The Case for Universal Coverage

Reid speaks with community regard healthcare on a national level

On Saturday, July 25, T.R. Reid made an appearance at Linn-Benton Community College. In the Russell Tripp Center at 7 p.m. the crowds packed in for a lesson in healthcare in the richest country: America.

“Our healthcare system is horribly insufficient, horribly expensive, and seriously inequitable,” said Reid. “We need to fix it.”

Countries that are similar to America spend half of what we do, yet they can afford healthcare for the citizens.

“Of all the industrialized democracies there is only one that doesn’t provide healthcare for everybody and that is the world’s richest country the United States of America,” said Reid.

According to Reid, America is short of universal coverage where it should be with the latest expansions.

An international report card on healthcare is conducted of the 20 richest countries. One of the categories graded is called “Avoidable Mortality,” which is if there is a disease that modern medicine knows how to cure how many people with it are cured? On that scale America ranked 19.

Another category, “Healthy Life Expectancy at age 60,” which means when you’re 60 how long can you expect to live beyond that and still be healthy? Out of 23 of the richest countries America ranked 23.

“How can this be?” said Reid. “We are the richest country in the world.”

It is because of all the people who aren’t covered by healthcare. Today 34 million Americans don’t have healthcare coverage. It is no wonder some people wait until they are beyond sick to get seen by a doctor. About 22 million Americans die every year from treatable diseases because they can’t afford to be seen in the world’s richest country.

“We can afford healthcare for everyone and if everyone would like to leave early I can reduce my speech to a bumper sticker: ‘If France can do it the United States can do it’,” said Reid. “I know we can do this.”

Reid explained each health care model in-depth. There are four national healthcare models: The Bismarck Model, The Beveridge Model, The National Health Insurance Model, and The Out of Pocket Model.

The Bismarck Model followed in Germany uses private initiatives to provide the medical services. The insurance coverage is also mainly provided through private companies. However, the insurance companies operate as nonprofits and are required to sign up all citizens without any conditions. At the same time all citizens (barring a rich minority in the case of Germany) are required to sign up for one or the other health insurance. The government plays a central role in determining payments for various health services, thus keeping a decent control on cost.

The Beveridge Model was adopted by Britain and is closest to socialized medicine. Almost all health care providers work as government employees and the government acts as the single-payer for all health services. The patients incur no out-of-pocket costs, but the system is under pressure due to rising costs.

The National Health Insurance Model has a single-payer system like Britain; however, the health care providers work mostly as private entities. The system has done a good job of keeping costs low and providing healthcare to all. A major downside to this system comes from the ridiculously long waiting times for several procedures.

The Out of Pocket Model is the kind followed in most poor countries. People mostly pay for the services they receive 'out of pocket'. However, this leaves many underprivileged people without essential health care. Almost all countries with such a system have a much lower life expectancy and high infant mortality rates.

In America the four national healthcare models exist. According to Reid, 19 million Americans are on The Beveridge model, 148 million on The Bismarck Model, 54 million on Canada Medicare,and 34 million on The Out of Pocket Model.  

Obamacare was never designed to cover everybody. According to the congregational budget office if Obamacare works perfectly, if it works exactly as it is designed in 2020 there will be 31 million uninsured people.

“Repeal and replace Obamacare,” said Reid.

According to Reid, universal coverage will happen but only state by state. Currently the two states actively seeking universal coverage and furthest along are Colorado and Oregon. Once a few states have this universal coverage and it is a success other states will see this and it will spread. Minnesota, New Mexico and New York are also looking into this.

Colorado has already written their plan and it is called Colorado Care. Everybody in Colorado has to pay into it and everyone will be covered up to 65 years of age and then medicare. This universal coverage would be great for Colorado and the country.

“As a loyal Coloradoan, I hope we get there first,” said Reid. “You beat us to marijuana and we’ll beat you universal coverage.”

Photograph and story by Melissa Chandler

New Software Incorporated

Students accustomed to no fee be prepared for fee once again

The kickoff of the 2015-2016 academic school year at Linn-Benton Community College will not only be welcoming new students, but also welcoming back the fee to print.

This new software comes from ITC Systems; which is a global leader specializing in integrated transaction control systems, offering complete cost recovery systems for university campuses, in academic and public libraries, government departments, food service environments and other closed institutional settings. The new software is called GoPrint.

GoPrint came to LBCC after research of sister colleges around Oregon such as Chemeketa Community College, Lane Community College and Portland Community College. It ultimately came down to the customer service and the price of the software.

Pay4Print software simply cost too much to maintain at $25,000 for the software and another $2,000 for maintenance. GoPrint is $3,600 for the software and a smaller annual maintenance fee as an ongoing cost associated.  

“I am amazed at how much cheaper it is,” said Russell Rinker, assistant director/managing networking systems.

This new system will allow students to have access to the GoPrint system by creating a pay account. When it comes time to print students will be presented with a screen to set up a username and password, which will avoid any confusion because it will be the students creation. This interface system uses credit card and debit card transactions, which is a technical difficulty that LBCC is still trying to deduce at this time.

In mid August, GoPrint will be implemented onto all four campuses: Albany, Benton Center, Lebanon, and Sweet Home. Students will have the opportunity to set up an account and become familiar with the system without being charged. There is no set fee as of yet, however there will be one once fall term begins. Price will be adjusted accordingly upon usage.

In the library during the 2013-2014 academic school year, paper cost was $1,000 and ink cost was $4,000. These numbers are minimalistic compared to the subsequent year. The 2014-2015 academic school year, paper cost was $2,000 and ink cost was $11,000. From one year to the next, paper cost doubled and ink cost nearly tripled.

“It was pretty much anarchy,” said Michael Quiner, chief information officer.  

On average, in the fall of 2014 the library was going through 7,500 sheets of paper a week. The first week of winter 2015 the library used 10,000 sheets of paper. These numbers are outrageous in comparison to the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 academic school year as a whole.  

Throughout the entire campus fall of 2013, with the Pay4Print system in effect there was a combined 102,000 pages printed. Once the fee for print was removed the following year in fall of 2014, there was 202,000 pages printed.

“The huge volume of free printing came with some large costs. We spent much more on paper and ink than we did in previous years, and we had to replace the printer's several times.  As a college we strive to keep costs low for students, the amount of money we spent on free printing seems particularly excessive,” said Jane Sandberg, electronic resources librarian.

All over campus, drop-labs, Forum and the library usage either tripled or quadrupled from the prior years.

The usage trend continued at about that level for the whole school year.

Print software was initially implemented at all the campuses to stop students from abusing resources such as paper, toner and to cut back on printer services. However, this past year staff haven’t noticed students being printer aware. And this is why GoPrint will be taking place.

“This is a good move for the college,” said Rinker. “Opens up hours for the library.”

With the GoPrint software in effect on campus the library will also be receiving an update as well. If students and faculty haven’t already noticed, the library has been doing some rearranging.

The computers that once filled the computer lab are now in the the library closer to the circulation desk. The library will be absorbing the Forums computers and printer all to be completed by the start of fall term. And the Forum lab will be closing at the end of August.

With the Forum lab closing this will allow the library extended hours, more staff and have more computers in a central location for students to access. The staff from the Forum have been training in the library and will be moving to the library as well.

“This move provides computer support for students,” said Alf Price, computer lab specialist.

Implementing a GoPrint system and centralizing the computer lab will essentially help the campus get back on track with finances and benefit the students academically now and in the future.