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A new approach to health care in America is essential. Nearly 50 million Americans don't have health insurance. Many millions more are under insured. Those who would benefit from a universal health care system would naturally pay at least some of their own costs. That could arrest the drift of our country in becoming one of haves and have nots, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

If you have medicare, you can no longer assume that it will be accepted wherever you go. Where I live, people on medicare are unable to find doctors and dentists to
serve them, unless they have existing patient relationships. The reason appears to be that medicare pays less than private insurers. Thus, we need a new way forward for the "have-nots", in particular those without health insurance.

There is no reason that America's universal health care plan has to resemble those in other countries. However, if there are lessons for us to learn and reflect upon, then we should. We need a plan that works for us. All Americans need a basic level of health coverage and also some measure of catastrophic coverage. There will always be a need for gap coverage provided by private insurers.

America needs to get its arms around those in need much better than it has to date. The working poor, students and others left out of existing coverage systems need to understand that they are not the forgotten. Of course, such people inevitably have their own trials and tribulations above and beyond health care expenses. Yet, they have pride and should be expected to have co-pays and therefore, some participation in paying for their own medical expenses, without costs becoming debilitating.

Learn more about this author, Robert C. Sage.
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