Affordable health care is a right

David Carley Albemarle County
Published: September 25, 2008

As an 80-year-old former academic medicine administrator and health policy official, I continue to be avidly interested in our nation’s health policy and its impact on current and future generations. Therefore, I’m pleased that the national debate on health care has become a critical part of the current political campaign for the presidency of the United States. Of the two opposing plans, I believe that Barack Obama’s health plan for the nation is far superior to Sen. John McCain’s plan. The following are among the reasons the electorate should support Sen. Obama’s plan.

Access to affordable health care is a right, not a privilege. McCain’s health plan only offers access to quality care if the individual is either financially destitute or relatively prosperous, leaving out vulnerable members of the huge middle class.

McCain’s plan does not guarantee coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. Obama’s plan guarantees renewability — that is to say, illness or pre-existing conditions will not keep Americans from getting coverage they need.

McCain’s plan would remove federal tax incentives for employer-sponsored insurance, raising taxes and forcing millions of people with workplace insurance into the individual insurance market, which today is almost totally unregulated.

The overriding result of the McCain health plan would be to force more than 150 million workers who now have secure, employer-based coverage into an unregulated, free-for-all market, which they would have to buy into, totally on their own.

It is often said that health care for Americans is the No. 2 issue in importance in a list of priorities, second only to national security.

I believe that health care must be considered a vital part of our national security and well-being.  Sen. Obama has made this concept a critical part of his campaign.

I’m quite sure that if the majority of Americans were made aware of the economic costs of inefficient health care and delivery, and at the same time were made aware of an ethically and fiscally superior plan, they would eagerly support Sen. Obama’s health plan.

I believe the government does have a role in providing affordability and accessibility of health care to all Americans. Legislation that provides that starts with a president who has won elective office in great part because of a deep commitment to providing quality and affordable health care to all Americans.