Kulongoski sets up study of health care
Universal coverage - The governor seeks ways to provide all Oregonians with basic care
Friday, February 10, 2006
HARRY ESTEVE
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1139538333107770.xml&coll=7

"Effective, affordable health care should not be a 'perk' that's available only to the very rich," Kulongoski said.

What our governor should have said was, "Effective, affordable health care should not be a 'perk' that's available only to PUBLIC EMPLOYEES like Kulongoski, every Oregon Legislator and the very rich."

Ted Kulongoski has directed three health-related state advisory commissions to begin a five-year project aimed at making basic health care available to all Oregonians. If we take the proper steps now, we can achieve this goal step by step, not necessarily overnight, but in the foreseeable future, " Kulongoski said. "That's my goal for health care in Oregon." [Of course, that's exactly what we need, another study by three committees to be completed in five years, conveniently after the next governor's term of office. Very clever Ted. That's leadership.]

WRONG Goal WRONG Method WRONG Timetable

The GOAL is to solve these moral and economic problems which have been caused by a failure of the federal government and the private insurance industry ASAP:
A. Huge numbers of Oregonians have no health insurance.
B. Huge numbers of Oregonians pay for such costly health insurance that they can afford little or no actual health care.
C. All of Oregon's public institutions are facing skyrocketing and unstoppable increases in health care costs which significantly diminish the quality and quantity of services that need to be provided to the public.

The SOLUTION is already at hand. It's called the Oregon Community Health Care Bill.

The Oregon Community Health Bill is a politically centrist solution to Oregon's health care crisis capable of attracting support from left and right, Republicans and Democrats, urban - suburban - rural because it:
1. Is the most market driven health care plan in America.
2. Removes the burden from businesses of providing health care and places it on the state of Oregon.
3. Reduces health care costs to public institutions in Oregon by 20%.
4. Provides actual health care not just health insurance.
5. Eliminates the term, "preexisting condition." If the procedure is covered you're covered.
6. Provides affordable health care - on a sliding scale according to income - as good as that received by any public employee in Oregon to anyone willing to make a commitment to Oregon for one year as a registered voter.

Oregonians seriously interested in solving our real health care crisis would be foolish to allow the levers of power to remain in the hands of a person who for three years has been unable to recognize and define our moral and economic health care crisis nor see the solution which has been on the public table  for more than a year.and endorsed by his gubernatorial challenger, Lane County Commissioner Pete Sorenson et al., The Oregon Community Health Bill.


Richard Ellmyer
Oregon Community Health Care Bill author and project champion
President, MacSolutions Inc. - A Macintosh computer consulting business providing web hosting for artists and very small businesses.
Writer/Publisher - Oregon Health Watcher commentary - Published on the Internet and distributed to 6000 readers interested in public health care policy in Oregon.
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