The Value of Life

I do agree that administrative costs/excessive profits for health care providers and insurers are primary reasons for the rising cost of health care; one just needs to observe the salaries of physicians, the costs to become insured, the costs of medicine, etc. to know that people are being screwed when it comes to the costs of health care. However, I believe that there are other contributing factors involved. Most importantly, we as a people need to take some of the responsibility for these costs. The answer to the high costs of health care are inherent in the value our very being.

“But what do you think would happen if you reached down and took away his health? A human would do anything to save his life. There's no pain like your own. People will do anything to stay alive.” This is a very telling quote that I found from the book of Job. It happens to be from a conversation that “God and the Devil” were having. Ironically, I think Satan pretty much sums up the underlying reason for excessive health care costs. People will give up everything they have in order to have good health in hopes of trying to prolong their lives.

I believe providers/insurers in the United States understand the very simple concept that life is expensive and are just taking advantage of it. I feel like this health care system abides by an underlying thought that human life is the most valuable thing in this world and should be the most profitable. In this country, costs involved with health care are simply inflated. Ultimately, the onus falls on us because of our willingness to pay for it. If we continue to allow this free market health care system to go on without checks and balances, then prices won’t go down. In order to save people and employers’ money, it would take a collective effort of a majority of people to flat of refuse to pay these prices. I think this is the only way that costs would go down significantly. This revolution of sorts would have to start from the ground up, meaning beginning from the masses of common folk up to those who implement and enforce health policy; to create real change where health care would be affordable for everyone.