| The number of Americans without healthcare insurance is approximately 44 million and growing. Premiums are unaffordable for the poor and for a significant proportion of working families. Health insurance as an employment benefit is being redefined as more businesses are scaling back, offering either reduced healthcare plans at a higher cost to the employee or no option at all.;It is within this framework that the author wishes to determine if a national legislative solution to this problem is feasible. To find the answer, a specific multidisciplinary sample group from the state of Florida was selected. The two following questions were put to research the sample group: “Do legislators, healthcare administrators and academics in medical education have significant opinions as to whether the receipt of healthcare, both acute and/or preventative, should be a constitutional guarantee to all citizens, or with the exception of entitlement programs (Medicare and Medicaid) remain the responsibility of the individual?” And “Does previous literature contribute significantly to a clarification of this issue?” The measurement instrument used was a ten-item questionnaire asking the respondents' views about the nature of the healthcare insurance crisis, the financial and political aspects, and the feasibility of a constitutional amendment.;Responses were compiled and analyzed by subject and by respondent group. Although legislators, healthcare administrators and medical educators do not support a constitutional amendment to guarantee healthcare insurance to all citizens, they do concur that (a) the current numbers of uninsured Americans does constitute a public policy crisis; (b) as solutions are considered, healthcare should be provided to all citizens uniformly, including those currently covered by entitlement programs; (c) coverage will be expensive; (d) there is an unwillingness to create new taxation for this purpose; and (e) current federal monies may be attainable.;Although the available literature does not specifically address the question of a constitutional amendment, because it is not currently a proposed solution, it does document the continued plight of growing numbers of uninsured Americans. The author calls for more research to find creative, multidisciplinary approaches to addressing the issue. |
