Why is the health care issue so prevalent to the candidates in the upcoming presidential race?
The debate over health care reform has been brewing ever since Senator Clinton’s failed attempt to reform the system between 1993 and 1994. At that time, 40 million Americans were without health insurance at any point in time. Now that number has increased to 47 million and includes people with pre-existing conditions that insurance companies will not cover and those who work part-time jobs that do not offer health insurance benefits. There are other realities that drive the debate, as well. Large corporations, such as General Motors, now push for reform because the cost of employer provided insurance is damaging corporate profit. Health insurance premiums have skyrocketed past the rate of inflation because of the use of the system by those without insurance and unable to pay, because of the high costs of malpractice insurance for physicians and because of the expense of medical research and technologies. Americans often avoid preventative care because they cannot afford to see a docto
