Brooker and Gillen face off on nationalized health care
By Sarah Beirute

Recently the ORU College Republicans hosted a lively debate between Dr. George Gillen, Chair of the Undergraduate Business Department and Dr. Timothy Brooker of the Government Department on the topic of nationalized health care.

Gillen, assisted by Latin American Studies Associate Professor Dr. William Walker, spoke in favor of a government-controlled health care system. Brooker, however, opposed an entirely nationalized health care system in favor of a multi-tiered system which incorporated private medical practices.

Going into the debate, both Gillen and Brooker hoped to exchange their ideas in a manner that would benefit themselves and teach their students. Gillen felt that the most important thing was for those who attended to "come with an open mind" so they could receive what he had to say.

Brooker anticipated that it would be "a very civil discussion from two academics with slightly differing perspectives on an issue."

One of the arguments frequently used by Gillen and Walker was the loss of insurance coverage in old age. Over time, many senior citizens' insurance policies expire or are canceled after they contract a serious illness. When this occurs, they are unable to obtain new coverage due to their "pre-existing condition" and therefore struggle to pay their medical bills. Gillen and Walker both argued that this situation would not occur were health care to become nationalized.

Brooker acknowledged that the U.S. health care system still has room for improvement, and said, "I would never be so naive as to say that the current system has no problems. . . [but] the question is, 'Is having the government nationalizing one-seventh of the United States economy the solution, or is it the recipe for an even larger problem than we already have?'"

Brooker argued that government-controlled health care systems would be dismal, and cited the Veteran's Association (VA) system as an example. "If you've ever been in a VA hospital, you know that they are chronically overcrowded, they are chronically short of supplies [and] they have [long] lists for surgery. . . and treatment," Brooker said. "That is the cost of a system the government operates."

Another issue discussed was that of the prices of prescription drugs. These prices, both in generic and trade names, have doubled in the last 10 years.

Gillen argued the reason for this is the pharmaceutical industry is an "oligopoly," meaning an organization in which only a few companies dominate the field. This has resulted in a profit-driven market in which the producers of drugs can raise the prices to whatever they wish, says Gillen. He insisted that this would not be the case were there to be a nationalized health care system to regulate such things.

In contrast, Brooker does not see the high cost of prescription drugs as a problem. "Because there is the availability of profit," Brooker said, "we have drugs that are being developed and we have companies who are out there innovatively creating new and dynamic medications because they have the potential to make profit." Brooker argued "it is the free market system that is driving the vibrancy and innovation in the medical field."

After further discussion, the two were finally able to come to an agreement. They concurred that a multi-tiered health care system in which private practices and government waivers are incorporated could result in a solution that would benefit all citizens greatly.

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