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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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