My Five Solutions to America's Healthcare Issue

They're talking about it in town halls, in cafes, in schools, at work, at home, in churches... healthcare. What do we do about it? If somehow the president asked me what I would do about it, this is what my answer would be:

1. Don't focus on healthcare reform, focus on complete economic reform.

Healthcare reform will only solve part of the economic problem. Many think that economic reform needs to be put on hold, but this is an oxymoron. Whenever you fix any part of the overall economic reform, economic reform overall is affected. My take on it is that if you fix economic reform, healthcare will get a taste of the fix. Everyone in the world isn't sick or even need healthcare; however, everyone is a part of this economy.

In an era where people are losing their homes, people are closing up businesses, people are going bankrupt, and people are without work, the side effects of these issues is for some - sicknesses. Some people wouldn't be sick if they had a way to pay their bills. Some people wouldn't need to make all these appointments if they weren't eating any and everything because it's all they can afford. The cycle of money in this country has gotten terribly out of balance. We need to get the cycle back in proper alignment and healthcare will get more of a reform than anyone ever imagined.

2. Give everyone a healthcare stimulus package.

In 2008 President George W. Bush (our 43rd President) implemented a stimulus plan where most individuals got $600.00 and most couples received $1,200 and an extra $300 for each child to help jumpstart the economy. Why not do the same thing towards healthcare. I'd recommend a healthcare stimulus package of about $1,500 per person, including children. For those who can't afford healthcare, that should at least get them in for one or two appointments if they desire to have it.

3. Instead of putting money into Medicare and Medicaid, put it into self-care.

I remember when I started working that I would always wonder why they took out money from my paycheck for Medicare and/or Medicaid and I never used it! I always felt robbed slightly. If I don't ever use Medicare or Medicaid then I don't see why I'm paying for it. I felt the same way about FICA but that's another story. Allow me to use this money for my own self-care. Whether it is prescriptions or making appointments, every little bit would help.

4. Shut down the companies and farms that produce or endorse the chemicals, the toxins, and other substances that cause sicknesses in people to begin with.

You really want to reform healthcare? Shut down the companies that produce the products that cause the sicknesses to begin with. Tobacco companies, chemical companies, factories that don't pass health regulations, and the like. Those that contribute to the deterioration of our country and the people in it should be shut down. I believe the United States of America would be a healthier country, in part, if it didn't have companies trying to cut corners by using and introducing impure materials and chemicals into our way of life.

5. Put money into research for ways to make our food healthier as well as into organic farms.

Organic is a healthier alternative to processed foods. Yes, the cost of organic is greater but so is the quality, therefore you get what you pay for. Bleached flours and sugars are not healthy for you by any stretch yet you find it in most foods. Unnatural sweeteners are a known cause of cancer. Perhaps if the government considered ways of improving our food and agriculture regulations what we eat may be even healthier than it already is. Some people go to hospitals because of the foods they eat. Either the food is prepared improperly or made with ingredients that aren't healthy for you but fit our budgets.