National Healthcare Crisis??

I am sitting in a hotel room (actually it is a country club guest room, but that is another story) just outside of Akron, OH, having spent the day with Christian Healthcare Ministries. You may have seen them last night on CNN . The week before I was at Samaritan Ministries and was equally blessed by the wonderful work that they are doing. Watching both of these ministries, I find myself asking again, "What is this health care crisis?"

Some of you may have heard that the Chinese character for "Crisis" is made up of two characters that mean "danger" and "opportunity." The current American healthcare system is far from perfect. Having worked for many years as a family doctor within the British socialized healthcare system (the NHS), I have had a chance to see socialism at work, and it leaves much to be desired and it does lead to the type of rationing that you may have read about in the press. So what is the danger right now, and what is the opportunity?

To me the main danger of the current frenzy of activity around healthcare reform is that people who have only been seriously thinking about this for a few months (namely our elected representatives in Washington) seem to think that they can overnight change 17% of the whole of the US economy. They have had the past 50 years to work on Medicaid and Medicare, and still openly admit that they don't know how to deal with the existing fraud in the system. What are they going to do when they try to handle the whole healthcare system? It's lunacy to allow the very people who helped to create the current challenges now try to sort out the mess by having even more power and control. I don't have a lot of confidence in that working!

But that may also be where the opportunity lies. There is much that this country can do to improve it's existing healthcare system. The problem, generally speaking is not access. The truth is that anyone can access an emergency room in this country any time they want to turn up. In Austin, where we live, a local free clinic program had to be closed down because of lack of patients. But very often people don't know what is available to them.

Two major areas provide great opportunity for containing medical costs. Christian initiatives such as Christian Healthcare Ministries and Samaritan Ministries show the power of simple cooperative movements, and I count it a privilege that my company, The Karis Group actually does much of the discounting work for these ministries. They are a delight to work with.

But much more innovation is possible. Rather than restricting the private sector, this should be the time to set the private sector free to explore and innovate. Bring the doctor and the patient back together without either government or the insurance companies getting in the way. Plan to cover basic costs out of our own pockets, which is what we do with everything else in life, and only insure for the truly expensive (catastrophic) things that we cannot plan for. In this way natural market forces and personal responsibility will quickly bring most health care costs under much better control. After all, about 70% of all healthcare costs are lifestyle related. When people see the cost of the choices that they make every day they will learn how to make healthier choices or they will face the much higher premiums that their unhealthy lifestyles produce. If you have five car accidents in the past five years you are going to pay a higher premium for your car insurance, and that is entirely appropriate. Why would we not apply the same logic to health insurance?

As Christians we have important things to say in this current healthcare debate. Did you know that the word "Salvation" (Gk=Sozo) means much more than a ticket to heaven, but it means what is described in I Thessalonians 5 as "and now may your spirit and soul and body be presented perfect." God wants people made whole, and following his word does lead to healthy lifestyle choices, and as evidenced by the examples of the two ministries that I have mentioned above. It can also lead to drastically reduced health care costs. Check them out!

Tags: Healthcare, healthy, living

Comment by Robin Yeldell on August 14, 2009 at 12:03am: Very interesting to get your perspective given your work in the health field in the US, India, and the US. Look forward to more insights.

Comment by Paul Nogaki on August 14, 2009 at 1:29am: Don't forget ...They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. (Mark 16:18) Jesus said that without an end date and without reservation. God has already come up with a universal healthcare plan
A friend of mine who has been involved with prison ministry and down and outer's ministry for many years told me that when he stopped trying to deal with health problems in his ministry with natural ways (that also included such non-traditional equipment as frequency machines), he just had to trust the Lord to come through, and he has done that. In one Federal correctional facility near Seattle he reports 99% healing rate - only one prisoner was not open to healing. Even the Warden received healing.
We as Christians can't look to those without true life to supply that which only the Lord of Glory is able to do. Our problem is that we have too many options, so it's harder to look to God as our provider. Don't I know it! But that doesn't mean we should give up and not seek the higher way.

Comment by Steve Lyzenga on August 14, 2009 at 8:05am: thanks Tony - good sentiments and strategies to pass on to my Senators...

Comment by Mark on August 14, 2009 at 9:28am: Our family decided to go with an HSA - Health Savings Account, recommended by Dave Ramsey, a Christian financial counselor, which keeps the deductible really high and the premium really low - it encourages responsibility for your own care by giving you a savings account usable to use your own money for medical expenses. It has been a financial relief to use our own money instead of fighting with an insurance company.

It was between the HSA and Christian Healthcare Ministries - we chose against CHM because they made it clear they were not to be considered an insurance company - and didn't cover many of the medical costs like having a child. We may go with them in the future if we see good reason to make the switch.

In any case I am very open to fresh ways to bring about reform in the health care system - and feel like both the HSA and co-ops are a way to do it! Great post!

Comment by Connie on August 14, 2009 at 10:03am: Speaking as a Canadian, I have always liked our health care system, but just recently learned how much my satisfaction is based on my head being in the sand. This year when our government announced we would no longer have to pay any premiums I felt raped of my freedom. It felt like I was no longer contributing, that the government was giving it all to me for free. Then the thought, "no, they are taking it through my taxes" again felt like they were stripping me of my rights. The government can tax the people whatever they need to meet their obligations and balance their budget.

I had never felt the pangs of socialism creep in like I did when the government gave us the "good" news that we wouldn't be paying health care premiums any more. Why? Because I realized in that moment what happens when the government feels wealthy, and likewise what might happen when it feels poor. Does that mean restrictions and rationing? Of course. We can see that beginning to happen now in our schools, and all just because of the drop in tax revenue of oil and natural gas.

We should have sunk our money into (school) infrastructure rather than expendable programs. At least then we would have the space to improvise. Also, in provinces where they have regionalized, by eliminating school boards, it did not save any money, and it gave them an inferior product. Education and health care are closely related.

Your idea to insure only the highly expensive procedures is the best one I've heard. People should pay for the day to day needs.

Comment by Timothy Wright on August 14, 2009 at 10:35am: Hi,

We are from the US but have lived in the UK for the past 20 years and want to return to the States. We can't. I am a diabetic and can not get anyone to insure me. I have contacted all of those Christian Programs where people pay each others medical bills and they won't accept me. I want the system fixed by not have the govt run it.

The best quote I ever heard of Socialism is by Margaret Thatcher; "The problem with socialism is that you keep running out of other peoples money"

Tim

Comment by Tony Dale on August 14, 2009 at 6:15pm: Timothy (Wright), you know you probably could return to the States as I suspect that most of the individual states have what is known as a "high risk pool" to cover those who are having difficulty finding health insurance. This risk pool is limited in law as to how much it can charge. In TX they can only charge 200% of the maximum that they charge for similar policies for people who do not have a serious pre-existing condition. There are various other possibility, such as working in a context that already has group insurance for the staff, so that no-one can be declined. Anyway, you are welcome to drop me a note if you need help exploring this.

Comment by Tony Dale on August 14, 2009 at 6:32pm: Mark, Dave Ramsey's advice, as in most situations for him, is excellent. An HSA is a great way to plan for insurance and makes a lot of sense. Also, if you can afford it, you can put the maximum amount of money away that you are allowed to in the HSA each year, and still pay basic expenses out of pocket, and so save the HSA money within a tax-advantaged environment. The delight of CHM and Samaritan Ministries is that it is Christians working with Christians outside of the highly regulated (and therefore considerably more expensive) insurance environment. There are pro and cons to both approaches, but I laud and appreciate all that the Christian sharing ministries are doing to wake all of us up to the very Biblical approach of sharing one another's burdens. Much to learn here!

Comment by Greg & Jennifer on August 14, 2009 at 7:07pm: Tony,

Thank you so much for your comments and prospective. I am a Cardiology Nurse Practitioner in the Deep South. We of course see about 50-65% Medicare everyday of the week. This last 6 months has been very interesting. The Government just did not pay us for about 4 months. They received the claims, we knew this because they rejected certain claims in the billing that was sent. We continue to see cuts to the providers who are not the cost drivers in the system but are a great scapegoat for the politicians. The special interest groups and lobbyist drive the system. It is world system that is full of greed and corruption. I do not expect the corporations or the government to be anything but be the world, full of greed and corruption. Man is inherently full of this, old thing called SIN. Only, Jesus Christ and His Church can fix this.

We take care of people every day of the week and really do not mind taking care of them. Most work hard and pay 5 bucks per month. I do things to help them keep in their meds and remain healthy. The people who have everything provided are the ones who are awful to take care for. Recently, a young man was admitted to the hospital on our service. We gave him a cab ride home and 3 month voucher for his meds last Friday. He was readmitted on Tuesday for acute exacerbation and it turns out he never filled his Rx. People have responsibilities to take care of themselves.

The government has never done anything well. Look at the USPS vs Fedex and UPS. It is time for the Church of Jesus Christ to stand up and bring healing, with laying on of hands, the love of Jesus, the Peace (Sahlom) of the Holy Spirit, and sometimes physical needs. I notice as I read the Gospels Jesus met people's physical needs a great deal of the time. The Church has retreated to the buildings waiting for Jesus to come and rescue them.

I could not agree more with your comments. I do feel bad for the people who no one will insure but I don't know how to fix that with out the world corrupting it. I do not believe our government leaders act as servants of the people they represent by and far. Too bad they don't know our Lord who commanded this behavior out of us and demonstrated it!

Greg Dressel

Comment by Kathleen McDade on August 15, 2009 at 10:50am: I seriously doubt our congressional represenatives have beein thinking about this for only a few months. For some it's probably been for their entire careers, in fact.

Christian Healthcare Ministries is good, but I don't think it's for everyone.

Where does this statistic come from? "70% of all healthcare costs are lifestyle related."

Also, if that is true, doesn't it make sense to increase access to primary care so that people CAN have the opportunity to prevent illness?

Finally, the idea of having high-deductible insurance just for the extreme emergencies and paying out of pocket for the rest -- again, that may work for some, but for those who are poor, or even lower middle class -- nope. We just make enough to get by. We don't have money to put into an HSA, even if the government lowers taxes - because lowering income tax rates doesn't benefit the poor. At all. We're already paying as little in taxes as possible. And if I had an HSA? I doubt I'd be able to pay out of pocket and then wait to be reimbursed from my HSA.

So I'm not buying it. And I'm reading what Greg Dressel says just above this comment as I type this, and thinking that I'm glad you "feel bad for the people who no one will insure," because sometimes I feel like many people don't care. "I do not believe our government leaders act as servants of the people they represent by and far. Too bad they don't know our Lord who commanded this behavior out of us and demonstrated it!" Really? Our Lord commanded us to take care of one another and to heal the sick.

I might be the only one here who feels this way...but I needed to say so. Thanks for listening.