According to Louis W. Sullivan: "If we are to bring better lives to all Americans - and if we are to cope with the dramatic increases in health care costs in America - it will be necessary for us to address directly the problem of ill-advised choice of behavior and lifestyle."

Attributed to Francis Bacon: "A healthy body is the guest chamber of the soul; a sick, its prison."

As the United States sinks further into the dismal abyss of health care related debt,an immediate solution is urgently needed -a solution beneficial to everyone: young, old, rich and poor. This solution has been difficult to find and it is not a solution easily arrived at. We can either keep within the capitalistic values of our country or attempt a socialistic approach and provide universal health care for all people. Whatever the decision, an urgent solution is desperately needed to save this country, its economy, but most of all, its people.

The capitalistic approach relies on one major area-"responsible individualism." This phrase means that the individual not only has personal responsibilities, but also social ones. Society has increasingly become irresponsible in its lifestyles, greatly increasing health care costs. In this day and age of AIDS, alcoholism, drug abuse, and smoking, health care costs are escalating to an all-time high. The capitalistic approach states that many of these costs are preventable and that the government should not interfere; furthermore, people should be responsible for their own actions and pay the consequences for them. Capitalism in health care stresses Adam Smith's "laissez-faire" type government with its emphasis on not relying on the government to bring them out of self- inflicted misery. Socialism stresses universal coverage for all people. The basic philosophy of this Marxist theory is that if everyone is well-provided for and healthy, the society will prosper greatly. The doctrine of socialism stresses help for people in need. Socialists feel capitalism leads to poverty and unemployment due to the greed of the wealthy. Socialists are staunch believers in universal health care because they believe all people are entitled to a healthy existence, regardless of wealth or social status.

Although the capitalistic approach has an abundance of advantages, it does have a few minimal drawbacks. The health of the people of a nation dwindles due to inadequate health care procedures. The life expectancy goes down as poorer people succumb to illnesses which could have been prevented by adequate attention earlier in the illness. However, a government would have an extremely difficult time providing universal health care. Taxes would have to be raised enormously to keep up with the surmounting bill of universal health care. Thus, in the process, the capitalistic approach saves the government an enormous amount of money and keeps taxes at a tolerable rate.

Socialism has many drawbacks. While people are all cared for and treated adequately for their illnesses, the government struggles to keep up with the rising costs. The socialistic approach discourages responsibility because the people know the government is there to help them. Under universal health care, people tend to take advantage of the system and run to the doctor at every possible minute. This causes great financial heartache for the government and causes doctors to lose their initiative. They realize they will get money every time a patient comes in so they try to lure them in for unnecessary treatment. Obviously, socialism has many drawbacks to go along with its advantages.

Which way is better? Although liberals and conservatives are continually debating health care in Congress, most critics agree that a compromise between capitalism and socialism would be the best remedy to the health care system's ills. One such proposal is in the works. Under "managed competition," proposed by professors Alain C. Enthoven and Richard Kronick, there would be a balance between free enterprise and government regulation. While the plan includes government interference to mandate minimum coverage, set price, and set quality standards, the plan will greatly enhance competition, in the process allowing small companies and individuals a better chance at lower insurance prices. Under the plan, employers would be required to provide health care, similar to socialism, but at the same time, capitalistic characteristics are present with the abundance of competition.

The entire health care issue revolves around the old Darwinistic theory of "survival of the fittest." Capitalists believe that the strong and most conscientious workers will win out over the weak in the end. They argue that under socialism, everyone would become equal and all personal initiative would be lost. In relation to health care, capitalists fear that if universal health care were offered, doctors would also lose their initiative. In effect, social Darwinism plays an integral role in the ongoing struggle between liberals and conservatives in Congress over the extremely complex question of health care.

While a solution to the health care problem is probably a long way off, both liberals and conservatives alike are showing their willingness to find a solution. Hopefully, with a lot of hard work, conscientiousness, and compromise, a solution will soon be found, and the country will be freed from the crushing burden of increasing debt. It will also provide for its citizens "a healthy body...the guest chamber of the soul."

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