I just got a chance to sit and read some of the transcript of President Obama’s question and answer session from his weekend stop in Grand Junction, Colorado. His answers to both questions are detailed and easy to understand, and provide a good framework for the reasons why we need some sort of health care reform in this country. He especially focused on the financial aspect, putting into perspective the chunk of the federal budget that is used for programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
I liked the angle he took on competition between government programs and private enterprise. He used the example of the United States post office competing with FedEx and UPS. One could also point out that there are plenty of private schools and colleges that thrive in competition with public schools and state universities, even in the midst of a recession. And although tax dollars are used to build roads and bridges all across the country, the people out there doing the work are not government employees – they are private contractors hired by the government. There is all sorts of competition and cooperation that already exists between the private and public sector in this country. The health care reform effort has been all over the map so far this year, and it seems to change by the day (today the news is that the Obama administration is backing away from the public option). One way or another, I’m hopeful that we’ll end up with some sort of compromise that results in expanded, realistic, affordable access to health insurance and health care for more people. Time will tell.
I also just finished reading last week’s Cavalcade of Risk, where I found a link to Project 2996, and I wanted to pass it on to our readers. Normally I’m drawn to the Cavalcade posts pertaining to health insurance, but this one appealed to me personally, rather than professionally. The project links bloggers with 9/11 victims, and the bloggers write tributes celebrating the lives of those we lost that day. I encourage you to check it out, and see how you can participate if you’re interested.
