Yes, Health is Wealth

I recently read an article that included the phrase "The first wealth is health." which is attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson. I believe the quote succinctly captures the justification for healthcare reform now, in spite of the turbulent economy, fueled by unstable financial markets.

I suggest our government leaders believe this quote from Mr. Emerson is indeed true. With all the gnashing of teeth over the economy and with healthcare analysts predicting healthcare reform will now have to take a back seat to handling the financial crisis, those muckety-mucks need to understand that wealth and health are inextricably intertwined.

They are intertwined because as the economy falters there is, of course, a ripple negative effect on the financial well-being of millions of Americans, which leads to more Americans being added to the already bulging roster of the under- and uninsured.

Due to the financial crisis, we find ourselves with dwindling bank accounts, lay-off notices due to faltering businesses, and higher prices for many of life's necessities. The lay-offs lead to loss of employer-sponsored healthcare insurance. The small business-owner struggles and is no longer able to handle the self-pay approach to the rising costs of healthcare. Dwindling dollars in our household budgets mean we have to decide: do we pay the mortgage and buy groceries or do we go to the doctor's office to get the lump in our breast, neck or groin checked.

When our mothers, fathers, brother, sisters, sons, daughters, grandmas, grandpas and the rest of our kinfolk can't afford to seek medical attention, the economy will experience even more chaos. We know the uninsured and under insured get sicker and strain the financial viability of healthcare delivery systems, as well as the budgets of our state and federal governments. The price tag on unnecessary deaths is unquantifiable.

We have a healthcare system that allows 45.7 million Americans to walk around without health insurance -- living just one illness away from bankruptcy or worse death.

We can do better and we can do both -- fix the economy and fix our healthcare system.