The
cost of healthcare is out of control.
People are proud of the variety of healthcare options
that Portland offers. However, many are deeply concerned
about the rapidly rising cost of healthcare, which places
medical attention out of reach of many people in our
community. Portlanders call for a reduction in the cost
of “basic” healthcare services so that everyone can
afford to receive, and benefit from, medical and dental
care. People specifically mentioned that everyone should
receive preventative care as well as necessary medical
attention for illnesses and emergencies. Portlanders
are ardent proponents of preventative care, believing
that costs across the system can be kept to a minimum
if every person has access to annual check-ups and other
routine preventative care measures.
A smaller group insists that healthcare is a right,
and not a commodity that should be sold only to those
with the resources to purchase it. These Portlanders
ardently believe that everyone should have equal access
to medical care and are deeply concerned that certain
groups are currently at risk of forgoing the medical
attention they need. A few people also address the issue
of insurance – noting that even when a person is insured,
the cost of obtaining healthcare can still be too high.
In the future, Portlanders would like to see everyone
benefit from regular and effective healthcare, regardless
of their income.
Note: The
issues of cost and insurance are inextricably linked
– for more on overcoming healthcare expense, see Health:
Health Insurance. Also see Health:
Access to Healthcare for more insight into Portlander’s
thoughts on barriers to receiving healthcare.
- Healthcare
costs are way too high for everyone--insured and uninsured
alike.
- Preventative
care is key to keeping healthcare costs down.
- Healthcare should be considered
a right, not a commodity.
- Healthcare
costs are way too high for everyone--insured
and uninsured alike.
- Portlanders agree that the cost of healthcare,
whether it be doctor appointments, medical
procedures or prescription drugs, is out of
control and getting worse each day.
- The high costs of medical care make insurance
more expensive, placing it out of reach of
many individuals and businesses.
- Even those with insurance are faced with
excessive costs, including:
- High co-pays and deductibles;
- Expensive care that is not covered by
their plans;
- Expensive prescription drugs; and
- Out-of-pocket expenses for many forms
of alternative and preventative care.
- In addition, some people who work low-paying
jobs have benefits available to them, but
cannot afford to have the premiums taken out
of their paycheck.
- All Portlanders in this section agree that
healthcare should be more affordable across
the board, for themselves, their families
and the larger community.
| How
can healthcare be so expensive? $5.00
for an aspirin at the hospital is ridiculous.” |
| "[In
the future] paying for health care is
not a drain on families and individuals.” |
| "[In
the future] everyone knows where they
can find low-cost quality health care
and they do not have to worry about going
into debt over hospital bills. And, insurance
companies are banned from charging outrageous
deductibles and co-pays. Idealistic? I
don’t think so. Perhaps that’s because
I’m from Portland.” |
- Have hospitals share equipment
and stop duplicating so many services.
- Negotiate lower insurance rates for consumers.
- “Lottery money toward education and healthcare.”
- Preventative
care is key to keeping healthcare costs down.
- Portlanders would like every community member
to be able to receive annual check ups and
other basic preventative health measures.
- People specifically mention the importance
of preventative care because:
- It is better for an individual’s health
to detect and treat serious illnesses
early;
- It is usually far less expensive to
treat problems in their early stages;
- Emergency room (ER) care is some of
the most costly care to provide, so it
is important to treat people before their
conditions become emergencies.
- When people can afford preventative measures
such as nutritious food, exercise, dietary
supplements and regular health check-ups,
they are much less likely to develop illnesses
in the first place.
- Many alternative care options focus on preventative
care, yet these are often not covered by insurance
and therefore out of reach of lower-income
Portlanders.
- Alternative practices that many feel promote
health and prevent serious illness include:
- Acupuncture;
- Massage;
- Chiropractic care;
- Yoga, Tai Chi, Chi Gong, and similar
practices; and
- Herbal medicine, naturopathy and homeopathy.
- While many consider Portland to be a hub
for alternative medicine, more needs to be
done to put this medicine within reach of
all who would like to use it.
- Portlanders understand that ultimately,
the community bears the cost when individuals
are not able to receive the care they need.
- Additionally, if everyone received preventative
care, overall healthcare costs would come
down, making insurance more affordable and
placing it within reach of more individuals.
| "I
would have the policy makers, business
associations and governmental bodies make
a commitment to investing in programs
that prevent and intervene in trauma,
neglect and promote the social, emotional
and physical health of our youngest and
still developing citizens (children, birth
through 6 years).” |
| "I
want more access to free/affordable healthcare.
There are so few free clinics and they
are grossly under-funded and hard to find.” |
- More living wage jobs that offer
decent salaries and benefits.
- More free health care clinics, so those
without insurance can receive routine preventative
care.
- Ensure universal health care, which would
provide people with opportunities to seek
out and obtain preventative care.
- Healthcare
should be considered a right, not a commodity.
- Many Portlanders firmly believe that everyone
should receive healthcare, whether they can
afford it or not.
- Portlanders believe there are some groups
in our community that are particularly at
risk of foregoing medical care, including:
| "[In
the future] “our state has health care
for all citizens at a reasonable price.
No one should be without health care insurance.
It is a crime to sell health care like
other products. It should be a right not
a product for sale!!!” |
| "I
would like to see Portland serve as an
example to the rest of the nation by joining
the movement of cities like San Francisco
and instituting universal health care
for its citizens along with a living wage
that increases with inflation.” |
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