Health Care Reform Will Prevent Homelessness

By now you've heard a lot of arguments against health care reform, some valid, and some, well, not. But here's one argument for reform you may not have considered: expanding health care coverage will help prevent people from becoming homeless.

It's a well-worn meme: we're all one paycheck away from becoming homeless. But what you might not have heard is that some of us are one cancer diagnosis, surgery, or claim denial away from ending up on the streets.

If this sounds extreme, that's because it is. The exorbitant costs of caring for one's own health through medicine or life-saving procedures without insurance is often a factor that leads to homelessness. Although no comprehensive, national data exists on the reason(s) for homelessness (HUD does not collect this information), we know that the costs of being uninsured are an often-cited factors for financial instability.

Indeed, the link between healthcare and homelessness is inextricable. Much has been said about the costs of providing healthcare to those who are already on the street or in shelter, but there is a gaping lack of research on the costs of healthcare as a reason for homelessness, even though any provider would likely cite this as a reason for homelessness among their clientele.

There's a lot of fiscal concern surrounding health care reform, but I say that the cost of doing nothing is far worse.