President Bush has gone on record as saying he is adamantly opposed to any legislation that would involve a move toward increased government sponsored healthcare. He is so opposed to anything that he perceives as a move towards so-called universal medical coverage, that he has even threatened to veto congresses requests to increasing funding to expand federal low cost heath insurance programs for children.

The president does not want taxpayer dollars going to pay for their health insurance or healthcare. And yet he and all members of his administration receive state of the art, federally funded, and taxpayer supported government healthcare. His recent colonoscopy performed at Camp David was paid for by taxpayers.  Why should President Bush be so down on “government run healthcare”, when he himself has benefited greatly from it?

In this discussion a distinction needs to be made. President Bush and those who agree with him like to equate current proposals for Universal Healthcare with the specter of “socialized medicine” as it appears in other countries. In this article we will not even discuss the pros and cons of true socialized medicine. What most proponents of Universal or Government run healthcare are advocating is not Universal Heath Care a la “socialized medicine” – but Universal Health Insurance. Which is indeed something entirely different. Universal health insurance means everyone will be given access to low-cost and affordable medical insurance. The healthcare will still be provided by doctors, nurses and other healthcare practitioners in private practice. In countries like Cuba that have true socialized medicine, the doctors and practitioners are employees of the government and are paid by the government, no one not even a liberal democrat, has suggested any such system here.

According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, America spends over $6,000.00 per person per year on Healthcare. In Canada, France and Australia that figure is around $3,000.00, Great Britain closer to a meager$2,000.00. And yet Americans do not live as long as people in any of these countries that spend less and guarantee affordable health insurance to their citizens.

    Government run healthcare has proven it can work. Seniors and the poor have all benefited for years from successful low cost health insurance programs; Medicare and Medicaid. But these beneficiaries of government run health insurance are not alone. President Bush stands with them as living proof of the success of government run health insurance.  Fortunately no signs of cancer were found during the Presidents recent colonoscopy, but he received top-flight healthcare at a government run facility at the taxpayers expense – as my old man used to say, “…you should only be so lucky”