Jul 1, 2009 10:43 pm US/Eastern
Curious About Support Behind Universal Health Care
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
It seems like all of a sudden, the issue of universal health care is on a fast track. That has some viewers like Kathy of East Falmouth wondering how a program like this would work.
She wrote on our
Curiosity Web site, "How many people are happy that the country is considering a health insurance plan like Massachusetts has? Is anyone considering if we could afford it?"
It's a complicated issue, and there are no simple answers unfortunately.
The vast majority of Americans have access to the best medical care in the world, but an estimated 47 million of us are on the sidelines. President Barack Obama wants to change that.
"I do not accept a future where Americans forego health insurance because they can't pay for it," Obama said.
COUNTRY WATCHES MASSACHUSETTS
Right now, Massachusetts is the only state in the country with universal coverage. Professor Jon Gruber of MIT is one of the policy's architects. He believes that Massachusetts has set an example for the rest of the nation.
"I think if we'd not shown that it could work in Massachusetts, where our plans remain popular despite the mandate. It's been administratively feasible," Gruber said. "I think that we have really led the way on that."
Past efforts to provide national universal coverage, such as the plan put forward by President Clinton in 1993 failed big. He proposed a massive overhaul of the entire system. Massachusetts congressman Edward Markey says the approach is different this time.
"The goal is to have not only private insurance in the United States, but a public option as well that will compete in the market place."
That means that instead of a single payer system, most people would stay with their current plans. Gruber says the majority of people who already have coverage would not be affected, except for how this new system would be financed.
MASSIVE PROGRAM HAS MASSIVE PRICE TAG
Paying for a massive program like this has a viewer named Bob concerned. He also wrote to our Curiosity Web site, asking "How does the government have trillions of dollars to spend on projects it if is supposedly in debt?"
Gruber says the one consistent message from policy makers of all political perspectives is that the deficit will be not be increased to pay to expand access to health care.
But the money has to come from somewhere, and the estimated price tag is $1.6 trillion over 10 years. One possible source of funding is to tax the current health benefits workers get from their employers, but critics aren't confident even that would be enough.
"It will add to the deficit problem. It creates further pressure to raise taxes," according to David Tuerck, who runs the Beacon Hill Institute, a conservative think tank.
Under the Obama proposal, he also worries about the prospect of rationing care. In the end, he believes consumers who currently have health insurance will end up paying more for less.
He added, "As long as you are comfortable with bureaucrats making decisions about accessibility of heath care based on your age and other considerations, then sure, it will be a great system. The only rule of thumb for a system like this, is don't get old and don't get sick."
President Obama has indicated that he would like to have a bill to sign by October. Political observers say he is moving quickly on this to capitalize on his popularity.
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