Issue Position: Health Care

Issue Position

I see no reason why elected officials or public employees should have medical care plans that are not available to every citizen of the USA, regardless of whether it is public or private. Elected officials and public servants are not a privileged class and they should not enjoy benefits that are above what the citizen taxpayer can take advantage of. The current debate over single payer and public option has spun hysterically out of control; we can't even sit together and have a calm rational discussion about the options. I know this much - as a former small business owner in Utah who provided partially paid health care as part of our benefit package, something HAS TO CHANGE because the nation's current health care system is both unsustainable and excludes too many. Without some change, health care premiums will soon rival salaries. We currently spend 17% of our GDP on health care (more than ANY other nation) and don't even rank in the top 10 of surveys collected regarding user satisfaction. I hear this from doctors, nurses, users and citizens. We simply must have something different. Important note: currently there are six (6) paid health care lobbyists for every member of Congress. Can we connect the dots? Defending the profits of health care companies under the banner of free market capitalism is not a noble cause. The incumbent, Jim Matheson, has publicly said that healthcare reform is "too complicated." Can anyone doubt that hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from the healthcare industry might have clouded the issue for him? How much longer are you willing to accept "too complicated" as an answer/excuse for delay and failue to execute his responsiblity to serve the people? Some form of Public Option simply must be part of the discussion of the means to the solution.

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