More in U.S. Say Health Coverage Is Not Gov’t. Responsibility

More Americans now say it is not the federal government's responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage (50%) than say it is (47%). This is a first since Gallup began tracking this question, and a significant shift from as recently as three years ago, when two-thirds said ensuring health care coverage was the government's responsibility.

This is a huge turnaround from even last year where 56% wanted to replace the current system and the more than 60% who desired a change in 2006. What has occurred since then? An enormous bill that will literally wreck the current system and replace it with government run health care inside of 10 years. More importantly, 61% now desire to retain the current system, while only 32% desire to toss it out.

Health care in this country does need some sort of overhaul. However, throwing out the baby with the bath water won't improve the system. What needs to be done is to allow genuine competition. In other words remove the barriers that the various states have erected to protect favoured companies and allows unfettered competition. Additionally, tort reform must be accomplished despite the fact this is a favoured constituency of the Democratic party (i.e. John Edwards friends).

Without limiting in some way the huge lawsuits for malpractice, costs will never, ever come down. Do victims of medical incompetence deserve compensation? Certainly, but there must be some sort of limits upon what is permitted. I suspect that next fall, if the bills presently before Congress are passed and signed into law, there will be a lot of surprised politicians packing up in Washington next December.