Daily News Updates - Health Insurance News

Health Insurance, Capitol Hill & Blogs, Pt.15 – Addressing the moral issues.

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If FQHC’s would work, it would be a genuine boon to this seriously troubled health insurance/care situation. The private health insurance industry could continue the way they have been and we could still provide for those who can’t afford it. This would also alleviate the tremendous burden on our ER’s from the ‘free-riders’ and those others who, by necessity, must seek medical care for inappropriate and non-emergency purposes. ‘Neal’ states that the FQHC’s have been successful in these medical endeavors for over 40 years now. If the model has already proven its success, doesn’t it only make sense to go with it for the new health insurance/care system?

Blogger ‘Policy Wonk’ picks up on this next. ‘Wonk’ also agrees with idea of expanding and utilizing the FQHC’s, but warns that they are tied to Medicaid-funded programs and, as such, are still subjected to government cut-backs. For the tremendous expansion needed, tremendous funding will also be required. About the only direct way of doing this would be through taxes. When it comes down to providing “access to affordable health insurance/care for all” with the huge numbers involved, we can bandy all day and all night about how to do it and how evil socialism is. But the whole issue will always come down to morality (by any other name). As ‘wonk’ so aptly puts it: “Unless we are willing to make a moral decision that poor sick people will be allowed to suffer, we must find a way to provide health care access to everyone.” On the other hand, should the well-meaning honest citizens be expected to foot the bill for those who can afford health insurance, but simply opt-out in order to save money and then visit the ER for routine medical care?