Compassionate people around the world are outraged that the richest country on earth doesn’t use its wealth to provide health services for its own citizens. I join them in celebrating Barack Obama’s victory on Tuesday because he understands that these conditions must change. But as we celebrate, let’s remember that his acceptance speech included a call to personal responsibility.
The United States is the only wealthy industrialized nation that doesn’t provide universal health care for its citizens. Some European countries have replaced government-run plans with programs that combine government and private coverage. Obama’s plan takes the latter approach one step farther. Its focus is preventive care, an essential component of any plan to reduce expenditures for the chronic illnesses that plague our nation.
Preventive care will require us to take responsibility for our own health. This is our duty to the nation and to our families. Neither the government nor private insurers can afford to pay for the results of undisciplined or self-destructive behavior. Our families also need us to help care for them and reduce their need for government assistance.
If we all vow to take charge of our health, we can help rebuild this nation with the strength we gain and the money we save.
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Jacqueline Laurette Jones is author of Unmasking a Diagnosis: How to get Help for a Confusing Chronic Illness Without Filing for Bankruptcy.
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