Families in which a member suffers from catastrophic illness find their health insurance premiums priced so high they can no longer afford them, or in some cases, insurance is canceled. Businesses are overwhelmed with the cost of health insurance, a problem The United Methodist Church is also facing. The dissatisfaction with the U.S. health system ranks highest among the middle class in many surveys. The health care system is extremely costly in the United States, consuming more of the gross national product than Canadian health-care costs. Finally, the providers of health care and corporate America both are unhappy with the present system.
Doctors object to excessive paperwork, malpractice suits, and inadequate government programs.
Hospitals can no longer stay financially sound under existing policies. Corporate America has called for radical change because our economic position in the world is being eroded by rising health costs. Unions, as well, are unhappy, and a large number of strikes in recent years have stemmed from disputes over health care. We seek a national health-care plan that serves and is sensitive to the diversity of all people in the United States and its territories. We seek a national health-care plan with an equitable and efficient financing system drawn from the broadest possible resource base.