Health Care Debate Rages On

It seems like everyone is debating health care right now, and no matter what happens there are going to be people who are disappointed by the outcome. You have to wonder how much of what we are seeing is fabricated or exaggerated. CNN reports that over $57 million have been pumped into TV advertising already this year on the health care debate. It's no wonder then that President Obama and those in favor a public health care option face an uphill battle against some of this country's most powerful special interests. I find it appalling that Sarah Palin can make up an idea like "death panels" and convince a great number of people that this is actually what the government intends to do. The term has absolutely no basis in reality.

It has to be obvious to any informed American that our health care system needs reform. We currently rank 42nd in life expectancy among all developed nations. That's pretty weak for all of those people that claim we have the best medical care in the world. With my own health struggles over the last year and a half I have witnessed a lot of problems with the health care system. Anyone who shows up at an emergency room has to be prepared to spend several hours waiting to see a Dr. because of the amount of uninsured people that show up with minor conditions like a cough. If you create more options for people that will end up saving middle and lower class people a lot of money. A $20 co-pay at the Doctor's office is a lot better than a $100 co-pay at the ER. Also for everyone criticizing government-run health care as socialism how does that differ from Medicare and Medicaid? Here's hoping that the Obama administration sticks to their guns and can achieve what the Clintons and many others before failed to do.

When I was in Washington D.C. two weeks ago I shot a bunch of health care protesters on the Hill. Here are a few images from that day.