By Pamela D Wilson, The Care Navigator, CSA, MS, BS/BA, CG

Few will argue that everyone should have access to insurance or that the penalties of pre-existing conditions should be eliminated. According to the Census Bureau 45 million Americans had no health insurance in 2007. There were even rumblings in the news recently that insurance companies tentatively agreed to manage costs if insurance were a requirement for all Americans.

An article in the Philadelphia Enquirer reports that spending on health care, 17% of the nation's gross domestic product in 2009 will reach 20% by 2017 and poses a serious threat to the nation's fiscal health according to the Congressional Budget office. However, according to a report just issued by Senator Max Baucus (D., Mont), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, "up to one third of this spending does not improve Americans' health outcomes."

I agree that everyone should have access to health insurance but let's talk about putting the cart before the horse. In my opinion availability of insurance is being viewed as the solution to spending on health care and health care problems. According to Michigan State study by epidemiologist, Matthew Reeves, only 3% of Americans participate in what are termed healthy lifestyle characteristics: not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, including fruits and vegetables in their daily diet and getting 30 minutes of activity five or more days a week. Unless we fix the root cause we cannot fix the problem.

 

It's clear the current administration is focusing on expenditures to manage chronic health and disease. We must find a balance between funding health insurance and funding spending for education and prevention which has a greater potential of alleviating the problem of escalating health care expenditures.

How different would outcomes be if preventative education about nutrition, exercise and health care was mandatory beginning in first grade and continued throughout life? What if a requirement for obtaining health insurance was semi-annual counseling? What if there were financial incentives for being healthy i.e. NOT using health insurance benefits? What if health insurance required annual visits and preventative screenings?

Access to health insurance is important, but it must include a focus on fixing the right thing, not proliferating the current health care financial disaster by supporting Americans to continue to live unhealthy lifestyles.

Copyright 2011 Pamela D. Wilson, All Rights Reserved.

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