I have always approached problems in a very unsophisticated, commonsensical way. I look at the issue, look at the goal and then find out how to get there. We all tend to over complicate things when solutions are right in front of us. Take health care for example.  The primary goal of health care is to provide us with a healthier, longer life. Wouldn’t you agree with that? I think that’s pretty good common ground for any of us on either side of the health care reform issue.

We need good health care because we are a modern country with bountiful resources. It’s basic. So do we have good health care? That’s where the argument begins because there is no doubt that we have health care. Look at this chart. It shows that we spend 17% of our Gross National Product on health care, 1/3 more than the next closest nation.

In some cases, we spend nearly triple that of other countries. But here is the problem and why, in my opinion we need health care reform. Since we have health care and spend lots on it, one would think that the byproduct would be a higher life expectancy. I’m sure you’ve surmised by now that it is not the case. Only 4 of the countries listed above have a lower life expectancy than that of the United States.

(How about this crazy fact, the people of Japan smoke twice as many cigarettes per capita than the US citizens but their average life expectancy is the 3rd highest in the world compare to us at number 50. Imagine. 50.)

I agree that when the government gets involved it usually not a good sign. But we need a government that is committed to delivering health care as a universal public service like education.

It is broken. It’s time to fix it. The numbers don’t lie. Politicians do.

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