Article November 17, 2008 Issue

KEEP CHOICE IN HEALTHCARE

FROM THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BOSTON— Nearly 46 million Americans today are without health insurance. Premiums have doubled in this decade alone. At the same time, the cost of hospitalization and pharmaceuticals has escalated dramatically. So, sadly, many businesses and individuals now find themselves priced out of the market. People who desperately want health insurance often can't pay for it and see coverage as a luxury only the rich can afford.

It's natural, therefore, that healthcare reform—a plan that will guarantee health insurance for everyone—is the subject of intense public discussion. Both US presidential candidates offer such a plan, although they take different approaches. And in nearly every state legislature, healthcare reform has become a significant topic. Massachusetts has already adopted legislation mandating health insurance for everyone, except for those who opt out by using accommodations provided in the law. And California, the most populous state, is wrestling with its own version.

Yet some raise a caution, especially in view of current unsettled global economic conditions. They ask whether sweeping healthcare reform will ease—or overload—the burden US taxpayers carry. And legislation alone, they warn, won't necessarily curb the underlying problem of runaway healthcare costs.