O’Neill advocates health care as a right
By David Wenner
The Patriot-News
April 19, 2007
With all its wealth, it’s time for America to define health care as a right, said Paul O’Neill, a former Bush Cabinet member (and former CEO of Alcoa) who spoke in Harrisburg yesterday.
The former U.S. Treasury secretary also said Americans should give serious thought to a “pool” to cover health care costs.
He didn’t go so far as calling for a national, single-payer health care system, but he said some Americans will never be able to pay for their health care. Americans who are better off should accept an obligation to help pay for those who can’t afford it, he said.
O’Neill cited frustration with the political debate surrounding health care, saying politicians have failed to lead an honest discussion.
“I think we should get our politicians to quit pandering to us and give us the truth,” he said.
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Comment:
By Don McCanne, MD
It is refreshing to hear such words coming from a prominent Republican member of the business community. He is explicitly calling for providing health care to everyone (as a right), through a common health care fund (pool), paid for equitably (an obligation of the better off), and achieving it through an honest political process (give us the truth).
With this as a common ground, how much more do we need before we agree to move forward with genuine reform? Can Paul O’Neill bring the Republicans and the business community into an honest discussion? And can the Democrats agree that they would have to advocate primarily for the health care of all Americans, rather than continuing to cater predominantly to the private insurance industry without serious regard to the adverse impact on patients?
It is time for the truth and an honest discussion.
