Universal Health Care for the United States?

Citizens’ Health Care Working Group: Americans want universal health care

So what do Americans want when it comes to health care? Two things, according to a citizens group created by Congress: protection for all from high medical expenses and guaranteed coverage for specific checkups and treatments.

The group’s call for universal health benefits will be delivered to President Bush on Monday. But, in many ways, the recommendations clash with Bush’s stance that consumers should bear more responsibility for their initial medical expenses.

Why was this surprising to anyone? And why are they surprised the Bush is once again in diametric opposition to what Americans want? Americans don’t want Social Security privatized either.

Grace-Marie Turner, president of the Galen Institute, Inc., who saw the group’s interim recommendations but not the final report, said the recommendations won’t work.

“It’s a utopian wish list that I just don’t think is a practical political and policy recommendation,” said Turner, whose organization calls for consumers to determine the kind of coverage they want.

Admittedly, as long as we are spending billions of dollars on wars of imperialism, we can’t afford universal health care. But we won’t frame this issue in terms of national priorities either. Americans don’t want the war in Iraq, they do want universal health care. What will they get from the Decider?

You can go here to read the full recommendations.