More than forty-seven million Americans are currently uninsured, and 80% come from families in which the head of household is employed. In addition to the uninsured, there are another 108 million Americans who have inadequate health care coverage, and many more who are unable to pay the increasing health care premiums. Politicians have tried to exploit ordinary people by recounting health-related tragedies. It is only after they are elected into office, that they begin to line their pockets with campaign monies from both large corporate insurance and pharmaceutical companies. It is imperative that we look at the action of our politicians, to see that we have made very little strides in correcting such a broken health care system. All the while our friends, families, coworkers, and neighbors are forced to gamble with their lives.

Over the last several decades universal health care has been proposed by many politicians, but as previously stated very few if any improvements have been made. As a matter of fact, the number of uninsured people has doubled since the 1970’s. It is also worth noting that this increase is independent of the economic cycles. In order to achieve universal health care coverage in which every American is insured, we need to remove the power from greedy insurance company executives. Closely tied with the insurance companies are the pharmaceutical companies, which have made many medications financially out of reach to those most in need while they sell the same meds abroad for a lot less. The Bush administration passed legislation that forbade our government from negotiating with the pharmaceutical industry. Therefore, indirectly through taxes, we are forced to pay these outrageous prices dictated by the drug companies.

Even those Americans with the best most comprehensive health insurance plan are eventually disappointed of the inadequacy of the insurance companies. The very evolution of the insurance /pharmaceutical companies has been to make a profit, even at the expense of compromising someone’s health. How many times have we heard about an insured individual being turned down by an insurance company, refusing to pay for a lifesaving surgery because it was just too expensive. When did we start putting a price tag on people’s lives?

I propose we remove the middle man, the self-gratifying insurance and pharmaceutical companies, and expand the federal Medicare to cover everyone. Rather than paying insurance premiums to an insurance company we could pay earmark taxes to a public health trust fund which would negotiate with the health industry on our behalf. Finally, health care should be computerized to reduce waste and become more efficient.

It is very unsettling that a country with the best health care in the world cannot provide the most basic health care coverage to its people. America has often prided itself on being a great humanitarian a defender of human rights. We have donated money, supplies, and health care to foreign countries, while turning our back on our fellow Americans. Americans need to regain the control over Washington and the corporate elitist. We the people of the United States need to put health care were it belongs, back in the hands of the people, and away from these power hungry politicians.