The Red, White, and Green

President Obama signs the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law at 11:15 am ET on March 23, 2010. Photo via Flickr: Rep. Keith Ellison

The ink is barely dry on the landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but the lives of millions of Americans have already changed for the better, since many of the provisions in the bill — like tax breaks for small businesses, prescription drug relief for seniors, and access to coverage for those denied due to preexisting conditions — take effect immediately. I’m one of those Americans — one of those overjoyed Americans, I should emphasize — since I’ve been denied coverage for years because I have hypothyroidism (along with 10 million other Americans, I might add). Every year, paying for my health care expenses out of pocket has cost me nearly a quarter of my income.

There is one outcome that’s not clear at the moment, however, and that’s how the health care legislation will affect the environment. Stay with me for a second, folks; I know the connection may seem a bit far-fetched, and there’s been seemingly no end to the “how will health care affect X” articles, but I do believe that healthy and green are not mutually exclusive.

It stands to reason that if insurance companies are forced to insure everyone, then they’re going to have to start focusing on preventive care to help keep costs in check (after all, regular doctor’s visits and nutrition counseling cost a lot less in the long run than open heart surgery). And I think a greater emphasis on preventive medicine — i.e., the kinder, gentler approach — will have a profound affect on our planet. A few possibilities:

Less pill pollution. If insurance companies and doctors start emphasizing the importance of a healthy diet, regular exercise, and adequate rest to prevent chronic diseases, then we can perhaps expect to see a decreased reliance on prescription medications. That would be good news for the environment, since pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, antidepressants, and sex hormones — have already found their way into the drinking water of 41 million Americans.

Less hospital waste. The same concept holds true for the 6,600 tons of waste that hospitals produce every day. If Americans are able to see their doctors before illnesses become complicated to treat, that translates into fewer surgeries, fewer hospitalizations, and less disposal plastic products winding up as a result in our landfills.

More funding for real food. In the effort to cost-effectively prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, expect to see health care providers encouraged to emphasize real food — like lean meat, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables — over processed food products. This could result in more funding for organic agriculture and possibly (gasp!) a repeal of the federal corn subsidies that fuel our genetically modified, atrazine-doused, high fructose corn syrup–laden junk food habit.

–Jennifer Grayson

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