Health Care: Rep. Gephardt Is Acting Like an Actual Democrat

In his April 21 column “Gephardt Boldly Tests the Waters of Universal Health Insurance,” Ronald Brownstein reports that Rep. Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.) will detail a plan designed to invigorate the economy and provide health insurance to the 41-million-plus Americans currently without it. As Brownstein suggests, this is a bold move that will perhaps move Gephardt up among the leaders on a long list of Democratic hopefuls for the 2004 presidential nomination. It may even start to organize the agenda that the 2004 presidential election will take on as mainstream deliberative issues. Not since former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton picked up on the subject has anyone had the temerity to broach the idea.

Since 1994, national health insurance has been a political no-no, much like the subject of tax increases, among the nation’s politicians and officeholders. Now Gephardt will step up to promote a version of national health insurance, a program adopted by all of the major industrialized nations of the world except the U.S. With it, the Missouri Democrat may become the “candidate with guts” that many Democrats and other Americans have been waiting for.

Charles R. Barr

Upland

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Finally, at long last -- a Democrat who is acting like a Democrat! Accolades to Gephardt for coming forth with his plan for universal health care. It is a well-formulated plan, but he needs to strongly consider including price controls on premiums to prevent the cost from overwhelming the program.

Health care will be a major factor in the 2004 election. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and also the Green Party are strong advocates of a government-run, single-payer health-care system. Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean offers a different health-care proposal. I await Brownstein’s articles on these other alternatives.

Terry L. Malone

Anaheim