By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    FDA Approves Diabetes Pill
    May 2, 2011
    Patient Gets Drunk on Hand Sanitizer
    June 20, 2011
    Cultivating Health Improvement
    July 20, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Neither Rain, Nor Snow, Nor Sleet, Nor Hail… But Health Care Costs Stop the Postman
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health Reform > Neither Rain, Nor Snow, Nor Sleet, Nor Hail… But Health Care Costs Stop the Postman
Health ReformPolicy & Law

Neither Rain, Nor Snow, Nor Sleet, Nor Hail… But Health Care Costs Stop the Postman

DavidEWilliams
Last updated: August 1, 2012 8:02 am
DavidEWilliams
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

Email and social media may be contributing to the decline of the United States Postal Service, but retiree health care costs are what’s really killing it. When your local post office closes and Saturday delivery ends, you can blame Facebook and Google if you want, but the health care system is perhaps a more deserving culprit.

Email and social media may be contributing to the decline of the United States Postal Service, but retiree health care costs are what’s really killing it. When your local post office closes and Saturday delivery ends, you can blame Facebook and Google if you want, but the health care system is perhaps a more deserving culprit.

The postal service is mandated by Congress to pay about $11 billion per year for retiree health benefits. That’s a huge chunk of the $14 billion in expected losses for 2012, and it looks like that $11 billion might not be paid in this year. I don’t know what the USPS pays for health care for active staff and dependents but no doubt it’s also a significant contributor to the fiscal gap.

Health care costs are a major drag on the public and private sectors. As I pointed out a couple weeks ago, four of the six major financial challenges facing the states are health care related. The federal budget deficit is largely a function of health care spending. And of course companies and individuals face challenges paying for health care, too. Other countries face health care cost challenges, too, but no one has it as bad as the US. If anything, our demographics make us lucky, because our elderly population comprises a lower share than in Western Europe and Japan.

More Read

How to Advocate For Yourself In and Out of the Hospital
Getting Compensation to Cover Motorcycle Accident Medical Costs
Transforming Medicaid via the Medical Home Model
3 Surprising Facts About the American Healthcare System
What If a Whole Country Goes on a Diet?

I can understand why critics of ObamaCare rail against the individual mandate and other coercive aspects of the Act. Sure, it can seem un-American to force someone to buy something. But our current health care system is a serious drag on the economy and on private enterprise. It sounds heretical but maybe a real “government takeover” of the health care system with serious “rationing” is what we need to revive capitalism.

 


TAGGED:healthcare costs
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Dental health
May 21, 2025
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
Dental health
May 21, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025

You Might also Like

Covid-19Health care

How to Get Kids to Wear Face Masks

February 10, 2021

Why One-Size-Fits-All-Medicine Doesn’t Work

April 6, 2012

The Ethical Foundations of Health Policy

October 9, 2012
venture capital
BusinessFinancePolicy & Law

Venture Capital Fantasyland: Venrock’s Proposal to Reform Drug Development

April 27, 2014
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?