US deserves responsible health care


The statement that doctors are against single-payer health care reform should be put to rest. A well-designed survey detailed recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows that a majority of American physicians, 59 percent, now favor national health insurance for Americans. Less than one-third -- 31 percent -- oppose national health insurance.

How did this happen?

When it comes to health care, there is an increasing awareness that the United States has seriously failed its citizens. We are the only industrial country of great consumer power that does not provide universal health care. Some 47 million Americans lack health insurance. Another 50 million lack adequate coverage.

This failure is a product of the unwillingness of our political system to recognize that we, the citizens, not the big business interests, are the most important entities in our society. Thankfully, a fundamental shift in thinking is under way.

Health care is increasingly seen as a right of citizenship in an industrial country. It should not be a privilege based on socioeconomic status. This survey adds to the convincing data showing that a majority of patients and doctors now believe that comprehensive, universally available health care for all our citizens regardless of race, creed and socioeconomic status is essential to our collective and personal security.

The arguments against universal single payer health care include "it is socialism and you know how that never works;" "it's government, ergo it won't work efficiently;" "the health care insurance industry is against it;" and, of course, "doctors don't want it." All of these arguments prove specious.

Canada, Great Britain, France and Germany all successfully provide single-payer health care universally -- and none can be described as socialist.

Properly funded national health insurance systems work well. No one lacks health care for economic reasons. Everyone can chose his or her own physician. No one feels he or she must remain indentured to a job to guarantee health benefits.

As for efficiency, our government has successfully conducted a single-party payer system in the Medicare and Medicaid programs that cost less and operates more efficiently than HMOs and the private health insurance system.

Of course, the health insurance industry opposes the idea for its own end. But linkage to employment, cherry picking healthy subscribers, denial of insurance for pre-existing diseases, escalating co-pays and deductibles, and profiteering have disqualified this industry from a future role.

Consider that 30 cents or more of each health care dollar is used for administration, marketing and high salaries to executives in the health insurance industry. These are funds that instead should be available for health care.

Health care for the bottom line but not for the citizens of the country has no place in a democracy.

Now we learn that a majority of doctors favor national health insurance and that less than one in three doctors oppose it.

Finally, what about the candidates for president?

Sadly, none of the candidates is anywhere near a universal health insurance single-party payer program.

Since Ferrari s Michael Schumacher of Germany to God in practice sessions beat Fernando Alonso, making the San Marino Grand Prix qualifying from the start was designated as: Schumacher PK Alonso. However, Section II of the start of qualifying, Fisichella has been eliminated implies that the Renault team in the qualifying competition has withdrawn from the position.

In the third quarter, ranking the first 10 minutes, competition has become Ferrari s internal struggle, Massa and Schumacher continued to make the fastest results.

Came in to replace the tires after qualifying at the climax of truly arrived, Honda s Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello Yijuntuqi, respectively, were second and third position. Before the qualifying session, the altar widely rumored that Honda vehicles in the first three races of poor results due to the wrong tyre choice, I believe that Honda will not commit such a low-level error.

Alonso in the replacement tire encountered after climbing lanes, but he apparently failed to keep pace with the rhythm of the Ferrari and Honda, the final ranking P5?? This is also his own since last year, won the worst qualifying session. Renault s phenomenon is not fortuitous, Fisichella is said to be the use of the B-type chassis (new chassis), but the speed is not fast, and Alonso are using the station on the chassis.

McLaren in practice sessions in a qualifying accident: Montoya Racing

The team for the replacement of the car, but using the old engine, was resigned to avoid being punished. However, the team has run a great risk, because Montoya s car T had not been any tests.

Montoya s car in qualifying and no failure, but success is only P7, his team-mate Kimi Raikkonen had not in trouble, only P8. Renault and McLaren s decline, people once again see the changes in F1 really fast.

There were reports that the Ferrari F248 increase mainly results from the new chassis, although the team also did not use the seamless transmission of new technologies, but to use the new chassis has updated the design of transmission, at least in this competition does not benefit Small. Although some people speculate Schumacher in free practice P1 position is contained less oil, but his qualifying performance is true.

Schumacher pole position not only to repay the long-depressed Italian


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