Unfortunately the cost of health insurance would not be reduced even if the cost of health care were. The insurance industry is not going to give up a cash cow. Their risk management experts would come up with a rationale for keeping the premiums artificially inflated. Competition in the market place is the only thing to which the insurance industry will respond. Right now there does not seem to be much incentive. Possibly tighter regulation of their lobbies would be a good place to start.The state insurance departments certainly are not inclined to do anything.

We already have a government funded health care plan in the form of medicare. It has been around for decades. The physicians understand it, and do not seem to have a problem with it. In fact billing is so easy that a few of them have gotten themselves into trouble because it was so easy to submit fraudulent billing for payment. Within the next decade the ranks of medicare are going to become swollen as the Baby Boomers retire. This is a huge segment of the population. With that large a portion of the population drawing on medicare, it would make sense to extend medicare to everyone. Possibly this would force the insurance companies to file more competitive rates for approval and sale to the public for those who wish to remain with a private plan.

I agree that funding of a universal medicare program would be an issue. However, I do not think it would be impossible to accomplish. It would entail a reallocation of government spending, more vigilance over congressional "earmark" distribution, less wasteful spending abroad, reducing the national debt, improving the strength of the U. S. Dollar, etc. 

Why has the American electorate allowed it to get to this state by allowing individuals to remain in office that fail to serve their constituancies? I remember reading cases in my constitutional law classes in law school in which the courts had ruled that the general public really has nothing to say about how the government spent tax funds. I was outraged at these rulings. Unfortunately there is little the individual can do to enforce fiscal responsibility other than make his wishes known to our elected officials, and vote them out if they fail to deliver. From the voter responses I have seen reported in the recent  primaries, it would appear that the electorate has awakened to the issue. At least I hope they have.

The time is ripe for one of the candidates to address the issue of adequate health care. So far I have not heard any of them say anything meaningful. Either take the insurance carriers out of the loop, or force them to truly compete for business.