H. Andrew Selinger MD

So now we have health plan proposals from both Republican controlled houses of Congress. Let’s strip away for a moment the mountain of detail that defines these proposals and drill down to the core message; the federal government has no business ensuring that all its citizens have access to affordable, quality healthcare. The Democratic position is exactly the opposite, the federal government must work to ensure quality and affordable healthcare for all. This is an ideologic clash no less monumental than that which occurred over slavery in the mid 19th Century and its role in American Society.

The recent high stakes drama in Washington about the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act has sparked much soul-searching among physicians about the importance of quality health care. Healthcare is intensely personal, and how we feel is defined by our energy, strength and sense of well-being. When we are healthy, life is good, but when we don’t feel well or suffer with the effects of a chronic illness, life is a daily struggle. Over the 30 years I’ve been practicing medicine, the world around us has changed dramatically: how we live, how we communicate, the technology we use and the availability of information has evolved exponentially.