The healthcare debate is at the epicenter of President Obama’s platform today. So the other day when my mom was rumaging through piles of stuff, she came across an interesting artifact. The bill was from an era past, mid-1950s. It was the hospital bill for when I was born. The total cost: $118.35.
So what did my mom receive for $118.35. She received 4 days in the hospital at a rate of $9.50 per day plus all of the amenities. Nursery care was $4.00 a day, and the bill was in 5-cent increments. On an inflation adjusted basis, this would amount to $941.42 today. In today’s dollars, the average hospital cost of having a baby with no complications ranges from $5,000 - $10,000.
There certainly is a big difference in cost from 1955 to today. I realize I may be comparing apples to oranges, as the level of care would not be the same. However, it does provide perspective. What I find interesting is the debate over access to medical care. If the cost to have a baby today was a $1,000, how would this change the debate on Capitol Hill? Would there even be a debate? What would the cost of insurance be? What would be the number of uninsured? What would healthdcare be as a percentage of GDP?
Fifty plus years of medical advances have enhanced and extended life. And it has forever changed what we expect from healthcare, and the dollars necessary to maintain and improve it. The challenge in the debate underway today is that for some, healthcare is working. They are receiving healthcare that is affordable, accessable and meets their expectations. The other side feels that healthcare is broken and need of a fix. The cost is becoming increasing prohibative and access questionable.
This scenario is creating a working/broken scenario. And anytime a working/broken debate emerges, the dialogue and process is going to get ugly. In the end, this typically ends up in a stalemate or radical compromise, from which few are pleased. So while you may be tired of the healthcare debate, it will not end anytime soon. In fact, the debate is so volatile, the furor surrounding healthcare will continue whether or not healthercare is reformed. The fixed/broken debate will continue regardless of the outcome. Get used to it.
