Real monster is not Ebola; it’s US health-care system

Real monster is not Ebola; it’s US health-care system

The largest threats for the transmission of an epidemic disease in the United States are not international flights, inadequate training and precautions for health-care staff or the federal government response. The dangerous unspoken monster that lurks beneath the current Ebola scare is the American health-care system. Some of the shortcomings for the response to Ebola are now showcased in the media. What could happen and the reasons why are even more sobering and disconcerting.

Some media and political pundits brought up the rationing of health care during the Obamacare debate. For many Americans who have insurance, care is rationed through prohibitive deductibles and co-pays. An individual who exhibits symptoms of Ebola, for example, may choose not to seek care in light of a $10,000 deductible and 20 percent co-pays thereafter. For many, care equates to bankruptcy.

Further, their employer may not offer paid sick days, another barrier for Americans to seek treatment. They may rationalize their decision not to receive care as they have influenza or food poisoning. The current system places cost - prohibitive barriers in the way of individuals to seek care, even to ensure they are not infected with a disease that can be spread throughout the population. This puts the public at risk.

What would a three-week quarantine mean for an individual whose employer does not offer paid time off? What are the human-resources implications for a quarantine? A prospective quarantine, even if the individual is not infected, could be yet another barrier for them to seek treatment.

The media will blame the individual for not seeking care and not the system that has placed the barriers in their way. There is accountability and then there is holding a person accountable for factors they do not control, such as lackluster health insurance. We have been told deductibles and co-pays are in place to keep individuals from abusing their health insurance and the system, while taking a stake in their own health and promoting self care for minor inflictions.

Our so-called leaders are exhibiting a complete and utter lack of contingency planning due to special interests at insurance companies that have a stake in the system remaining the same, thus putting public health at risk. Ebola coming to U.S. shores is a shot across the bow, a warning for the shortcomings of the current health-care complex where care is rationed by prohibitive deductibles, co-pays, and employment considerations.

Brian A. Detec, Campbell