Freed from the contraint of offending big-monied campaign contributors, Colorado 7th Congressional District candidate, Dave Chandler, believes that we need fundamental reform of our health care system.
Dave thinks that the 'Physicians for a National Health Program' (PNHP) is a good place to start a national discussion about how we pay for and receive care from doctors and other health care professionals.
"With premiums rising every year, with out co-pays going up, and our waits for appointments getting longer, we've got to be bold and daring in looking for new ways to provide health care to all Americans," says Dave.
"What the Physicians for a National Health Program proposes may not be exactly how a final, implemented program might look like," Chandler said, "But this plan is a good place to start having this necessary discussion."
"Explore the Physicians for a National Health Program web site. I think folks of all political persuasions will find it interesting, provocative and informative."
Dave recommends reading the Frequently Asked Questions about the single-payer plan.
Dave says that he is particularly impresses with two facts pointed out by PNHP. First:
"Currently, the U.S. health care system is outrageously expensive, yet inadequate. Despite spending more than twice as much as the rest of the industrialized nations ($7,129 per capita), the United States performs poorly in comparison on major health indicators such as life expectancy, infant mortality and immunization rates. Moreover, the other advanced nations provide comprehensive coverage to their entire populations, while the U.S. leaves 46 million completely uninsured and millions more inadequately covered.The reason we spend more and get less than the rest of the world is because we have a patchwork system of for-profit payers. Private insurers necessarily waste health dollars on things that have nothing to do with care: overhead, underwriting, billing, sales and marketing departments as well as huge profits and exorbitant executive pay. Doctors and hospitals must maintain costly administrative staffs to deal with the bureaucracy. Combined, this needless administration consumes one-third (31 percent) of Americans’ health dollars."
"We have got to find a way to improve efficiency to get our money's worth out of our health care dollars," says Dave.
"Secondly, on top of our private insurance, today, now, we are paying with tax dollars almost two-thirds of health care costs in this nation already," Chandler points out. "That is duplicative and wasteful."
"Currently, about 64% of our health care system is financed by public money: federal and state taxes, property taxes and tax subsidies. These funds pay for Medicare, Medicaid, the VA, coverage for public employees (including teachers), elected officials, military personnel, etc. There are also hefty tax subsidies to employers to help pay for their employees’ health insurance. About 17% of heath care is financed by all of us individually through out-of-pocket payments, such as co-pays, deductibles, the uninsured paying directly for care, people paying privately for premiums, etc. Private employers only pay 19% of health care costs. In all, it is a very “regressive” way to finance health care, in that the poor pay a much higher percentage of their income for health care than higher income individuals do."
A member of the U.S. House of Representatives that is not beholden to special interest groups for campaign contributions and is not captive to the influences of special interest lobbyists will be in a unique postion to examine plans and make proposals that can benefit the vast majority of Americans and residents of Colorado's 7th Congressional District.
It is time to say 'no' to the big, establishment political parties and their cautious candidates who depend upon special interests to get them elected. It is time to say 'yes' to an independent-minded candidate like Dave Chandler.
"If we are going to improve our health care financing system in the United States, we have to move beyond the 'Democrat' position and the 'Republican' position. We'll need representatives free from the influence of insurance company lobbyists, drug company lobbyists, HMO lobbyist, and all the big-money special interests.
"My candidacy gives you a way to vote for that kind of new political freedom -- that can do what is best for all Americans and for all of our great country!"
Vote Dave Chandler for Congress!
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