European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 7, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 stars and stripes saturday april 7 2007 Thomas t Kelsch publisher Richard Braun Genera manager Europe it col Stephen Oconnor commander news and editorial Robb Grindstaff Doug Clawson executive editor managing editor Europe Sam Aro Rhein Europe Bureau chief Joseph Giordono Mideast Bureau chief Mami Mcentee assistant Bureau chief Washington do assistant managing editors Mary sender news Sean hooves sports Brian Bowers features Christopher six Patrick Dickson news editor Joe Gromelski web editor addresses of mail unit 29480 Apo a 09211 International  133064345 Griesheim Germany fax Dan 3498416 Civ 0 email news letters Central office 529 14th Street new suite 350 Washington do 200451301 phone Dan 3127630900 or Civ 7610900 fax 202 7610890 editorial director 52914th St new suite 350 Washington do 200451301 phone Dan 3127630945 or Civ 202 7610945 How to Call us editor Dan 3498254 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by Michael Tanner and Michael Cannon As they tack left and right state by state the democratic presidential contenders cant agree on much but one cause they All support along with republicans such As former Massachusetts gov Mitt rom Ney and California gov Arnold Schwarzenegger is Universal health coverage and All of them Are wrong what these politicians and Many other americans fail to understand is that theres a big difference be tween Universal cover age and actual Access to medical care simply saying that people have health insurance is meaning less Many countries provide Universal insurance but deny critical procedures to patients who need them Brit Ains department of health reported in 2006 that at any Given time nearly 900000 britons Are waiting for admission to National health service hospitals and Short Ages Force the cancellation of More than 50000 operations each year in Sweden the wait for heart surgery can be As Long As 25 weeks and the average wait for hip replacement surgery is More than a year Many of these individuals suffer chronic pain and judging by the numbers some will probably die awaiting treatment in a 2005 ruling of the Canadian supreme court chief Justice Beverly Mclachlin wrote that Access to a waiting list is not Access to health care supporters of Universal coverage fear that people without health insurance will be denied the health care they need of course All americans already have a Cess to at least emergency care hospitals Are legally obligated to provide care re theres a big difference Between Universal coverage and actual Access to medical care simply saying that people have health insurance is meaningless Gar less of ability to pay and although physicians do not face the same Legal requirements we do not hear of Many who Are willing to deny treatment because a patient lacks insurance you May think it is self evident that the uninsured May forgo preventive care or receive a lower Quality of care and yet in reviewing All the academic literature on the subject Helen Levy of the univer sity of Michigan economic research initiative on the uninsured and David melt Zer of the University of Chicago were unable to establish a causal relationship Between health insurance and better health believe it or not there is no evidence Levy and Meltzer wrote that expanding insurance coverage is a cos effective Way to promote health similarly a study published in the new England journal of medi Cine last year found that although far too Many americans were not receiving the appropriate Standard of care health insurance status was largely unrelated to the Quality of care another common concern is that the Young and healthy will go without insurance leaving a risk Pool of older and sicker people this results in higher insurance premiums for those who Are insured but that s Only True if the Law for bids insurers from charging their custom ers according to the Cost of covering them if companies can charge More to cover people who Are Likely to need More care smokers the elderly Etc it wont make any difference who does or Doest buy insurance finally some suggest that when people without health insurance receive treat ment the Cost of their care is passed along to the rest of us this is undeniably True yet it is a manageable problem according to Jack Hadley and John Holah an of the left leaning Urban Institute uncompensated care for the uninsured amounts to less than 3 percent of total health care spending a real Cost no doubt but hardly a crisis everyone agrees that far too Many americans Lack health insurance but Cov ering the uninsured comes about As a byproduct of getting other things right the real danger is that our National obsession with Universal coverage will Lead us to neglect reforms such As enacting a Standard health insurance deduction expanding health savings accounts and de regulating insurance markets that could truly expand coverage improve Quality and make care More affordable Ashl Mencken said Tor every prob Lem there is a solution that is simple ele Gant and wrong Universal health care is a textbook Case Michael Tanner is director of health and welfare studies and Michae Cannon is director of health policy studies at the cat Institute a Washington based thin tank that strives to achieve greater involvement of the intelligent concerned Lay Public in questions of policy and the proper role of government this column first appeared in the los Angeles times Tel us what you think stars and stripes welcomes your comments on editorials and columns that published in the newspaper and values letters on topics of importance in the lives of our readers Ali letters must be signed and must include the writers address or base and Telephone number please limit Ali letters to 300 words we Reserve the right to edit letters for length taste and clarity Send your letters to us mail stars and stripes unit 29480 Apo a 09211 International mail stars and stripes Postrach 1330 64345 Griesheim 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