I am pleased to see your outline of real health care reform as a response to the Democratic proposals. I am glad that the Democrats have provoked real movement toward Health Care reform. Frankly, I believe that in eight years of Republican dominance, the hard working middle class was poorly served, with shrinking real incomes, even when the economy was strong, and a health care system that costs more than any in the world and gives mediocre results. As a U.S. Senator, you enjoy the best health care system in the world, but scores of millions of Americans do not. Some years ago, in a Post and Courier poll, half of the doctors questioned said that they do not bring up treatments that they know insurance will not pay for. So we already have rationing in this country. It just masquerades as “market outcomes”. We rank 30th in the world in infant mortality rates (CIA World Factbook). We don’t do much better than Cuba at keeping babies alive. The horrific Canadian system ranks number 10. For the years 2000-2005, infant mortality rates did not improve at all (Centers for Disease Control), but we needed Democrats to take power to get health care reform moving.
I am sincerely happy to see that you do not rely on the usual hyperbolic distortions and anecdotal horror stories from other countries that are the mainstay of many Republicans. I have horror stories of health care in America within my own family.
I would urge you to look up the New Yorker (June 1st, 2009) article by Atul Gawande that compares practices in McAllen, Texas, having near the highest cost health care in the country, with, among other areas, Rochester, Minnesota near the Mayo Clinic. Medicare pays out more than twice as much per enrollee in McAllen than it does in Rochester but you can guess where patient outcomes are better. It is instructive to see what practices make health care not only better, but more cost effective.
Thank you for your principled and substantive additions to this debate. But do keep an open mind to all aspects of this debate. I myself am tickled to see insurance companies scambling to tell us they want reform, they care about their customers. As an employee of a very small business, I’ve seen my costs increase each year and more and more, my coverage reduced or denied. I’m tired of being just another profit center for an insurance company. I would welcome a public option. I agree with you that health care is our most important private undertaking. It may be too important to be just another market commodity. I would welcome political leaders that see health care as a social good, like our justice system, that creates the framework for a vibrant economy and our pursuit of happiness.

Respectfully,

David Bedard