Month: August 2017

I read with great disappointment the op-ed written by Sen. Chris Coons regarding his proposals to repair the U.S. health care system now that the latest round of radical Republican schemes have been foiled. Senator Coons makes it a point to state that both his own opposition to the recent Republican bills “was not rooted in partisanship,” and that partisan discourse “won’t get us anywhere.” He even throws in the obligatory shout-outs to GOP Senators Marco Rubio and John McCain in case anyone was slow on the pickup. Some form of the word "bipartisan" is used four times. I’d argue that partisanship simply means actually standing up for a side. Coons declares that the problem with rising health costs is the “lack of a competitive marketplace.” To address this price issue, the bill he is sponsoring “incentivizes insurance companies” to remain in markets which only have one dominant insurer. Further, the proposed legislation would “encourage other insurers to come into the marketplace and provide more competition.” I think Senator Coons is taking a side. I challenge readers to decide whether he’s taken theirs. Every other modern democracy has solved this problem. Any reader of the local newspaper knows this so I won’t waste too much space. Government subsidized single-payer health care plans work. This is a fact.