On Access to Affordable Healthcare
There is no better example of the failure in Washington politics today than the fact that one in six Americans are without healthcare insurance, and that tens of millions more are chronically underinsured, risking bankruptcy with a single catastrophic or chronic illness. This is literally a life and death issue as thousands die each year due to lack of access to affordable health care.
Ideologues will not solve the problem. People of good faith must come together – patients first, plus government, industry, the medical profession and insurance providers — to craft a solution that will guarantee affordable health care access for all Americans.
Where does Sue stand? Side by side with President Bush as she voted against providing health care for nine million uninsured poor and lower income children. Side by side with President Bush in banning the U.S. government from negotiating lower prescription drug prices for our senior citizens.
Where do you stand on single-payer national health insurance?
Hi Mabel. I favor whatever will work, is expeditious, fair, and doesn’t disconnect people from their right to chose their own doctors. John Edwards’ plan “to transform America’s health care system” is the most logical I’ve seen to date. At some future time the plan he envisions might “morph” into a single-payer system, but I’m not convinced that must be the starting point for reform. I do think the current health care insurance system has a tremendous amount of waste, confusion and inequity built into it. I favor pragmatic solutions and I favor a healthy America. Though some people won’t like to hear this, part of the equation requires people to take much better care of themselves. There is never going to be a cheap, universal pill that will counteract the ravishing effects of smoking, drinking, overeating, and inactivity.