I'm not trying to say people in different circumstances don't need relief from the current system, but I am trying to point out that I'm one of many Americans who don't fit the two well-publicized demographic blocks on this issue: I'm covered and I'm not dependent on the whims of my employer for that coverage. &
I want to scream at all the candidates: design a system for the uninsured and the big business workers if you want, but don't forget the rest of us. The self-employed and the independent contractors who pay our monthly premiums out of our own pockets need to figure into the equation, too.
From where I sit, there is no one plan that fits best for everyone. There isn't even one plan that works better for me. I like the financial provisions of McCain's proposed tax credit. I like the ban on using preexisting conditions for denial of enrollment proposed by Obama, mostly because it might let a cancer survivor like me shop around for a new plan as circumstances change. Philosophically, I prefer Barr's approach that the government shouldn't be playing doctor in the first place, but accepting that they are now in the medical services business. I prefer having a competent and fair plan to simply sticking with the status quo.
So, I want a little bit of everything. I also want more chicken soup, and for a candy striper to swing by and fluff my pillow. Maybe I have had too many cold meds, but shouldn't it be possible? Different plans for different families in different situations.
-Citizen Voices blogger Chuck Hartley is an attorney who lives in Escondido.
