OTHER OPINIONS The great debate

By Jerusalem Post

Posted: August 29, 2009 at 3:57 a.m.

• Print item
• E-mail
• Share
• Tweet

LITTLE ROCK — As Israelis observe Americans debate universal health care, we find ourselves struck by the fact that our little country is actually more advanced than the U.S. in providing all residents with medical coverage. But we take no pleasure in the realization that political discourse in the U.S. has sometimes deteriorated to the crude levels too often seen in Israel. :

According to the Pew Research Center, most Republicans say the U.S. health-care system doesn't need fixing, while most Democrats argue the opposite view. But overall, says the center, 75 percent of Americans do want to change the system. :

Even Obama supporters say he needs to give the American people more specifics on how the plan will be paid for and better explain why providing apublic or quasi-public option is not some elaborate plot for a government takeover of all health-care delivery.

We do not presume to tell Americans how to proceed. We can only point to our own experience, which demonstrates - albeit on a smaller scale - that universal coverage is workable.

However, there is no doubt that Israelis sacrifice a level of privacy that Americans enjoy.

:

Everyone is covered. We pay for it all through individual sliding-scale health taxes deducted from our salaries and transferred to the health funds via the National Insurance Institute.

It may well be that a modified version of our system could work well in the American setting.

- Jerusalem Post

Opinion, Pages 3 on 08/29/2009

Comments

To report abuse or misuse of this area please hit the "Suggest Removal" link in the comment to alert our online managers. Please read our comment policy.

Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.