MUST SEE: National Priorities Project interactive website shows you how your taxes are spent!

The average cost of health insurance for a family was $12,106 per year in 2007, and that's if you were able to get it as part of a group plan under an employer. If you have to buy it on your own, it costs more and (more often than not) is totally unreliable. Plus the $12,106/yr (rising at about 10% per year for consistently lower coverage) is just for the insurance policy and does not consider the additional out-of-pocket expenses of co-pays, deductibles and exclusions.

According to Physicians for a National Health Program (www.pnhp.org), we could cover the health of all Americans reliably and comprehensively from cradle to grave, pay care providers exceptionally well, and save at least $350 Billion (with a "B") dollars every year compared to what we're spending now to keep giving private, profit-driven health insurers their huge cut of our health care pie. That would include comprehensive mental, dental, vision, prescription and long-term care (so grandpa doesn't have to lose the farm or your inheritance if he has to go into a nursing home) for everyone.

Add in the estimated >$50 billion yearly we could save simply by preventably treating diabetes before eyes, limbs or kidneys are lost, the savings from preventing the progression of chronic illnesses, physical disabilities, lost productivities (from among other things, having to spend all that time "choosing" what we WON'T be covered for and learning what care providers we will be limited to choosing among, filling out constantly changing forms with constantly changing rules without end), preventing contagious diseases from spreading, ending medical bankruptcies and lawsuits fighting over who has to pay medical bills, plus save at least 101,000 easily preventable, involuntary deaths (that is, save the lives of innocent people who deserve access to medical care simply because they are human beings but who can, do and will continue to die if they don't get it)....each and every year.

Every American's health could be totally protected, plus we could have complete freedom to choose among independent providers, and at tremendous savings of lives and other costs compared to what we're spending now...if only we would. Both America's physical and financial health could be protected by fixing a broken health coverage system that only profits as long as it works against our own best interests.

Add in just the last sixteen years of what NOT solving our health coverage system has cost us, plus the costs of at least the next four years that we will continue to refuse to solve the problem under either Clinton, Obama or McCain (especially McCain who doesn't even have a clue)....and you get quite a total number of dead people and wasted dollars while we fiddle on the health care coverage front too.

nice rant spoon

thanks; I was hoping someone would read it (it's all true)

Federal personal income taxes are just a part of the governement revenue. The #s and especially the % can be easily distorted

Is there a location on their website that show the whole picture ?