| With a New Congress and the campaigns for the | | | | would do nothing to solve problems of disparity in the |
| Whitehouse in '08 in full swing, both progressives and | | | | healthcare system, or to curtail costs, or solve other |
| conservatives agree that healthcare reform especially | | | | access and delivery issues. |
| as it regards affordable medical insurance is at the | | | | For any of the current proposed strategies by think |
| forefront of the minds of most Americans. And while | | | | tanks, health insurance industry professionals, and |
| legislatures and pundits on both sides of the aisle | | | | political figures to work, compromise is the watchword. |
| agree that the time is now for healthcare reforms, at | | | | And for what is perhaps the first time in decades |
| what pace such changes occur is still an issue of wide | | | | there seems to be a concerted effort and willingness |
| debate. Healthcare reform has been an issue that has | | | | on the parts of the federal government, the states, big |
| been approached much like the taste of saliva in ones | | | | business, and the insurance companies to work |
| mouth, when taken in little tiny doses overtime like it | | | | together to solve some of these issues. True health |
| usually is, it doesn't bother us much at all, in fact we | | | | reform makes for some storage bedfellows. In theory |
| hardly notice it is there - but no one would like to sit | | | | of course who would oppose universal health |
| down and drink a whole glassful. And many agree that | | | | coverage? No one objects to a healthcare for all |
| hard-hitting and sweeping changes to our current | | | | model, the problem as always comes down to who is |
| health insurance polices and health delivery system will | | | | going to pay for it. The conservatives believe that tax |
| be equally hard to swallow, by consumers as well as | | | | breaks and incentives to business hold the key, but as |
| the healthcare and insurance industries. | | | | always progressive opponents say such ideas only |
| Incremental steps seem to be the best approach for | | | | benefit the "healthy and the wealthy". Progressives |
| all concerned, such as the current push on both the | | | | embrace the idea of a Medicare for all model, to which |
| federal and state levels to get cost effective health | | | | conservative opponents still yell "Limited Choice" and |
| insurance for all children. Good first steps all agree. But | | | | "Socialized Medicine". But if a true attempt to find |
| the real first step to true healthcare and health | | | | some middle ground is approached, as current waves |
| insurance reform is to get a handle on just what | | | | seem to be approaching, perhaps there is hope for a |
| exactly needs fixing. Certainly the 47 million Americans | | | | viable solution that could bring real healthcare reform |
| without insurance is a good part of the problem, but it | | | | and truly affordable health benefits to all Americans |
| is not the only problem. Sweeping healthcare reform | | | | within the next 10 years as so many claim to be |
| that could at the wave of a magic wand suddenly | | | | striving for. |
| insure every man, woman and child in the nation - | | | | |