1800Wheelchair.com Scholarship Fund Winning Essay for Sping/Summer 2010

Our Question: As a student, what advice would you give policy makers during this season of health reform? Feel free to address broad issues or specific topics, real-world stories are welcome.

As I spent time researching the various aspects of health care reform, I learned a lot about the current need for health insurance among poverty-stricken Americans and those with long-term medical conditions requiring extensive care. I appreciate that policy-makers have created ways to ensure medical care for those who need it most, such as cancer patients and the elderly. I am glad that funds will be set aside to provide health insurance for those who cannot afford it on their own. However, one piece of advice I might offer today’s policy makers would be to secure these funds from sources other than increased tax revenues. Many Americans have reservations about health care reform because they will be expected to pay higher taxes to cover someone else’s health insurance needs. I might suggest that instead of increasing taxes, the government should encourage American businesses and factories to export American-made goods. The government might offer tax incentives to businesses that do this; the funds from the sales of these exported goods could be used to cover the costs of government-subsidized health care.

This strategy would not only gain more support for health care reform, but also boost American economy. The need for American-made goods would create jobs for the unemployed. This in itself would be a way to provide health insurance for those currently uninsured; it would also reduce the need for government subsidies to provide health insurance to those without jobs. This would reduce the cost of health care reform, and further improve the state of the American economy.

Another suggestion I might offer policy makers is to communicate with the American public more clearly regarding planned reforms. Many Americans are not aware of what health care reform means for them as citizens; most of the literature published on the subject is unclear and difficult to understand. I would suggest that a team of representatives tour around the nation, to both major cities and small towns, to speak about the application of health care reform and to give the public a chance to ask questions and voice their opinions. This democratic open communication would make critics of health care reform less likely to view the efforts of policy makers as a foray into socialism. In summary, I appreciate the efforts our country is making to meet the needs of those less fortunate by providing all citizens with health insurance. However, I feel that encouraging the export of American goods would be a better way to secure funds for reform, rather than raising taxes. I also think that measures should be taken to ensure that all Americans are well informed of the changes that will affect them and their families.