| Republicans, conservative Republicans in particular, | | | | · Small businesses that cannot now offer |
| have been notoriously resistant to the idea of | | | | competitive health care packages could compete |
| universal health care coverage at least since the | | | | with larger corporations for highly skilled |
| days of Harry Truman. | | | | employees, resulting in a tremendous opportunity |
| But maybe it's time for the Republican Party to | | | | for growth among these small companies. |
| take another look at universal health care. A | | | | · Money freed up from current privately |
| system funded and operated at the federal level | | | | funded health care programs could be used to |
| could have a number of effects: | | | | offer raises to employees and to expand |
| · A federal system set up along the lines of | | | | business. |
| Medicare or the Veterans Administration system | | | | · Providing access to health care to |
| could control health care costs by limiting payment | | | | self-employed individuals could expand the pool of |
| for services. | | | | workers choosing to work on a freelance basis. |
| · A tax-funded system could take the | | | | This would result in cost savings to companies |
| burden of health care costs off the backs of | | | | that decide to contract with freelancers rather |
| American businesses by funding it through | | | | than hire employees who expect a benefits |
| deductions similar to the current social security | | | | package. |
| system. With deductions divided equally between | | | | · Since all necessary medical costs will be |
| the worker and the business or paid solely by the | | | | covered routinely by the federal program for all |
| employee, this, combined with cost-control | | | | citizens, malpractice and injury lawsuits for medical |
| methods, could represent a substantial savings | | | | expenses could drop substantially. |
| over what businesses are paying now. | | | | |