Jim Tumbls.

“I get that health insurance companies are in the business of making money, but considering women a pre-existing condition is despicable.”

I know! What’s next? Life insurance companies charging higher premiums for older people? Or those that smoke?? Hell, they might even jump on board with this gender idea. Oh wait…. THEY DO! Is this discrimination? Statistically, each of these demographics has its own special mortality rates, increased use of health care, and different costs associated with each. As a for-profit industry, insurance companies are trying to cover their anticipated costs for each demographic while continuing to pull in a nice profit for their shareholders. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I am invested with -and work for- several health and insurance related industries. Why not? There’s a decent profit to be made.)

Some will equate health insurance with life insurance. Or car insurance. Or buying a car. There are some people who can afford to buy (and fully insure) a beautiful Aston Martin. Others can only afford a ‘91 Chevy Corsica with minimum insurance. It’s part of the American dream and capitalism at its core to separate the haves from the have nots.

And this is where the fundamental question lies. Is the health and productivity of our countrymen an important factor in the overall success of our country (which many claim to be the best nation on Earth)? Should that health be considered a right? Is that considered part of ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’? Some say no, and that is their choice and their right. Others believe that the health of our fellow citizens DOES affect the country as a whole. Some of us believe that the money is already being spent, with a hefty portion ending up as profits (which again, I am also taking advantage of). That money can better spent covering all Americans, contributing to the overall health of our country.

If we want to have a healthy country, if we want to ensure people are not denied health care from companies to which they have been regularly paying premiums, we need to end the concept of for-profit health insurance. When a company’s bottom line is directly related to withholding service that affects one’s health there is an obvious conflict of interest. Only when we acknowledge this, and want to end this, can we have real health reform in this country.