By Bart King
The stimulus package signed into law on Tuesday by President Obama was created in an effort to juice the stalled economy and reverse the growing unemployment rate in America. However, lost jobs—particularly in the middle class—would be a crisis of lesser size, if healthcare were affordable to individuals.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad the new legislation prioritizes job creation through renewable energy, public transportation, energy efficiency and other green initiatives. But a wider view of the nation’s sustainability—the “triple bottom line” of not only environmental needs, but also the needs of the economy and society—reveals the health care situation is nearly as burdensome as our dependence on fossil fuels.
An entrepreneurial spirit is arguably the greatest and most defining characteristic of American culture. I’d be willing to bet three out of five American adults (and maybe kids, too) have a business idea that incorporates some aspect of their personal interests or experiences. But this ingenuity is suppressed, to the detriment of the nation’s economic and societal potential, by a fear of inflated healthcare costs.
Many skilled workers with a severance package in hand would likely take the opportunity to pursue the dream of self-employment. Except in doing so, they must either risk the health of their families by going without insurance, or pay exorbitant premiums that can easily eclipse $1,000 a month. As a result, many will continue to search for any job with decent benefits, instead of creating the jobs they want or filling needs they recognize.
As a freelance writer, I’m beginning to see a growing demand for independently produced content, as newspapers and magazines lay off staffers in an effort to reduce costs. I imagine other industries are in the same situation, and could continue to pay for work without the added weight of benefits—health insurance being the most onerous. Ultimately many previously insured workers will take this freelance work, rather than go without, but they will add to ranks of 46 million uninsured Americans.
I’m not suggesting the federal government should pick up the cost of healthcare—though I’m not against the idea, if it works—but it is time for lawmakers to take responsibility for reforming the system, so that individuals and small businesses can acquire health insurance or healthcare at a fair price.
