Introducing the Archimedes Movement
The Archimedes Movement began this January 2006, intent on hearing the voices of Oregonians and helping them create a new vision for a better health care system. We know there is a smarter way to spend public health care dollars, and are not too afraid to leave our past behind and achieve our vision.
Medicare is expected to go bankrupt by 2019 or sooner. Without major changes, the system we’re paying for now will have collapsed by the time we’re old enough to benefit from it, and we’ll be stuck paying off it’s debt.
Even worse, our system is so inefficient that it takes dollars away from education, social services, and other government programs, and still doesn’t meet our needs. Young adults, ages 19-24, are the age group most likely to be uninsured, with 36.3 percent uninsured for all or part of 2003. Without insurance many young adults don’t have access to the preventative care necessary to stay healthy later in life.
This health care system was created by three acts of congress over 40 years ago. Almost everything about America is different than it was 40 years ago, but it’s difficult for states that want to change their systems to make them better. They have to tinker around the edges of federal legislation and we wind up with a clumsy patchwork of rules and regulations that costs us more while giving us less.
Rising costs and increasing inequity will cause change in the health care system. When confronted with our rapidly changing population, our dated system just can’t cut it anymore; fewer people are getting health care, and it’s increasingly more expensive and less effective for those who do. Only substantial reform will allow us to move towards a system that will serve all of us well into the future, not just a few for a short while.
It’s time to be part of the voice that is letting the nation know we are tired of waiting for someone else to do it for us. We are letting everyone know that in Oregon and throughout the country,
WE CAN DO BETTER!
cheers
Isaac