Why health care reform over other priorities, such as the budget deficit and defense?
• The problems in the health care system are urgent. They hurt patients, communities and the economy. Health costs affect our budget deficit and make Medicaid and Medicare’s problems worse. We must take on these crisis as our top priority since it affects so many others. • Furthermore, health care is viewed as the top national and personal economic threat. • Almost 47 million individuals lack health insurance in this country, where four out of five uninsured Americans live in working families. • Since 2000 alone, health insurance premiums have grown by 87 percent, while wages have grown by only 20 percent. This increase is nearly five times that of inflation. • Nearly half of all small businesses no longer provide health coverage for their employees. • American businesses are having more trouble competing globally while shouldering the burden of America’s broken health care system. • The President and Congress are now considering equally large and arguably more controversial policies s
