Written by: Yamini Piplani on June 1, 2009.

Health care should be matter of logic, not politics

Illustration by Jorge Labrador

Most of us wouldnt need to glance at the plethora of available statistics to agree that the health care system in the U.S. is in a sad state.

This is because so many of us have either personally experienced or have seen someone we know being failed by our health care system. It is unfortunate that health care reform has been a matter of politically-biased debate for years, as the health of American citizens should be the first and foremost priority of any political party.

People are suffering across party lines whether Republican, Democrat or something else, stories of people being ill-served by their insurance or being denied treatments, to the detriment of their long-term health, are overly common.

Though I am one of the 46 million Americans lacking health insurance, until now I had been fortunate enough not to have had any horrible experiences with health care. I had only read in articles, learned through research or heard strangers horror stories about our handicapped health care system.

Recently, my grandmother was told by an ophthalmologist in the U.S. that she needed cataract surgery, but that it would be two weeks until her next eye exam, a few more days until she got her results back and then her surgery would be scheduled a couple weeks later. In all, it would take about one month for her to regain her vision.

But in three weeks my grandmother was going to India she had already booked a flight a couple months ago. Her doctor here told her the surgery wasnt an emergency and that it could be done when she returned or, if my grandmother preferred, she could have her eye surgery done in India.

When she landed in India, she set up an appointment with an eye doctor for the next day. Her basic check-up along with all her exams were done within a few hours, she had her exam results back in another two hours and her eye surgery was scheduled for the next morning. Within 24 hours of her first visit, she had her vision back quicker and much cheaper.

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Universal health care is a necessity