GOVERNMENT CAN'T FIX IT

USA Today can see the problems but has no solution other than a huge raid on the taxpayer -- which has already been rejected in the Clinton years. Complete privatization is the only real solution. Medicine is too important an industry to be a government puppet

Bush and Kerry fail to grasp health crisis' magnitude. As every voter knows, health care in the U.S. is in crisis. The average monthly premium for a family is up 64% just since 2000. Annual medical spending now consumes 15 cents of every dollar spent. One in six Americans lack insurance, and their ranks continue to climb.

But neither President Bush nor Sen. John Kerry has a plan to match the scale of the problem. They've shown little passion about reforming a system that appears out of control. Instead, they seem most animated when arguing over secondary health issues: Bush rails against trial lawyers who drive up malpractice insurance rates, and Kerry assails drug companies that block the reimportation of cheaper drugs from Canada. Yes, both candidates have health care proposals they are sure to tout in tonight's debate. But viewers looking for a comprehensive plan that extends coverage to the 45 million uninsured and tackles the underlying causes of skyrocketing costs will be disappointed.

The sad truth is that neither candidate has a bold vision that can spark an overdue debate on how to overhaul a system that no longer works for most Americans. By failing to think big now, the next president will only have a worse problem to face later in his term. Bush and Kerry each offer help for some people, but they don't go nearly far enough:

Bush: He would let small businesses band together to buy cheaper insurance coverage, provide $89 billion in tax credits over 10 years to help low-income families buy private insurance, and expand tax breaks for others to pay out-of-pocket medical expenses. Independent groups say his proposals would extend coverage to less than 20% of the uninsured and would not do anything to control costs.

Kerry: He has a more ambitious plan to extend coverage to 27 million people - more than half of the uninsured - by letting them buy coverage similar to what federal employees get. He would also have the government pay for most medical bills over $50,000 and greatly expand existing programs for children and the poor. But he provides few cost controls for a plan estimated to cost $653 billion to $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

Costs are going up for many reasons. One is that expensive new drugs, procedures and tests are coming onto the market. Yet consumers have little incentive to shop for bargains as long as their insurance covers the expense. And many doctors feel compelled to order unnecessary tests to protect themselves from potential malpractice suits. Another factor is that people with insurance pay ever-larger costs to subsidize those without coverage. Many providers offer discounts to the uninsured, and make up the difference from those with health plans. Meanwhile, Medicare costs keep soaring as Washington adds new benefits for seniors, the latest being prescription drug coverage.

More efficient use of medical services and more competition can help slow costs. Extending coverage to all benefits the insured as well as the uninsured. And restraining Medicare costs is essential as baby boomers begin retiring before the end of the decade.


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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL hospitals and health insurance schemes should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the very poor and minimal regulation.

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