Person for person, health care in the U.S. costs about twice as much as it does in the rest of the developed world. In fact, if our $3 trillion health care sector were its own country, it would be the world’s fifth-largest economy. That is simply outrageous! If you have health insurance, you may think it doesn’t matter because someone else is paying the bill. You’d be wrong. This country’s exorbitant medical costs mean that we all pay too much for health insurance, even under Obama care. Overpriced care also translates into fewer raises for American workers. And to top it off, we’re not even getting the best care for our money. Under Obama care it is true that more people (customers) can see their doctors and nurses without the threat of bankruptcy , or being denied for so called pre-existing conditions, but the cost is still way out of line, for for profit health insurance – especially when you look at the deductibles, out of pocket and co-pays. Congress is doing nothing to address that aspect, nor will it so long as their are 4 paid health insurance lobbyists for every member of Congress.
On February 3, 2015 Rep. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois asked and was given permission to address the House of Representatives for 1 minute regarding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act:
“Mr. Speaker, the Affordable Care Act is working. Here is what I hear:
Women can afford to get pregnant because maternity is covered. Parents sleep better because their children are covered up to age 26. People with preexisting conditions are no longer terrified that they are going to be uninsured. Small businesses are saving money. Doctors and nurses are saving lives because patients can come to them. In Illinois, over 700,000 individuals are newly insured, and we are not even through with enrollment.
As the President said in this Chamber 2 weeks ago: “That is good news, people.”
But, today, we have gone back to the Republican old song book–yet another vote to repeal ObamaCare. Let me warn them that they do this at their peril. Tens of millions of Americans, many insured for the first time and others who can finally afford insurance, will not give it up without a fight.
Let’s hope the 56th time of a vote to repeal will be the last so we can get to the real work of raising wages and creating good jobs and passing equal pay and of comprehensive immigration reform and improving retirement security and passing a renewed Voting Rights Act. The war against ObamaCare is over, and ObamaCare has won.”
Source: Congressional Record
See video: Why Does U.S. Health Care Cost So Much? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZRgVQALFUA
See video: Indisputable Proof That American Health Care Prices Are Sky-High https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuZ8DH8ArV8
See video: Stanford Health Policy Forum: Controlling the Cost of Healthcare https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEQsC9iCfXU
Note: Rep. Schakowsky serves in the House Democratic Leadership as Chief Deputy Whip and Vice Chair of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. She is a powerful member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, where she serves on the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade, the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. She is arguably one of the most prominent and influential members in the history of Congress.