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Feature

Improved Medicare Care for All
Would Help Children and Families

By Jessica Schorr Saxe, MD, Chair, Health Care Justice-NC

W hy talk about Medicare in an issue about                                spend, and almost a third of our spending is on administrative
                    children? Isn’t Medicare for seniors? Don’t all       costs. By cutting those costs and negotiating the costs of drugs
                    children have health insurance?                       and devices, we could save enough to cover all.
While it’s true health insurance coverage for
                                                                            It would help children, their caretakers and other Americans.
children is at record highs, there are still gaps. Nationally, 5 percent  Physicians and other providers could stop investing time in
                                                                          responding to the demands of hundreds of insurance plans and
— more than four million children — are uninsured. That number            worrying if their patients can afford care. Turning our energies to
                                                                          caring for our patients would be far more fulfilling.
includes almost 150,000 children in North Carolina.
                                                                            Health Care Justice-NC, a chapter of Physicians for a National
And children are affected by the health of others. We continue            Health Program, supports Improved Medicare for All (also known
                                                                          as single-payer health care). Visit www.healthcarejusticenc.org
to have 28 million uninsured people in the United States. Many            and the Facebook page. If you agree, you can join by signing
                                                                          the chapter resolution on the website. There is no charge to join.
of them are parents, grandparents and caretakers. We also have            Contact hcjusticenc@gmail.com. You can find all the information
                                                                          you might want on this topic at the Physicians for a National
a growing number of underinsured — those with insurance                   Health Program website at www.pnhp.org.

who either avoid care because the cost is prohibitive or who                The latest surveys show an increase in support for a single-payer
                                                                          health system to 51 percent nationally. Health Care Justice-NC has
get needed care and have bills they can’t pay. The number                 1,300 members — probably including many of your friends and
                                                                          colleagues — and counting. You are welcome, as well.
We continue to have 28          of underinsured
                                                                             NATIONAL HEALTH &
                                Americans has been                        WELLNESS OBSERVANCES

million uninsured people        rising and now has                                         JULY 2018
in the United States. Many      reached 41 million.
                                One out of three                                                      Fireworks Safety Month
                                                                                                    Park and Recreation Month
of them are parents,            Americans goes
grandparents and caretakers.    without needed care                                                      UV Safety Month
We also have a growing          due to cost.
number of underinsured —                                                                 July 15-21: Every Body Deserves a Massage Week
those with insurance who          We, as physicians,
                                also are affected by                                    AUGUST 2018
                                the current state of
                                our healthcare system.                                                 Breastfeeding Month
                                                                                               Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
either avoid care because the   In a recent JAMA
cost is prohibitive or who get  article on “Physician                                             Immunization Awareness Month
                                Well-Being and the                                                 Medic Alert Awareness Month

needed care and have bills      Regenerative Power                                             August 1-7: World Breastfeeding Week
they can’t pay.                 of Caring,” Thomas                                               August 6-12: Health Center Week
                                Schwenk, MD,                                                        August 7: National Night Out

                                discusses the fact that

                                physician burnout is

related to fragmented care and complicated bureaucracies that

distance us from patients. Barriers interfere with the caring for

patients that inspired most of us to go into medicine, which causes

burnout. Dr. Schwenk makes a compelling case that our current

healthcare system is the source. While addressing physician

resilience and lifestyle balance is important, we will not be able to

remedy dissatisfaction until we fix the underlying cause.

If we improved Medicare by broadening the coverage and

then expanded it to all, we could cover everyone, eliminating

both uninsurance and underinsurance; and we could decrease

the bureaucracy that makes us miserable and stands between us

and our patients. Can we afford it? The United States currently

spends about twice per capita what other developed countries

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