Published in the Star Banner, Ocala, FL, April 26, 2001
by Jim O'Hara
Editor,
With sizable federal budget surpluses anticipated annually, isn't it an excellent time to improve the health of all our citizens. Healthy people will sustain a healthy nation. The United States Department of Health and Human Services provided the data cited below.
In 1995, 18 developed nations of more than a million citizens ranked ahead of the United States in life expectancy for women, and 24 nations ranked ahead of the United States in life expectancy for men. Generally, those nations with the longest life expectancies have the least amount of illegal and undesirable behaviors of their citizens.
Today, more than 44 million persons in the USA do not have health insurance, including 11 million uninsured children. Adults with health insurance are twice as likely to receive a routine checkup as are adults without health insurance. Over the past decade, about one-third of adults under age 65 years below the poverty level were uninsured.
More than 40 million Americans do not have a particular doctor's office, clinic, health center, or other place where they can go to seek health care or health-related advice.
President Bush vowed "to leave no child behind." Yet, to help fund tax cuts, he proposes reducing or eliminating programs targeted to assist the uninsured and to provide health-care for children. .
A healthy nation recognizes that communities, States, and national organizations will need to take a multidisciplinary approach to achieve health equity. Regardless of age, gender, race or ethnicity, income, education, geographic location or disability, every person should have access to health care.
It won't be easy; but, isn't it time we increase our investment in providing affordable
health care for all our citizens. We pay heavily now in so many ways for failing to do so.
James M. O'Hara