Let&#39;s consider health care for a moment
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I know, there&#39;s only one issue that matters in this presidential contest, the war in Iraq. But just in case some voters are willing to look at a domestic issue offering a crystal clear
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Let's talk about health insurance for small business owners and the self-employed.
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One of the biggest indicators of a person&#39;s health risks can be found simply by asking grandma and grandpa a few questions. But although most Americans believe that knowing their family health history can
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Yesterday's piece on health care and the presidential election got a great response, and some of it from Republicans, using the slogans and logic I hoped they wouldn't. But that's okay, it helps me focus my rhetoric on the precise point of disagreement, and hopefully by illuminating it, I can either convince some of the Republicans to come over to my side, or help eliminate some of the confusion on both sides. Or maybe it'll just keep the argument from slopping over into all kinds of irrelevant issues. The basic Republican argument goes like this. Why should I pay for the health needs of people who are so irresponsible as to not have health insurance.  If I got it wrong, please set me straight. Now I'd like to answer this, very carefully. The Democrats aren't proposing that you should pay for the uninsured. Key point. They either agree with you, or know that they're not going to get their proposal passed unless they take this into account. The Obama plan says you don't get care unless you have insurance. His proposal aims to get a lot more people insured. Clinton goes one step further, by requiring everyone to have health insurance.  Also, you already pay for the health needs of the uninsured. Whether you or I like it, we don't look the other way when someone is in need. You may feel the system should work differently, but that's not responsive to the proposal the Democrats are making. The debate is how health care works for the non-indigent.  If you have property, a car, a house, or if your kids go to private school or college, or if you want to take a vacation, or have a baby, or exercise between jobs, getting sick without insurance is a sure way to go from being middle class to being poor, quickly. This is why we have health insurance, to smoothe out the risk, to protect our family's lifestyle. It seems to me it's a good thing. It's the market solving a basic human need.  So this is what we should be discussing, how can we get insurance for all the people who want it, or should we require it for everyone -- this is the debate of 2008. This is what the Democrats are putting on the table, and what McCain, or whoever is the Republican nominee, will have to respond to, if we're going to have the respectful debate everyone is talking about having.  Why is this such a problem?  A lot of people, even healthy people without pre-existing conditions, can't get health insurance. And what if you have a pre-existing condition? Do you really think it's cool for the insurance industry to refuse them coverage? Why is that a good thing? I honestly don't get it. Consider the penalty for not having insurance. (See above.) So far the leaders of the Republican Party have managed to keep health care off the national agenda, but this year, it's there. If you doubt me, just ask a few people you know, and don't just ask poor people or Democrats, ask Republicans. Disease isn't a party issue, and while poor people tend to have poorer health, even well-off people need health care. And most people can't afford to pay for a catastrophic illness, and enough of them can't get health insurance to make this an important national issue. If you disagree with this, please let me know why. PS: Phil Windley asks where it stops. Should we provide free housing for the homeless? And what about free cable TV for people without cable TV? (He provides other examples.) No, this is only about health insurance. It's not about any of the other things mentioned in Phil's post.
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With soaring medical costs imperiling Medicare and the federal government&#39;s financial health, Washington needs a straight answer to a key question: Can private companies deliver more medical services for less money than the government-run Medicare program
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We have seen what a Republican administration has done with health insurance in the commonwealth. They have managed to take a reasonably good plan and replace it with a terribly poor plan for their own employees.
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Health-care initiatives will be a big part of the company's future.
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A big reason for the high cost of health insurance is the explosion of expensive, medically questionable care.
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Our position is: Expansion of government control isn&#39;t the answer to US health-care problems. Soaring health care costs are taking an ever-larger share out of employee paychecks and eating into employer profits.
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LONDON, Ont. - Health care was the focus today as the three candidates vying for leadership of Ontario&#39;s Progressive Conservative Party had their final televised debate of the campaign.
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Most Americans agree our health insurance system is too expensive and leaves too many without coverage. There isn't much agreement on what to do about it.
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Thousands of people could be paying for health care when the NHS should be footing the bill, it is thought.
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At some point in life every American enters through the doors of a hospital. Health care is a connection that can&#39;t be avoided which makes it a crucial issue in the presidential campaign.
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Health-care initiatives aimed at federal retirees and employees are under consideration in Congress and in the Bush administration.
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The ultimate solution to our health care dilemma is for each of us to take control ourselves.
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In debates about drug importation and the distribution of flu vaccines Sunday, the nation&#39;s largest physician organization argued health care is more than a free-enterprise venture.
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In todayÂs world of rapid-fire medicine, ÂinvolvedÂ relatives may be a patientÂs most important advocates.