Health Care...

Boy, this is another topic that the Democrats are completely butchering... I think I know what Barack is trying to say, but boy is he ever saying it poorly... by being vague about his plan- all I have really heard him say is that he wants congress to provide the same coverage to every American that it provides for itself... the problem with this plan is that it sounds like a massive new government bureaucracy with increased spending and government control... by doing such a lousy job of articulating his plan, he has opened the door for and even legitimized Republican attacks of "big government liberal" and "socialized medicine..." here's what he should say:

"The far right Neo-Conservative propaganda machine loves to deliberately misrepresent my health care plan as 'Socialized Medicine.' They hope you don't pay attention to reality and they hope you'll ignore even the very definition of their invalid accusation. You see, under a socialist health care system, hospitals are state owned, doctors are government employees, and you have no choice whatsoever regarding your health care coverage. I have never and will never advocate anything even remotely related to a socialist health care agenda because America's market-based philosophy has created the best health care system in the world. And I understand completely that by definition, a socialist platform removes profits from the equation. As such, going away from a free market approach would attract fewer and less talented doctors and would reduce if not eliminate the motive for pharmaceutical companies to invest in life saving research and development. It is crystal clear in my mind that this would be an utter disaster for America.

At the same time, though, we must have the courage to confront the crisis of the uninsured, because even if you disagree about the moral imperative of universal health care, we must all agree that uninsured Americans place a tremendous but avoidable burden on our great country. My plan is simple and straight forward, and I'll use an analogy to illustrate my point. If you want to send a package to a friend, and you have excellent personal or corporate resources, you'll probably use Fed Ex or UPS because the free market is able to deliver better service but at a premium. On the other hand, if you need to send the same package, but you lack financial resources, you'll probably choose the US Postal Service, as they provide a similar service but at a much more affordable price. The US Postal Service is a great example of how public competition in the private sector can keep costs low without destroying the free market. In spite of the Postal Service, Fed Ex and UPS are able to sustain enormous annual profits. But because of the Postal Service, everyday Americans are able to send and receive mail, and Fed Ex and UPS are forced to keep their rates reasonable.

All I have ever advocated is to establish a degree of public non-profit competition in the private insurance sector. And just like the US Postal Service, you will only pay for the public insurance option if you choose to use it. We're not at all talking about new spending or new taxes or any sort of redistribution of wealth. If you like the health coverage you have, you keep it. But if you aren't happy with your coverage, or if your coverage is too expensive, or if you don't have any coverage at all, then you can purchase health insurance from the open plan. Because of free market principles, the open plan will be able to negotiate lower prices for health insurance. Just as Wal Mart buys cases of coffee at a much cheaper price than the local market, the open plan will be able to provide health care coverage "in bulk" so to speak, thereby furnishing basic coverage at an affordable price. And just as the non-profit US Postal Service forces Fed Ex and UPS to keep their prices competitive, so will the open insurance plan force private insurance companies to lower their premiums.

This plan will not affect doctor salaries or profits for hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, nor will it increase government control or demand new and higher taxes. The only profits that will suffer are the windfall profits of the insurance giants, which will infuriate their CEO's and their lobbyists. But considering the stakes and the alternatives, that's a fight I'm willing to conduct and able to win."