Reap the Rewards of Public Service

Slowly but surely the debate on health care is turning back towards common sense. People are taking a look at the proposed legislations and starting to realize there may be something of value for themselves included within. Lawmakers are beginning to read the tea leaves and merge the parts of the various proposed legislations that seem to hold the most popular, prudent and least controversial elements - some turned out to be a surprise. The process is taking a long time, and, as politicians have been trying to get it passed since Teddy Roosevelt, I suppose it is a miracle it has gotten this far especially considering our current economy.

Maybe that's what woke us up. Perhaps we realized we could hit rough patches lasting longer than we would want. As strong as we are the frailty inherent in our human condition became evident. We can't always be fortunate.

We had a chance to think about the state of our current health care system as a community despite attempts to thwart that discussion. Though parts of it are unsurpassed, statistics showed overall there are a number of industrialized nations ahead of ours regarding the issue on a whole. All of those have taken the steps we are going through now like imposing stricter regulations and making sure all have access to and options regarding health care. How many of us have personal experience with or know people with personal health care horror stories that may have been averted were it not for the way the system itself is set up?

With times the way they are statistics like health related issues being the number one cause fueling personal bankruptcy filings are sobering reminders it is more than just physical health care we are talking about. People are forced to languish with debilitating sicknesses while insurers play the game of denying payment for treatments to inflate bottom lines. They are more concerned with pleasing shareholders than human health. As such in this case a purely free market has not worked. Limited government intervention can help and we're not the first western country to recognize this.

Right now the opportunity to do something which can reverberate long after we all have passed is in our grasp. The chance to pass something on to future generations of Americans that could change the access to health care they receive is being debated. It could very well be one of the greatest legacies to come out of this era in our history. There are multiple alternatives and options and the vetting process is ongoing.

During the month of August the health insurance industry made a lot of noise about our country coming closer to communism if we had better heath care coverage and access. We heard all kinds of extreme and baseless assertions from an industry desperate to hold it's grip on a lucrative system tipped in its favor. We saw the theater of the town hall ruckus with assertions this was the voice of America's majority.

Despite that Americans are still in favor of some kind of reform. In three new polls a majority favor changing the system to one providing more access, patient focused regulations, increased choices and more.

People get into politics for varied reasons and there are plenty of stereotypes about today's politicians. But, for their many flaws they are no more or less so than the people they come from on a whole. They are products of the villages, towns and cities from whence they came.

In the end they are there to serve us - the public. This is an opportunity to do just that. It is the chance to leave an enduring legacy to constituents and the many hundreds, thousands and even millions of those who will no doubt be better off as a result of the changes. This so long as it is affordable.

For all the red tape, stress and roadblocks on the hill here is an opportunity to be remembered for passing something on that is only growing in popularity. The majority of Americans want it. Give the country the kind of change that is needed and reap the reward of the satisfaction of having served the public. Legislate for the majority and let big moneyed interests take the back seat just this time.