Howard Dean on Obama, Michael Steele, and the Path to Real Healthcare Reform

Dean makes some excellent points. He makes especially good sense on the public option--a way of assuring REAL market competitiveness among insurers where there is virtually no competitiveness at present. Introducing an insurer whose overhead costs are a fraction of those among private insurers will definitely make life difficult for insurers whose budgets are topheavy with executive salaries, advertising expenses, and contributions to political campaigns and parties.

Then, too, portability of health coverage regardless of jobs loss or jobs changes will surely make life easier for everyone, as will introduction of non-deniability of coverage based upon pre-existing conditions.

And it almost goes without saying that wellness and fitness will cut costs, something not presently pushed hard enough as our obesity epidemic and lack of fitness, among youngsters particularly, adequately show. Those who complain violation of individual rights in any push for wellness and fitness can protect their rights by paying more when their health care turn comes--as it will if statistics are any indicator.

Most important: The quality of the health care offered under any universal plan should be high and equal for all. Those who want additional "Cadillac" features can buy them separately and pay a federal tax on what they buy--a way of adding revenue to the health care budget. Elective procedures deemed unessential except to the people wanting them should also be taxed.

Socialism? No. Common sense remediation of a system long in need of it. The claims of some, particularly on the political Right, that the system isn't broken are being proven false every day, the facts and figures now available in abundance. It's time for action and an end to all the lies.

Ron W. Smith of UT 4:53PM August 10, 2009

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