Health Care: The Issue for 2008

American workers are by in large less entrepreneurial than other western countries and one reason may be health care costs.

In 2006, employer health insurance premiums increased by 7.7 percent – two times the rate of inflation. According to the National Coalition on Health Care, the annual premium for an employer health plan covering a family of four averaged nearly $11,500. The annual premium for single coverage averaged over $4,200.

Imagine trying to afford to run a $100,000 business where, if you had a family of four, no less than 11.5% of your gross income would need to be set aside for insuring your family's health.

I believe the wedge issue for the Democrats will be Health Care simply because the Republicans 1) Don't have plans that are workable: Health Savings Accounts, are fine if you are in the top 35% of income earners, but for most people, they are undoable (you can't save money you haven't got). 2) defy their base to discuss anything but "free market" solutions.

The middle of America is ready for universal health care, the Republicans and the health care lobby will use considerable resources to tell us we are giving in to the "nanny state" to get it. But when you consider that our elderly, and our uninsured young get better care than most of us, I think we are foolish to keep doing what has largely been to our nation's detriment.