–Taxes might go up, she concedes, but any boost would be offset by the fact that people would no longer be paying health premiums, co-payments and deductibles (that is, those lucky enough not to be among the more than 44 million uninsured).

–Quality would improve, she contends, pointing out that the United States doesn't exactly shine against many global health care benchmarks, and with more people able to get preventative care, the country's performance would be likely to improve.

–Long waiting times will not be an issue for acute care, she says, insisting that countries with universal insurance don't endure longer waits except for Canada–where, she argues, the problem is inadequate funding, not the system itself.

–She scoffs at the notion that even uninsured people get care–via emergency rooms. Uninsured individuals have a tendency to stay away from doctors until they are really ill, and preventative care is a luxury for too many.

Check out her full column and let me know your response.

I believe if the Democrats retake the White House and up their lead in Congress, you are going to be hearing a lot more about this in the years ahead.

In the same edition of “Newsweek,” there was an article about “express lane medicine”–clinics in malls staffed by nurse practitioners, offering routine care at very affordable prices. In the interim, we need more innovative solutions like this for sure. Check out the story by clicking here.