In simpler times, visiting the family doctor when you were ill was a reasonable option. Unfortunately, we no longer live in simple times. Because of lack of insurance and lack of affordability, the mere act of scheduling a doctor’s visit has become a source of dread for many Americans. In fact, access to health care has become our number one health concern. We don’t lose sleep because we fear that we may contract a deadly disease or suffer with a chronic illness. We lose sleep because we are afraid that if we get sick, we cannot seek help.

According to a Gallup Poll released in December 2008, Americans are less concerned about contracting diseases like AIDS, cancer, diabetes and heart disease than they are about simple access to health care!  According to the poll, 55% of the folks who responded said that availability of health care services and the affordability of such services were the most pressing health issues facing Americans today.  This is no small wonder when you consider that 47 million U.S. citizens are without insurance, according to the Census Bureau.  Consequently, a vast portion of the country cannot afford medical services when they get sick.

A Historical Comparison

If you looked back at a Gallup Poll that was taken about 20 years ago, you would see that Americans at that time felt the most significant health problem facing the country was AIDS. In the more recent poll, AIDS and other deadly diseases were not a major concern for Americans.  In fact, the results of the poll seem to suggest that Americans think disease is out of their control, but access to health care should be something we all have.

Unreasonable Costs, Reasonable Expectations

In 2007, health care costs were estimated at $2.3 trillion, and these costs continue to rise. With the increasingly high level of unemployment and the sinking of the economy, Americans have a genuine feeling of panic regarding their ability to obtain health care when they need it. With so many people uninsured, the panic is sure to continue.

Americans feel that access to health care is a reasonable expectation that should be fulfilled. We are all looking to the Obama administration for hope, but Obama’s plans for health care reform will take time – time that many Americans do not have when they are sick and need help.

Uncertain Times

We live in a time of uncertainty when all the indicators seem to suggest darker times may still lie ahead.  Americans continue to spend restless nights wondering whether we can rely on our health care system to support us when we need it. Though we hold fast to the notion that change always comes, we continue to wonder just how that change will be undertaken and how long it will be before we see relief.