Friday, April 22, 2005

Attacking Health Care

Washington's beginning to figure out what working Americans and our bosses have been complaining about for years -- that medical costs are out of hand.

It's finally hitting people in Washington, now that health care costs for the Pentagon doubled in the past four years. Taking care of 9 million active-duty and retired service members and their families shot up from $18 billion in 2001 to $36 billion this year. Estimates are that they'll hit $50 billion a year by 2010.

In typical Washington logic -- Congressional leaders decided not to find ways to bring rising costs under control. They've reccomended the Pentagon start cutting out some of the benefits for people defending the country and their families.

Sen Tom Coburn (R-OK) -- a doctor when he isn't in the Senate -- appears to grasp the problems America's health care system faces: "It's broken for our military; it's broken for everyone else." (WashPost)

[Crossposted at BlogCritics.org]

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