Universal/National Healthcare

Universal health care for Americas has been a heated debate topic for many years now. Opponents claim that the nationalization of health care will create a system where a minority will be footing the bill for the majority and that this will lead to long waits to see physicians, get medications, surgery, diagnostic lab/procedures etc. and in the end the quality of care will be less than is currently received in the private sector. Supporters argue that we should be able to come up with a system that allows people to have private insurance if they so choose, or a national/universal policy thereby insuring that all citizens get equal access to the appropriate level of care at an affordable cost

A recent commentary post in USA Today discusses exactly this. This article is aimed at everyone. If you have ever needed medical care or think you ever will, then you need to pay attention. The commentary consists of opinions from several different posters each with a valid point. Paul McDowell makes a valid claim that current opponents to universal health care advocate that the current system allows the US to provide the best health care in the world. However, how can this be so when infant mortality is high here compared to other industrialized countries. I agree that one can get fantastic care in the US under the current system. However, as a nurse who works in a hospital I see the real stories of real Americans each and every day who have been left behind to suffer. The private system of health care in the US today is profit based. The insurance companies could care less if they help people heal, or prevent disease, they only care about the bottom dollar. They can deny any claim, and they often do. The problem is that we have too many uninsured and underinsured.

I truly believe, this being the greatest nation in the world, that we can come up with a solution to the health care crisis. I agree with Dr. Heyman that we need health care reform that consists of a public-private mix. The problem is that the large health care companies have paid off our members of congress via lobbying because they stand to lose a significant amount of profit if a public policy was more easily accessible, affordable and provided the same level of care.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/02/americans-deser.html#more