Some distrust already exists on financial matters through the Byzantine and insulting medical billing practices. We all think, “Oh crap, how much is this gonna cost me,” even when we’re insured. How much worse, though, will it be when the distrust relates not to bills and paperwork but to your health. The doctor today get paid more when he tries to fix you; if anything, you have to spend some time each visit fending off his overly cautious suggestions that also happen to earn him fees. “OK. OK. Doc, I’ll get it done, next time.”

It will be one more major destructive event in the history of liberalism if the medical profession too is ruined by destroying its essential character of doctor-patient trust by creating financial and legal mandates for doctors to harm their patients.

I think both sides have taken essentially the same tactics. Labeling each other with invectives, giving their supporters a ‘playbook’, and attempting to use the media to their advantage. All of this is okay. It is okay because in America we have the right to freedom of speech, assembly and freedom of the press. These are rights that thousands have given their lives to protect. The debate on health care which consumes nearly a fifth of the national economy and involves everyone is something that we should openly debate and understand the intended and unintended consequences of before we change an entire system.

It is important to provide better access, bend the cost curve so that health care is affordable (and not just through shifting costs by taxing) as well as sustainable, and improving the quality of the care delivered.

We are a country that leads the world in health care innovation. We have to zealously protect that aspect. No other country in the world is positioned to take our place if we take our eye off this important work.

But above all democracy demands that citizens get involved and voice their opinions. To follow the health care debate and other important facts about he health care system visit http://www.ilovebenefits.wordpress.com