^{Posted on September 3, 2003}

A column on Health Care Reform

The goal of a National Health Care program is to provide the best care for all at an affordable cost. Unfortunately, to institute such a system, the pressure of the corporate health groups has been for many years and continues to be, formidable.
Eleven years ago, prior to the 1992 elections, opinion polls indicated that 90 percent of Americans believed that the health care system needed “fundamental change’ or “a complete rebuilding”.

This called forth a full court press by the corporations which had a vested interest in their profit-making endeavors. Among them were the American Medical Association , the Blue Cross/Blue Shield and other health insurance companies, as well as the drug and medical equipment companies. With their millions and millions of dollars they were able to prevent any meaningful reforms. In the years since the 1992 election the amounts of money and propaganda have increased exponentially. The only force which can prevail against this kind of pressure is the common sense of the voters, and it can do so only if the people get out and vote against legislators who are in bed with the corporations ,and vote for people who have the interest of the public at heart.

Over the past two decades discussion about health care reform has intensified. In this process a number of statements and claims by those who oppose a single payer system have assumed a prominent place; enough so in fact, that they have acquired the status of myths and we must be prepared to refute them.

Most often heard is the claim that National Health Insurance is socialized medicine. In a real socialized system the government owns and operates it – it hires and pays the doctors and other personnel, it owns and operates the hospitals and clinics.

All other arguments can be answered by referencing the health statistics which show that the health of the American people is not rated as high as that of the other industrialized countries Life expectancy, infant mortality, maternal mortality, hospital admissions, physicians’ visits, surgical procedures etc. are all better in Canada, for example, than are those in the U.S.
Conversion of our present non-system to a national health insurance, despite what pessimists say, is possible if a knowledgeable electorate get out and vote for those who will support one.