‘Generally Speaking’ Articles
Written by hedir on 13 June 2009
Does anyone really believe that private sector businesses can manage health care better than the government?
In the past several days, President Obama and HHS Secretary Sebelius have been ramping up their efforts to generate a groundswell of support for reform of the American dysfunctional non-health care system. Top Republicans have declared there will be no government health care system. Given that the World Health Organization’s most recent rating of health care provided by nations rates health care services in the good ol’ USA as 37th among the 191 nations and worst among those with the largest economies, while health care provided in France is rated as best, maybe we should look to Western Europe for ways to improve the health care provided in our country.
Supporters of government involvement in health care point to the fact that the US government is already assuring health care for the aged, those with low incomes, veterans and government employees, including members of Congress. The federal and state governments of the US already pay for more than 44% of health care costs in our country. Also, they note that thecost of health care in the US is above 17% of GDP, while it is 11% of the GDP of France. According to an article in The Dallas Morning News of May 18, 2009, the average cost of health care for an individual in the US in 2006 was $6,714, while for the individual in France it was $3,450. While anybody living in France for more than three months is covered by the national health insurance program, it is estimated that approximately 45 million citizens of our country have no health insurance.
The French health care system is not perfect; people of lower middle income complain that they cannot afford supplemental health insurance available to those who can afford it. As a result, many have to pay more for their medical care costs than the rich and the poor, with the latter having their supplemental health insurance paid by the French government. France is struggling to cover rising health care costs within its national budget, but its problem is considerably smaller and more manageable than the health care costs problems facing both the government and private citizens in our country.
Germany has per capita health care costs similar to those of France. The average cost per person in Germany in 2005 was $3,628, which was just over half the cost in the US, and German health care costs were 10.7% of GDP, as compared with over 16% in the US in that year. The World Health Organization rated the German health care system as 25th or 191 national systems, or 12 positions ahead of the US “system”.
Of course, there are reasons to suggest we look to the Far East for a model for health care reform. Japan enjoys the lowest per capita health care costs, which are less than half of those in the US at US$2,908 in 2005, or 8.2% of GDP, which is almost half of 16% of GDP in the US in that year. Japan enjoys the highest life expectancy of any major nation in the world.
While top Republican leaders say government cannot run a health care system a well as private sector businesses, we have decades of evidence that governments in other countries are running their health care systems more effectively than the combined governments and private sector businesses management pattern in our country. American private sector businesses failed badly in recent years in managing the real estate market, banking, hedge fund investments, automobile manufacturing and marketing, high tech corporations, utilities distribution and insurance businesses. Why should we buy the old saw that private industry can manage health care better than governments?
Related websites:
http://republicanleader.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=131326
http://www.allhealthcare.com/news/articles/3480-is-french-health-system-a-model-for-us
http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/republican-senate-leader-obama-essential-healthcare-reform
http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html
http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthy_life_table2.html
http://www.photius.com/rankings/who_world_health_ranks.html
Tags: Health Care reform
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Written by hedir on 28 May 2009
Have you been asked to participate in a research study?
How many of us have been asked to participate in a research study, or a survey? Maybe a more pertinent question is, “How many of us, when asked to participate in a research study, have taken the time to respond? Another question may be, “As we completed research projects, did we use surveys and hoped that individuals would respond?
I don’t know about anyone else, but I try to respond to these requests from my colleagues as well as responding to individuals who are potentially going to enter the health education profession. I feel that there were those in the field who helped me as I was conducting my doctoral research, as well as other research I have conducted over the years, so this is one way I can “give back” to the profession. In responding to requests from graduate students, my thought process is that if I, as a long-practicing health educator don’t respond to this survey from someone who may well be “taking my place” in the profession (remember, there are a lot of us grey haired individuals in the profession), who is likely to provide information to the individual who is asking for my participation? I do not respond to every request to complete a survey, but I do try to respond to those that come from “my” profession. I would think that participation in these types of requests is very important in that I have the perspective of a health educator, not a carpenter (not that carpenters don’t have good perspective). I really don’t want that “carpenter’s responses” to shape what may be an important health education concept. On the other hand, if I am trying to get communities involved in my research, the perspective of that carpenter is extremely important, as are the perspectives of other members of the community. In the latter case I will do what I can to ensure that I have an adequate community sample size and adequate representation, such that I can make some comments related to the generalizability of the research I am conducting.
As we prepare new health educators, I hope each of us will take the time to reflect about those who helped us move forward in our profession. I would hope that we would take the time needed to respond to the requests for information from our peers, as well as those individuals who want to enter our wonderful profession. This is one way we can “give back.” Hopefully by doing this, we will become “role models” for the very individuals who are requesting our participation.
I don’t know about you, but I certainly will participate in the next survey that is sent to me by one of my professional colleagues.
Have a great weekend.
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Written by hedir on 26 May 2009
Former President George W. Bush took up residence about 30 miles from my home when he departed the White House. In Texas, this is close enough to consider him a neighbor. He became much wiser toward the end of his second term in office. He is showing considerable wisdom in avoiding commenting on the recent flaps between conservative Republicans and more moderate ones.
G. W. left office with one of the lowest popularity ratings of any president since polling began. Interestingly he has raised enormous amounts of funding to support his presidential library. He is hopeful of getting favorable rendering of his performance as president from historians. He is well aware that entering the fray about the future of the Republican Party could stigmatize his image and damage his brand beyond the damage the performance of his administration caused. As we say in Texas, he is keeping his opinions under his hat.
Tags: A wiser G. W. keeps mouth shut.
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Written by hedir on 25 May 2009
Saw this poem and thought it was appropriate for today. Author is unknown…if somebody knows its author please let me know so I can acknowledge.
I’M FREE
Don’t grieve for me for now I’m free,
I’m following the path God laid for me.
I took His hand when I heard Him call,
I turned my back and left it all.
I could not stay another day,
To laugh, to love, to work or play.
Tasks left undone must stay that way,
I found that peace at the close of the day.
If my parting has left a void,
Then fill it with remembered joy.
A friendship shared, a laugh, a kiss,
Ah yes, these things I too will miss.
But be not burdened with times of sorrow,
For I wish you the sunshine of tomorrow.
My life’s been full. I’ve savored much,
Good friends, good times and loved ones’ touch.
Perhaps my time seemed all too brief
Don’t lengthen it now with undue grief.
Lift up your ears and share with me.
God wanted me now. He set me free!
Author: Unknown
Tags: Memorial Day
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Written by hedir on 22 May 2009
According to an ABC News report, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Ted Turner and other billionaires, collectively estimated to own more than 125 billion dollars in wealth, gathered to discuss what works best in charitable efforts. This is wonderful. People with this much wealth and influence are trying to solve the same problems and adddress the same issues that health educators and members of other helping professions devote their careers to solve and address.
As a professional health educator, I often thought how wonderful it would be if I had enormous resources with which to try to tackle key health problems. Gates, Winfrey, and other billionaires have such enormous resources. It is terrific that they are sharing their knowledge about how best to use these resources to ameliorate human suffering. Members of the G-8 meet to discuss ways to solve world problems with political resources. It is wonderful that people who have had the knowledge, abilities, and opportunities to amass huge fortunes are doing a similar thing in a nonpolitical approach.
Tags: Living the health educator's dream
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