Universal Health Care is the Answer

Let's take a few minutes and talk simply about universal health care and why I think it's a good thing for America.

The debate on universal health care has raged for years, especially now as the 2008 elections draw closer. We can attribute much to the growing disappointment and disgust toward our current health care system. With potential change in sight, many - including president candidates - have raised their voices for reform. Universal health care, which will provide coverage for every resident regardless of income, is a particularly contentious proposal.

I believe universal health care is the eventual and natural goal of a country's health care system. Isn't the whole point of all of this to make sure anyone who gets sick can afford to get better? That is what universal health care aims to do. Whether our lawmakers can implement a plan true to this spirit; well, that remains to be seen.

This does not mean we have to switch over to a government-run system instantly; that's not possible. Our health system, with its established networks and ingrained ways of doing things, will not survive such a dramatic and sudden restructuring. This is the last thing we want - our flawed system today is still much preferable to no system at all.

I do mean to convince you of the benefits of such a transition, however, once it has had the time it needs to develop.

Universal health care will save America billions of dollars; $286 billion, to be more precise. Universal coverage will streamline the thousands of different agencies and companies with their thousands of different policies and procedures. Having one, unified system will eliminate redundancies and excess, thus cutting costs. A single, central database will also improve accuracy of medical records.

One of the biggest concerns is how a government-run health care system will affect taxes. Surely, insuring everyone will send taxes way up! This would be the case if we weren't paying for a significant portion our health care system already - about 60% comes from public funding. A universal health care system will only increase income taxes by about 2%. For most people, this is cheaper than what they pay now for insurance premiums and co-pays.

Lastly, I believe health care is a basic right, deserving to join the ranks of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The UN thinks so too. The raving about communism is nonsense. We will not become a socialist state because health care becomes public. Much like highways and parks and schools, health care is important enough to become a permanent guarantee rather than an optional purchase.

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