They took a survey

And came away with the wrong answer.

A federal advisory panel said Monday that Congress should take immediate steps to guarantee that all Americans have access to affordable health care by 2012.

As a first step, the 14-member panel, appointed by the comptroller general of the United States, said, “A national public or private program must be established to ensure protection against very high out-of-pocket medical costs for everyone.”

The panel, the Citizens’ Health Care Working Group, said Congress should create an independent “public-private entity” to define a basic set of health care benefits and services for all Americans.

We have a program for this, it is called “Legal Citizenship and Gainful Employment”. You work for your own benefit. One of those benefits is called “Health Insurance”. I’ve worked some crappy, low-paying jobs before I got what could marginally be called a “Career”, and even sweeping the floors in a book warehouse for minimum wage an hour got me heath insurance.

We also have companies who will sell private coverage to folks who can’t get insurance through their work.

While leaving many details to be worked out, the panel declared, “It should be public policy, written in law, that all Americans have affordable access to health care.”

The panel did not say how much its proposals would cost or how to pay for them. But, it reported, many consumers said they were “willing to pay more to ensure that all Americans are covered.”

Ain’t that just like an “Advisory Panel”: We have an idea, we don’t know how much it is going to cost, or how we’re gouing to pay for it, or even how or if it will work, but we think you should do it!

Of course, when you ask a group of citizens about medical issues they’re going to say that everyone should have the same access to treatment. Especially when you don’t bother telling them how much it is going to cost them. 

And if I’m not mistaken, I am already paying more ensure that everyone has medical treatment available.