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National Health Care Reform Will Determine the Next President of the United States
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Author: Jack Deal To say the USA is in a health care crisis is an understatement. The United States is the only First World nation without some sort of universal health care coverage. The reason that countries like Britain and Canada and Germany have universal coverage is that it is the right thing to do. Beyond that as we are finding out in the United States, it also makes great business sense.
In the 1990's Bill and Hillary Clinton spoke about health care reform but did little. Since being elected in 2000, George Bush has been an outspoken critic of universal care and a major supporter of the high margin health care industry. Under the guise of quality of care, the Republicans have steadfastly maintained that any universal care would result in reduced quality of care.
Although John McCain has yet to specifically spell out his policies on health care reform, it is doubtful that it will contain a universal coverage component. Unless McCain can somehow manage to fool folks like the Bush administration has done, he will lose on this issue. And if he loses on this issue, he will lose the November election.
The health care system is broken and everyone knows it except the Republicans. A system that tries to deny coverage as standard business procedure and rates physician productivity by dollars billed simply cannot be tweaked. It must be replaced.
The dichotomy of America and the two political parties have created this gridlock. The Republicans focus on big corporations and the affluent or upwardly affluent. The Democrats focus on the disenfranchised, poor and compassionate. The problem with this political model is that it leaves out the fat middle and in this case the fat voting middle.
Both parties have clearly abandoned the working person and the small business owner. The one issue that is killing incentive and discouraging small business is the escalating cost of health care and the decline in coverage. Neither employer nor employee is winning this battle and ultimately society at large will lose by not realizing this huge economic potential. The current health care system is draining the United States dry.
What both parties fail to acknowledge is that government does not create jobs; all government can do is help develop the optimal conditions for business to develop and generate employment. When too many obstacles and barriers are forced in the way, potential businesses never develop.
Employee wage and contract increases are offset by employee health care insurance "contributions". When workers see little room for advancement and improvement they become less interested and productive. Employers see a tenuous future if they see a future at all.
In our house we have two Democrats and one Republican. All of us are somewhat centrist not tending toward any extreme. Sometimes the two Democrats vote with the Republican though not usually vice versa.
In the California primary we had two votes for Obama and one for McCain. As it turns out we did pretty well and it looks like our respective candidates will become the nominees. It is important to mention that California has closed primaries so you can only vote for your registered party. In the general election there are no restrictions.
Fast forward to November, 2008. Obama beats McCain by a narrow margin largely by picking up middle class white votes. The exit polls show universal health care as the reason the middle and working class voted for Obama. It comes down to the pocketbook and what the Republicans don't seem to understand is just how big a pocketbook issue universal health care is.
Universal health care is long overdue and America knows it. There is no credibility left with attempts to reform the current system. With all due respect Mr. McCain you need to come up with a universal care plan or hope you can pull lots of rabbits out of hats.
Oh, and by the way, in the new household poll; unless McCain comes up with universal care, it's 3-0 Obama.
Jack Deal is the owner of Jack D. Deal Business Consulting jddeal@jddeal.com Related articles can be found at http://www.jddeal.com/blog/culture_and_society/ and http://www.freeandinquiringmind.typepad.com
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