Steve Kagen: “It is a tremendous concept, and it will work. It is an old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It…”

“It is a tremendous concept, and it will work. It is an old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It works in health care. It works across the country, works on your automobile and will work on your body as well. Here is another sentinel idea. Right now the insurance companies write their own policies that benefit them. I think it is time for Congress to consider writing a Federal standard, a basic health insurance policy. It becomes a Federal standard. We have Federal standards in automobile manufacturing. We have Federal standards in construction, in health care, in every industry that you can name. But we don't have a basic health care policy that each and every insurance company should have to sell. You see, if every insurance company was selling the same piece of paper, then we could compare them based on the quality of their services and their price. I think it is time to take that step. It is time for us in Congress to decide what should be covered. If it is in your body, head to toe, I think it should be covered. I think it is time to start writing a basic, standard health insurance policy, not mandating prices, but allow the insurance industry to set their own prices and compete for us. Right now, back home in Wisconsin, my patients are on their hands and knees crawling to the insurance companies hoping to get in.”