Pub. 14 2017 Issue 2

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S - H E L P I N G N E W M E X I C O R E A L I Z E D R E A M S 18 is unlikely to be bothered enough by the for-profit system to really want change. That individual may see the inherent inequality in the system, but if not personally affected by it, is unlikely to push for a new system. Another reason, which is certainly more philosophical, is the highly individualisticmindset of many Americans. Individuality, in many cases, is an important attribute. In achieving goals, in developing ideas, in understanding who you are as a person, indi- viduality is crucial. Many Americans have translated this sense of individuality and self-reliance into the belief that government should stay out of the lives of the people at all costs. In many cases, it is positive to have the government not run interference. But this belief has been superimposed onto healthcare, which has led to an inefficient, highly unequal system that has ledmany people to be uninsured or underinsured. Is a system that denies sufficient healthcare to many Americans who are less fortunate one that really lines up with traditional American values? The concept of individuality, which many Americans covet, has been translated into areas where it may not necessarily belong, healthcare being a prime example. The most alarming trend in American health care is that citi- zens are paying the equivalent in taxes for healthcare that many people in countries with universal health care do. According to a study in the American Journal of Public Health, “government health expenditures in the United States account for a larger share of gross domestic product (11.2 percent in 2013) than do total health expenditures in any other nation,” including those that provide universal health coverage to all citizens. According to the study, “inefficiencies in the American health care system eat up a disproportionate share of costs as compared to other nations. Also, U.S. hospital spending was compared to the hos- pital spending in seven other nations with a variety of health care systems. The United States was a cost outlier, with hospital administrative costs topping 25 percent.” This is clearly a deeply problematic issue. Many healthcare experts are pessimistic that the U.S. healthcare system will change in any meaningful way in the near future. The Afford - able Care Act, while touted as an improvement over the previous system, has left many people still uninsured. Experts cite the private health insurance companies, which have been allowed to grow into behemoths, and how slow government is to adopt change as huge impediments to improvement in healthcare. It’s important that we recognize that a system that leaves so many out in the cold is not satisfactory. This isn’t comparable to owning the new iPhone or a new car if you do or do not have the financial means, this can be a matter of life and death in some instances. The United States is supposed to be on the cutting edge, leading the pack, but on an issue so important, we are sadly lagging behind. n DANI GORDEN Advertising Sales 8 01 . 676 . 9722 dani@thenewslinkgroup.com WORDS. n The Great Healthcare Debate  continued from page 17