Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Insanity for profits

Agence France-Presse reports that major life and health insurance companies are heavily invested in companies whose affiliates produces cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco.

That is the insanity of a health care system that puts profit over health.

In this country, we are at a crossroad, where we need to decide whether health care should be a for-profit business or a service for the public good. I don't mean that no one should make a living working in health care; but as an investment? Where the profit is the main driving objective?

My personal answer is that it should be a service for public good and that a healthy populace should be the primary goal that determines policy decisions.

Instead we have the insanity of those, who should be dedicated to health, investing -- and thus promoting -- the proven leading cause of lung cancer and a major risk factor for heart attack, stroke, pulmonary disease and cancer. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco is a contributing factor in 5.4 million deaths a year.

It's even worse than that. Insurance companies have figured out how to double their profit: (1) from tobacco company earnings and (2) by excluding smokers, or charging them higher premiums, for their medical insurance.

There oughta be a law. And it ought to be another factor in moving us toward a government sponsored, non-profit option for health insurance.

Ralph

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