With all the negative talk about the health care industry these days it's easy to overlook some very important, highly positive aspects - namely, advances in medical technology.
Americans are living longer today than anytime in our history. Advances in modern medicine have made the seemingly impossible - possible. Technology has improved laboratory testing; allowing for the development of CT scans, MRI's, and PET scan imaging to improve diagnosis accuracy. New advancements in treating heart disease have made it possible to treat a potential heart attack within minutes rather than hours. Hospitals have highly trained and technologically savvy medical professionals available a round-the-clock to treat patients. Cure rates for critical illnesses are up. The pharmaceutical industry has produced a myriad of new drugs to effectively treat anything from high cholesterol to reducing the effects of clogged arteries. There are drugs for treating impotence, depression, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and anxiety. Successful organ transplants and joint replacements have increased the quality of life for countless Americans. These are all some amazing advancements that each one of us should be grateful for.
However, these modern miracles have created an unhealthy level of expectation with so many Americans that wrongly think we can have our cake and eat it to. It's gotten to the point where Americans act as though they're going up to the drive-thru window to order their health care. It might sound something like this, "may we help you sir/madam?" "Yes, I'll have one upper GI and a lower GI, I'd like 5 different inhalers to improve my lung function so I can continue to smoke. I'd also like to order an MRI and why don't you throw in a CAT scan while you're at it! Let me get the gastric by-pass surgery to. One knee replacement and my usual 30 day supply of high blood pressure meds, anti-depressants, anxiety medicine and my purple pill for acid reflux - to go please". "Will that be all sir/madam?" "That will be all for now".
I don't mean to sound flippant about such important matters. Really, I know how vital these advancements are to changing the lives of some many. However, we're under some kind of illusion that we can have such a high demand for all these amazing wonders in medical science and not have costs spiral out of control. Our Government is making a promise that they just can't keep. We can't possibly stay on our current course and be able to effectively reduce health care costs. Furthermore, if we stifle advancement in the medical community by a massive government takeover then the only result will be to reduce the level of advancement.
The other myth that we fall prey to is that we can reduce the cost of health care without making any personal sacrifices to our current lifestyle choices. If we don't become a national that values health and wellness again we can forget about making any real and sustainable impact on our nations health care costs. Obesity, for example, is related to so many controllable and preventable medical conditions. We need to take more personally accountability for our own health and well-being and stop looking to the government or the medical profession to take care of us from cradle to grave and start with making right lifestyle choices today. No one will look out for you better than you!
My mission is to make the complex world of employee benefits understandable. Please reach out to me at bknauss@employeemployersolutions.com, visit my website at http://www.employeemployersolutions.com/ or twitter me at http://twitter.com/mployebenefits
-