BusinessWeek's Chris Farrell: Universal Healthcare Would be a Real Economic Stimulus

Amidst all the talk about economic stimulus and bailouts, not much is being said about universal health care. Yet it could be a useful part of economic stimulus and getting us back on our feet. BusinessWeek contributing editor Chris Farrell points this out about universal health care:

Yet major health-care reform—specifically, universal health care—should top the list. Forget any suggestion that reform is too expensive or that it would take too long to have an impact. Wrong, on both counts. A bold embrace of universal health care offers policymakers the chance at a fiscal triple-play: Universal coverage would stimulate the economy, it would boost the financial security of ordinary Americans, and it would break the health-care reform log-jam.

Imagine if all the money you were paying in premiums could be spent...Economic stimulus. Not to mention the fact that universal healthcare would rid us of Medicare and Medicaid -- two rather expensive programs. Instead, for essential as well as preventative healthcare, we could go anywhere we wanted and get the help we need. It would actually cost us less per person to go to universal healthcare than what we are paying now. And that has other financial implications.

It would be nice if universal healthcare was added to the economic stimulus agenda. After all, if CEOs can retain portions of their golden parachutes, it makes sense that the rest of us get some sort of bailout as well.

Do you think universal healthcare would help stimulate the economy?