The First Wealth is Health

The Affordable Care Act provides another attempt to bring healthcare into the national commons, making healthcare accessible to more people. Reports estimate that through the Affordable Care Act. They are newly insured and can derive the healthcare benefits from primary care, preventive services, medications, specialty care, and hospitalization.  The ACA has not stemmed the rising healthcare costs for new and better and more; new expensive treatments, some better, some not, and more of everything; more hospitals, more drugs, more ERs, more MRI scanners, more, more, more.  Expanded coverage has allowed for increased profits for healthcare services.

More healthcare, more profit.

Unfortunately, the rest of the commons has suffered; bridges are falling down, parks close, train tracks shift without reason, education becomes a private commodity.

Maybe we simply can’t spend more money on individual high cost healthcare and have a robust commons. More money has not produced more health. However, dollars spent in healthcare are not all the same. ; better health for more people, and lower costs from lower use of expensive hospitals, ERs, and unnecessary treatments and devices.

Dollars spent on the newest drugs and devices and for-profit hospitals likely end up in the pocket of a shareholder, not helping a patient. Healthcare has become an investment paradise, a wealth generating engine, pouring out profits to distant shareholders even during a recession.  Perhaps it’s time to invest in the healthcare commons, universal access to primary care, behavioral health, prenatal care, public health. The return on investment may not be in record dividend checks for a few, but rather, in lower costs and better health for all.  The opportunity costs for buying more healthcare profit is the very health of our citizens.

There are other parts of the commons that need our attention; education, environment, parks and trails, and public transportation.  Attention to these parts of the commons can improve health and prevent injury, illness, and death. These commons can bring us together in healthy ways.

America might be willing to spend 50% of its GDP striving for better individual health. When we spend that much on healthcare, what is that that we can’t afford?  Are we really willing to do without safe roads, bridges, and train tracks? Are we willing to produce an uneducated generation? Throughout history, this exceptional nation has lived out our keen understanding that we are all in this together, and, when it really matters, we spend our money with our neighbors in mind.

This Policy Prescriptions^® OP/note is written by Jack Westfall.

Dr. Westfall is the Chief Medical Officer of Colorado Healthop. 

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