouring more taxpayer money into healthcare a greater benefit would be achieved by somehow providing Americans with an incentive to make better lifestyle choices. I have no clue where to start with that, but healthier living would cut into the biggest causes of death--heart disease and cancer--without having to create a massive and ineffective new bureaucracy and without much additional taxpayer burden.
The problem is that the entire conversation about 'healthcare reform' in the USA has become a political pissing match for Obama and his minions. He's taking money from the special interests in the status quo and giving it to *his* special interests. That's not 'reform' thats politics as usual.