Party Divisions and Health Care

There’s new news for health care that, according to Senator Tom Harkin, “ought to give Democrats a shot in the arm to get this job done.”

            Though many Americans are still worried that the cost of their health care will increase or that they will see no direct benefit from Obama’s health care plan, a recent poll shows that they still trust Democrats more than Republicans on the issue of health care. This may help to reduce divisions between Democrats and create a more pleasant solution.

            Honestly, I have no problem with the bill taking forever to get passed. To me, it could take years, but that’s fine as long as it’s done right. My only problem is that it seems nobody can agree (as I said in my last post).  How can there be a correct solution when nobody can agree on anything?

Most people agree that something needs to be done, which is probably why they trust the Democrats more than Republicans to handle it. We may consider ourselves the best country in the world, but our health care system definitely doesn’t reflect it. Something does need to be done.

However, Democrats really need to think about how this is going to work. If a bill is going to get passed, it needs to have steady support. Hopefully, Democrats will take this poll to heart and understand that they need to be united (at least somewhat).

A Possible Solution to Divisions on Health Care?

             I had never heard of Senator Thomas R. Carper until I read this article in the New York Times.

            He posed something related to health care that I had never even thought of: allowing the states to accept or reject certain aspects of the new health care plan. Honestly, that’s the smartest thing I’ve heard lately.

            I know, I know, bills are supposed to take a long time to go through. The jump into government health care is a big one, and the plan must be as thought-out as possible. It needs to not only be feasible, but representative of what Americans want, and a legitimate solution to the severe problems with our health care system.

It seems as though nobody can agree. And honestly, I doubt they will change their minds anytime soon. Party members can’t agree with fellow party members, and there are so many different ways to go with the plan. It’s such a divided issue that there won’t be anything like a consensus anytime soon. Given this, it seems as though the best solution is to split it up and allow those who want it to accept it.

Even if it’s not the health care plan Obama wanted, or the plan the country needs, it could lead to a huge increase in citizen welfare. And who knows, if it works well in the states that adopt it, it could spread throughout the country gradually, getting passed in states that were previously hesitant. Obama did make a campaign promise, but it seems as though a large portion of the country isn’t ready for his health care plan. And if a solution makes everyone happy, why not use it?