Gov.Mitt Romney of MA has a health plan that a lot of states should take a look at.While it has some flaws created by state law it could work anywhere. It requires that ALL people purchase health insurance and the ALL will be covered. Before you get you panties in a twist understand that the cost for health insurance is low enough that folks can afford to purchase it. Now it also takes into consideration those folks who can not work due to disability and old age so that takes care of "Who's gonna take care of great Uncle Joe?"
Universal health care as has been presented in the past is nothing more than socialized medicine which is lackning at best since somebody has to pay for it in the long run. Under the Mass plan, everyone pays a little and no one pays a lot especially the taxpayer in form of higher taxes to pay for those who refuse to have insurance by claiming they can't afford it.

I'd like to understand why Ms. Parker believes that a person shouldn't have to use up their personal savings and assets before asking other people to pay their medical bills. One of the major purposes of saving is to pay for future, unexpected events.
There is not enough money in our economy to pay the medical bills for every person who gets sick and needs ever more expensive and elaborate care. At what point do we start asking the question: How much is too much?

I would like to learn exactly how many people are without health insurance. The scare you the death media always touts the uninsured, the only folks I know not insured are those who don't work and don't care to work. I have yet to see a hospital turn someone away in our country. Why else do you see some many illegal aliens coming here?

Is this like Mitch Snyder of the 1980's who said a homeless person dies every 17 seconds. There was not enough homeless people then or now to make that happen Mitch!

Southern, there are many who work and do not have insurance because they can go to the hospitals and be treated free because the law says no one can be denied treatment because of lack of insurance. This is what Gov. Romney found in the Mass. study and why it is now mandatory that everyone purchase insurance. The law there has made insurance affordable to all who are working. Those who are disabled or beyond working age are provided insurance in other ways. The low income workers are provided insurance through a pool which greatly reduces the cost but they must purchase it. Unfortunately Mass. has some strange laws on the books which keep insurance cost higher than most other states in that area and in the US overall. In NC a plan such as Mass now has would certainly reduce the overall cost of Medicaid and relieve the taxburden of medically treating those without insurance.

JB Carper:

I don't think the point was no one should dip into personal savings and assets - but the cost of extreme medical care has to be experienced to be believed. My mom, God rest her soul, had a prescription that was $4,000 / month. A decade at that rate would eat most Blogger nest eggs, I'm sure.

Isn't this simply Insurance? Many drivers kick in so when the deer smashes a car one doesn't have to dip into personal savings and assets in order to replace the vehicle.

.. and you're defacto wrong, there IS enough money in our economy to pay the medical bills ... it's being done right now, although I grant it get's ever more expensive each day, especially as elaborate care and "life at any cost" remains in many minds a God given right.

Personally, I hope to have the chutzpa - as my final act when I can no longer add to the tribe - to walk alone onto the icepack and be polar-bear dinner.

I wholly agree with your last question, "At what point do we start asking ... [h]ow much is too much?", and include both abortion and euthanasia in this discussion.

Southern Patriot: what a screen name - betcha wear a flag in your lapel too, so I certainly can't disent from your stance.

"... especially as elaborate care and "life at any cost" remains in many minds a God given right."

Can you spell Terry Schivo? ... although as I recall, her care was paid for by insurance - the insurance money the husband was given - the same husband that was vilified by Delay, Frist, and other members of the moral majority.

Speaking of "moral majority", see also here (original link has expired):

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0327-01.htm

"Terri Schiavo is not brain-dead; she talks and she laughs, and she expresses happiness and discomfort. Terri Schiavo is not on life support." Tom DeLay, March 20, 2005

... not that I'm cynical or anything ...