Business Insight How do we fix it? Today, I am going to share with you some data cited and discussed in the Sunday edition of New York Times, an article by its long-time columnist, Nicholas Kristof. He is a recipient of many awards in journalism and someone who has his eyes open and sensitive to many paradoxes of American life. Coming from a family of immigrants, not wealthy but highly educated parents, he graduated from Harvard and completed his law degree. From the very early years of his career, he was driven to write about human rights, health, poverty, and underdogs. His words this time shook my mind again, because of my direct connection to healthcare and its challenges. He writes: ... "the poorest men in the U.S. have life expectancy compared to men in Sudan and Pakistan; the richest men in the U.S. live longer than the average man in any other country. "Being a doctor in a community-based private practice, I see it. I see patients with great insurance plans and probably good financial support, and I see patients working very hard in small businesses, unable to buy private insurance and remaining uninsured. I sometimes see the bills they receive from hospitals or the labs: those with insurance have their bills discounted by fee schedules and those with no insurance pay the full price. A simple test for hepatitis may be discounted and paid by insurance at some $30 level, and an uninsured person is charged a full price of $700. Nobody will really question that price level as there is no rule on how much to charge a person with no benefits of any sort. Thus, paradoxically, the poorest person will end up paying the most, perhaps getting into debt, and eventually losing it all. presented by Arlington Dermatology You may say yes, but they could look for better options. Maybe they could. Or not. There are many areas of our country that are chronically underserved in healthcare, and they are populated by the poorest communities. Life expectancy of Native Americans is 61.5 and thousands of young patients in poor states like Mississippi die from diabetes or lose their limbs in amputation due to non-healing wounds. If you look at these statistics and medical cases, you cannot believe it is America. And yet, it is. Ironically, no matter how you interpret these cases, we all pay for inadequacies of our healthcare system. Kristof does not leave it hopeless. There are ways to fix the problem, at least in some parts. ...Expanding access to medical care; more aggressively addressing behaviors like smoking, overeating and drug abuse, and making larger society wide steps to boost education and reduce child poverty.... We cannot save the world: there will always be people who will stay behind, but truly, every child born in this country should have at least a good start. Medical care, food, and schools should not be a matter of choice. They should be provided to every little one born in our country, the richest country in the world. We fight to save the unborn, but we seem to forget about them when they actually come into this world in need of the basics. I cannot even imagine small children in underserved populations and communities, going hungry for days or their parents driving 50 miles or more to see a doctor. There are more simple fixes like not overcharging the uninsured and rather, charging them the rates established by Medicare. There are ways of organizing community screenings and providing education about medical care and nutrition. Sometimes, these are small steps that will not make a difference now and here, but when combined, these small steps may change the world around us. As a country, we should be embarrassed not to take these steps. Michael Bukhalo, MD Arlington Dermatology 5301 Keystone Court Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 Tel. 847 392 5440 | www.arlingtondermatology.net Business Insight How do we fix it ? Today , I am going to share with you some data cited and discussed in the Sunday edition of New York Times , an article by its long - time columnist , Nicholas Kristof . He is a recipient of many awards in journalism and someone who has his eyes open and sensitive to many paradoxes of American life . Coming from a family of immigrants , not wealthy but highly educated parents , he graduated from Harvard and completed his law degree . From the very early years of his career , he was driven to write about human rights , health , poverty , and underdogs . His words this time shook my mind again , because of my direct connection to healthcare and its challenges . He writes : ... " the poorest men in the U.S. have life expectancy compared to men in Sudan and Pakistan ; the richest men in the U.S. live longer than the average man in any other country . " Being a doctor in a community - based private practice , I see it . I see patients with great insurance plans and probably good financial support , and I see patients working very hard in small businesses , unable to buy private insurance and remaining uninsured . I sometimes see the bills they receive from hospitals or the labs : those with insurance have their bills discounted by fee schedules and those with no insurance pay the full price . A simple test for hepatitis may be discounted and paid by insurance at some $ 30 level , and an uninsured person is charged a full price of $ 700 . Nobody will really question that price level as there is no rule on how much to charge a person with no benefits of any sort . Thus , paradoxically , the poorest person will end up paying the most , perhaps getting into debt , and eventually losing it all . presented by Arlington Dermatology You may say yes , but they could look for better options . Maybe they could . Or not . There are many areas of our country that are chronically underserved in healthcare , and they are populated by the poorest communities . Life expectancy of Native Americans is 61.5 and thousands of young patients in poor states like Mississippi die from diabetes or lose their limbs in amputation due to non - healing wounds . If you look at these statistics and medical cases , you cannot believe it is America . And yet , it is . Ironically , no matter how you interpret these cases , we all pay for inadequacies of our healthcare system . Kristof does not leave it hopeless . There are ways to fix the problem , at least in some parts . ... Expanding access to medical care ; more aggressively addressing behaviors like smoking , overeating and drug abuse , and making larger society wide steps to boost education and reduce child poverty .... We cannot save the world : there will always be people who will stay behind , but truly , every child born in this country should have at least a good start . Medical care , food , and schools should not be a matter of choice . They should be provided to every little one born in our country , the richest country in the world . We fight to save the unborn , but we seem to forget about them when they actually come into this world in need of the basics . I cannot even imagine small children in underserved populations and communities , going hungry for days or their parents driving 50 miles or more to see a doctor . There are more simple fixes like not overcharging the uninsured and rather , charging them the rates established by Medicare . There are ways of organizing community screenings and providing education about medical care and nutrition . Sometimes , these are small steps that will not make a difference now and here , but when combined , these small steps may change the world around us . As a country , we should be embarrassed not to take these steps . Michael Bukhalo , MD Arlington Dermatology 5301 Keystone Court Rolling Meadows , IL 60008 Tel . 847 392 5440 | www.arlingtondermatology.net