10 Excellent Reasons for National Health Care

The United States spends twice as much as other industrialized nations on health care, yet our system performs poorly in comparison and still leaves 46 million without health coverage and millions more inadequately covered.

Imagine a health care program that is publicly funded and covers all basic medical services from doctor visits, hospitalization, and long-term care to prescription drugs, dental care, and mental health. 10 Excellent Reasons for National Health Care offers an array of powerful arguments for why and how this could become a reality. With fact-filled chapters written by leading physicians, health care professionals, policy makers, business-people, labor organizers, and others, this book shows how a national health care system is simpler, more inclusive, saves money, is good for business, will reduce health care disparities, and is a fundamental human right.

In time for the 2008 elections and following on the heels of Michael Moore’s Sicko, 10 Excellent Reasons for National Health Care offers powerful ammunition in favor of a fundamental change to American health care—and shows how we really can develop a comprehensive national health program for the United States.

Dr. Mary O’Brien is a board-certified attending physician at Columbia University Health Services and a faculty member at the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons. She is on the Board of Directors of the New York Metro Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program and is the chair of its media committee. Dr. Martha Livingston is Associate Professor of Health and Society at the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. She is Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the New York Metro chapter of Physicians for a National Health Program. Both live in New York.