Please join with me in extending your most heartfelt sympathy to Central Kitsap Commissioner Josh Brown and his parents for the tragic loss of his sister and their daughter, Tersha. Regardless of your political affiliations, this is a time for the community to come together to support the Browns in any way we can.

Congratulations to the Kingston Art Festival and the Silverdale Whaling Days groups. In spite of near record heat and a down economy, you put on splendid events.

Now, to the business of the day. Throughout my various careers, the ability to exercise critical thinking and logical problem-solving techniques were essential to the success of a military mission or a profitable business effort. It is unfortunate the same processes are not employed by our elected political representatives. Point in question is the current non-debate over health care.

Before any action may be taken to solve the health care “problem,” the first step is to define the problem. That step is still wanting in the current legislative effort. There is little doubt health care costs are perhaps disproportionate related to average salary or that some are not yet covered by “insurance.” However, those are symptoms and not the problem.

There was a time in America, not so long ago, that health care was “pay-as-you-go.” Not everyone received equal health care and that was OK. The emergency room was not the normal path of entry into the health care system. People went to the doctor when they needed to. In many cases, the term “family doctor” referred to the physician who cared for the entire family. Then government decided to provide a “safety net” for that small portion of the population who really could not afford to pay a doctor’s bill, but who did need basic care. A major area of interest was prenatal care for pregnant women to foster improved health and life expectancy for newborn babies. If the government intervention had stopped there, we would not have the difficulties we face today.

Expanding the safety net, over time, to include health care for a wider range of those considered “in need,” for the elderly (regardless of need), and more recently to pay for prescription medications has made government a major player in health care, even when there is no authority for government to play that role. Government does not pay its bills well, averaging payment of between 40 and 80 percent of the market rate over the years for medicare/medicaid. The medical professionals have been forced to make up for the loss in other billing areas. Government regulations require insurance providers to include a wide range of coverage as standard rather than as options for the insured. The cost is borne by all, regardless of the need for or use of the coverage. Finally, the “art” of medicine has now become considered an absolute hard science and every outcome must be positive in the eyes of the patient. The cost of medical liability insurance directly impacts the cost of health care but government refuses to address the necessary tort reform.

Adding to the problem is an entitlement mentality created among citizens who do not have the economic background to understand the actual impact of the apparent “free lunch” offered to them. Every government program is a direct cost to citizens in the form of taxes. Even those who do not pay taxes suffer because of funds diverted from more significant needs to pay the unnecessary costs associated with government programs. Those who receive “employer provided insurance” fail to recognize the cost of insurance represents take home pay they could receive. Then again these are the same people who do not understand that “health insurance” does not insure good health.

Before we go much further down this path of financial ruin in the name of health care, perhaps we need to identify exactly what the problem is and try to solve that first. We may just find out that if government actually got out of the health care business and enacted appropriate tort reform, health care would again be affordable and the very best health care system in the world would work just fine, thank you.

Jack Hamilton can be reached at gradiver@wavecable.com.