End to hidden tax is priority in health reform

President, health care , Barack Obama and physicians attending, health care , the American Medical Association convention didnâ € ™ t just clicked Presidenta € ™ s at the address of one weeks ago. Despite cheering for Obamaâ € ™ s call for reform that provides care to all Americans, doctors offered the apparent disapproval of the, health care , Presidenta € ™ s stated reluctance to increase the protection for doctors of the, health care , medical, health care , malpractice, health care , suits.Washington search promises to quickly deal with health insurance reform, but there are many miles to go to the mountains cross.Obamaâ € ™ s goal of providing health care to all is a top priority, but how the target will be the subject of an intense battle. Privately insured individuals have much to stake.Sue Berkowitz is director of the SC Appleseed Legal Justice Center (www.scjustice.org). Frank Knapp Jr. is the president, health care , and CEO of the SC Small Business Chamber of Commerce, health care , (www.scsbc.org). In a recent filing, they note the consumer health organization Families USA report shows that a privately insured, health care , population of South Carolina and other countries pay a â € œhidden health taxa per, health care , year on average € 368 and $ 1017 for family dollars for individual health insurance to subsidize health care for the uninsured.This occurs because, health care , providers must increase their costs to those with insurance to pay for, health care , uncompensated care to the uninsured. The insurance companies then pass these higher costs to their policyholders in the form of higher premiums.This hidden health tax would actually be much higher, but the battle for uninsured do pay for part of their care (37 percent) and charitable and other programs pay about 26 percent, health care , of their care, and Berkowitz Knapp write.â € œNationwide this hidden health tax was about 42.7 billion U.S. dollars U.S. dollars in 2008. So are individuals and companies who pay this additional premium each year € ™ s their money's worth in helping the uninsured? Not hardly.â € The problem is especially acute in places such as the T & D region, where a higher-than-average number of people living at or below the poverty line and line.Berkowitz Knapp explained: â € œThe delay uninsured medical care because they donâ € ™ t have coverage and do € ™ t have extra money from their salary for a doctor to see. So by the time they ultimately seek medical care, they are much sicker. Thata € ™ s why more uninsured adults are diagnosed with a disease in an advanced stage, more for the treatment of costs. The health care received by the uninsured is untimely, often inadequate and does € ™ t, health care , be essential preventive care.â € More than 1 million South Carolinians were uninsured last year. Each of them receive poor quality of health care partly funded by the hidden tax that, health care , drives the health of the private health insurance premiums. And, health care , with rising costs, fewer and fewer companies are able to benefit from health insurance to offer. The problem is growing and will continue to grow without a change in the way the system works.Berkowitz Knapp and say â € œit time, health care , for every individual and business pay for health insurance to require that we solve this expensive, inefficient health care system. Of course, any non-insured individuals and business not afford health insurance for employees should also demand change.At the White House, in Congress and in the offices of doctors, there is awareness that the current system is broken.Coming together to the problem remedy will involve compromise and even sacrifice, health care , . But the end result should be if the two authors state: â € œAll Americans and businesses an affordable health care cost controls, all sharing the costs reasonably earn, is accessible and delivers quality health care.â €