Heed the new health-care crisis
The OP-ED piece by Robert Goldberg in the Washington Times, Sept 23, should be required reading for all students of the Public's Health.
"The public and private health system in New Orleans and other communities in the Gulf coast region have been wiped out. Federal support will be required to reconstruct and enhance health-care facilities and patient care in the region, particularly for those previously underserved by what was washed away."
"Health insurance should be made portable. As people travel from place to place to find jobs and rebuild their lives, they should not have to apply and reapply for insurance. Each family or individual should be given debit cards to pay for health care and insurance premiums. They should be able to buy coverage from anywhere in the country at a group rate. To support this latter change, HHS should create a catastrophic fund in cooperation with the affected states to encourage health plans to participate in the face of potentially expensive claims."