A Market Based Reform for Health Care

Date: 21 January, 00:38

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Unless you have been living in a cave for the last few years you know that health care reform is a front page news story almost daily. While everyone agrees that we have the best health care and health care professionals in the world here in the United States, we do not all agree on its affordability and accessibility. We wish to see more people able to afford and access good, quality health care when needed. The question is, "How do we make that happen?"

There seems to be two schools of thought on how to approach this dilemma. Some, mostly liberal and on the left of the political spectrum, wish to see the government involved in handling the health care system. Others, like myself, would prefer to see the free market hold sway on this issue. It comes down to constitutionality and freedom as far as I am concerned, and forcing people to buy health care and pay for others to have it, is not constitutional, nor does it promote freedom.

I do not pretend to be an expert on such matters, I am simply a thinker and someone who has read more than a book or two about the history of this and other nations. We have the lessons of the past from which we can learn much about government intervention in free markets and what that ultimately leads to. I firmly believe that if our Founding Fathers had intended for the government to be our caretaker they would have placed those words somewhere in our Founding documents. As they did not, I must assume that they did not feel this was a matter for the government to administer. Our Founders were indeed brilliant and wise men and I feel very strongly that they would have addressed this issue if they felt it was within the purview of the federal government, or any other level of government, to run the health care of a nation.

So, we find ourselves today arguing about how best to provide for health care for even the poorest among us. What is fair to each of us? Should those who work and produce be forced to pay for those who don't, or won't, to have health care? How can we help those who, through no fault of their own, find themselves in need of and unable to afford health care? Is health care a right that doctors must be forced to provide? While some of these questions may be philosophical in nature, some are economic and more easily addressed. I do not believe that health care is a right. I do not believe that owning a home is a right. If you can afford either then you are certainly free to purchase either from whomever you feel most comfortable doing business with, but we must come to understand the difference between rights and wants and privileges.

In an effort to seek out information and knowledge on this topic, from people more knowledgeable than myself, I have come to know Dr. John Lanzalotti of Williamsburg, VA. Aside from having practiced medicine for many years, Dr. Lanzalotti is a talented artist and sculptor as well. Having spent some time talking with the good doctor and "picking his brain," I have concluded that he is an affable and brilliant man. I count myself fortunate to have made his acquaintance. More than that I am honored that he has offered, and I have accepted, to be my advisor on matters concerning the health care issue in our country. While I can address the broad overview and philosophy of how health care should be administered, Dr. Lanzalotti gets down to the minute details in his American Health Care Plan (Transforming Health Care for the 21st Century), which can be found at - www.jhpf.org.

I encourage you to go to his website and read what his years of experience and study on this matter have led him to conclude. I think you will find that his plan addresses all of the concerns that we hear voiced every day about the state of health care in America. I will continue to seek his counsel on the health care issue and hope that you will read and consider his plan. It will be part of my campaign platform and I will advocate for it when I am elected to Congress.

I encourage your feedback on this matter by taking advantage of the forums on my website. Thank you.