Health Care At Last?

Well, with the President giving at least some boost to expanded health care coverage for Americans, will we actually see some accomplishment this time? I think so. There is still a fairly wide gap in what the President is proposing and where many folks in Congress and in the public at large stand on the issue. At least Mr. Bush is offering a starting point on a complex issue. Some leaders in his own party are far ahead of him, as Romney in Massachusetts and Schwartzenegger in California have already embraced plans for health care.

I tend to agree that some parts of Bush's plan are "dead on arrival" in Congress, like the overall idea of having all individuals "purchase" private insurance plans. If you're at least fairly well off financially, that's probably something you already have purchased, or contribute a percentage to the premium to through employer sponsored health care. If you're fairly poor, you are probably covered by Medicaid. If you're struggling financially, for whatever reason, you probably aren't covered, and the idea that you will run out and purchase private insurance because of a tax credit, is unlikely. You still have to have the money to do so. Or, if you have no insurance and you have some pre-existing condition, it's also unlikely that you'll get insurance, unless you're a very good liar.

The government has to be involved in this whole thing somehow, in order to guarantee coverage for everyone. It will cost money and it will require additional taxes of some kind. Supporters need to acknowledge this right up front. Americans will accept extra costs when they see a valued benefit. And I'm not saying that this program, whatever it is that develops, has to be totally a government program, as it undoubtedly should have some private elements in it to keep it viable and cost contained. How we can do that is going to be the test for the President and the leaders of both political parties.