~ Michael Lee, Club President

As we enter the political silly season during the August Congressional recess, let's keep our focus on the need for true health care reform.  President Obama recognizes the need for reform based on three core principles: (1) reduce costs, (2) guarantee choice, and (3) ensure quality care for all.

The present system simply is too expensive and still does not cover 46 million Americans.  Millions of Americans who are employed with big companies are within a layoff notice of losing coverage for themselves and their families.  Governor Howard Dean has identified a rising problem in that Americans with health insurance cannot rely on it if they get sick and require more than routine office visits and medication.  The percentage of small business employees being offered health coverage declined from 67% to 38% from 1995-2008.  Under the current policy, private and public spending on health care now totals more than 15% of our gross domestic product and, within a few years, it is likely to be more than 20% of GDP.


We must reform the current system to allow Americans the freedom to choose their plan and doctor and that must include a public option.  A public option is a government sponsored health plan that would be an alternative and in competition with for profit insurance companies.  The current public plans- Medicare and Medicaid- currently pay only 4% of health care dollars in administrative costs while the insurance companies take from 30 to 50% of dollars you pay and put the money in shareholder's equity, big CEO salaries and administration.  Those who prefer the private choice of their doctor would have that choice.

The creation of a true public option, open to all Americans, that competes with private insurance and utilizes low administrative costs, rate bargaining with providers and pharmaceutical companies, and technological cost saving measures that will improve efficiency and promote cost savings.

Currently, the costs of providing health care costs to a fraction of Americans will rise.  President Obama, aware of costs, has identified billions of dollars in savings and deficiencies.  This is money that is already in our health care system that can be redirected to pay for two-thirds of the reform.  The remaining one-third of the reform costs will be paid by raising revenues.  Our nation must deal with the health crisis for its own fiscal stability.

Finally, every American must have quality and affordable health care.  My concern is that we focus on health care reform and not insurance reform.  The insurance companies have a lot of money invested in campaign contributions and have great sway in both parties.  We, as activists, must ensure that our elected officials include the public option in the final bill.  Americans need that alternative to the private plans and also to ensure that the insurance companies have competition and pressure to be as responsive to their patients as to their stockholders and CEO's.