Opinion
Green national health care 
by Gloria Mattera
Green Party of New York State

With half the bankruptcies in the U.S. attributed to illness or medical bills and 45 million Americans uninsured, the Bush administration is promoting its latest policy to benefit the rich-Health Savings Accounts. Our nation's health care system is in crisis. Spending over twice as much as the other industrialized countries, US health care ranked 37th in overall performance by the World Health Organization. Market based health care fattens the coffers of private insurance and pharmaceutical companies while, according to the Institute of Medicine, approximately 18,000 Americans die each year because they don't have health insurance or access to health care. As stated in the Green Party platform, only a national, single-payer health insurance program will provide all US residents with comprehensive, life-long access to quality health care services regardless of their employment status.

As the health care crisis in this country deepens, both the Democratic and Republican parties have lacked the political will to promote the bold reform needed to improve the health of American people. On the other hand, more and more people believe that all US residents should be covered under a national insurance program. Until recently, there seemed to be a "political paralysis" created with the Republicans touting a market-based, competitive health care delivery system while the Democrats stayed on the defensive by focusing on incremental changes that had limited benefits to the uninsured and under-insured. Now, after the Bush administration's disastrous Medicare Drug Plan D and the push for "consumer-directed" health care, the public and political discourse has sharpened around the need for a national solution.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) will exacerbate the two-tiered health care delivery system in this country. High-income earners will be able to put money away to pay for their health care expenses and use their surplus as another tax shelter. In fact, these new "savings accounts" are more lucrative tax shelters than 401K plans. HSAs are fine for people with means who can put money away for future expenses but this "solution" will actually shift participation away from insurance companies by the rich and the healthy and leave only those who need health care the most but can afford it the least, at the mercy of rising premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. The momentum is building for this country to join the rest of the industrialized world in offering everyone national health coverage. In my opinion, a single payer national health program is the most efficient and humane approach.

What are the components of a single payer national health program? All residents (including undocumented immigrants) will receive "all medically necessary" services with a free choice of doctors and hospitals. Coverage will be the same for everyone regardless of age, income or employment status. Private coverage will not be allowed to duplicate publicly. Physicians and health care facilities will be non-profit but independent, negotiating fees and budgets. Progressive income and employer taxes will pay into a Health Care Trust Fund. Local planning boards will determine resource allocation for capital expenses and a public agency will be responsible for processing and payment. A national health insurance program will help move the orientation of health care services from cure or management of illness to prevention.

What would a national health program look like under a Green Party government? Although affordability and access for all US residents will be the driving force of the program, health care services would shift focus even more to prevention, and be integrated with sound environmental, agricultural, social and economic policies. A more holistic approach to health will include resources for stress reduction through reduced work hours, increased vacation time, child care leave and benefits similar to most European countries.

While the Republicans cater to the health industry's insatiable quest for profits and only a few lone Democratic voices call for real health care reform, it is the right time for the Green Party to take the lead in advocating for a single payer universal health care program.

Back to Spring 2006