We all know the "healthcare" system is broken and it seems everyone has a "plan". It is shameful that America's healtcare system is ranked near the bottom among industrialized nations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks the U.S. as 27th in the industrialized world for infant mortality. The average life expectancy, according to the WHO, in the U.S. is age 78, ranking 25th among industrialized nations. The average number of good health years is 69, also ranking 25th, and below Slovenia. According to the Institute of Medicine, 18,000 deaths in the U.S. are caused by lack of health insurance.
Link
The good news is that we already have a system in place and we can fix health care now!
Americans annually spend $5,267 per capita on health care, while the industrialized world’s median is $2,193. The U.S. spends more on health care than any other country in the world. Presidential candidate John Edwards remarked, "We're spending more on health care costs than any other country in the industrial world and getting one of the worst products out the other end."
In other words, we have the most expensive and least effective health care system in the world. The term "health care" itself is a misnomer when applied to our system . Our system does not promote health it treats sickness. It is a sickness system and the overall system is sick.
"Every other industrialized nation in the world provides universal health care to its citizens," Rep. Jim McDermott (D) of Washington. The fact that this country does not provide universal health care to its citizens is a crime and our government is responsible. That crime is negligent homicide and millions have already died.
There is no perfect system but obviously ours is seriously flawed and must be changed. Rather than creating a new system from whole cloth, Medicare can be turned into a national health care system that will provide coverage to all Americans. We simply need to change the eligibility rules and eliminate that 20% that the insurance lobby insisted that Medicare not cover
Let us move right now to solve this critical problem. The solution is not easy but it is doable.
UPDATE: My good friend gatordem has pointed out that HR 676 Medicare for All is a similar proposal. Having now read it, I suggest it be supported (even though it calls for a 15 year time line.)