Solutions to health insurance crisis

Houston Chronicle

It's an idea whose time has arrived: doing something to effectively deal with the high number of Texans who don't have health insurance. Dan Wolterman [the chief executive of the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System] has a plan to begin a pilot program for 25,000 Harris County residents, and this is a step in the right direction (see the Feb. 8 Chronicle article "Houston hospital exec speaks on reform / His proposal involves monthly premiums of $50 for people, employers").

The fact that one in three of our neighbors are without health insurance is unacceptable, and, unfortunately, the numbers are growing daily.

It is not a question of lacking financial resources, because the United States spends twice as much as other industrialized nations on its medical care.

We have the money, but millions of our fellow citizens are still left out.

Another problem is that the cost to the insured and their employers has created a negative impact when it comes to competition in international sales — just ask any economist that understands foreign competition.

The challenge is to figure out how to keep people well, and to provide health care for those who really need it.

The emergency room is no place to practice preventive medicine.

There is an American solution to our health care crisis, and I see it being successfully designed and implemented by Texans.