By Sen. Bernie Sanders

The gross inadequacy of the American health care system is a moral disgrace. Today, we are the only nation in the industrialized world that does not guarantee health care to all. Meanwhile, we have the most costly, inefficient and wasteful system in the world -- spending some 31 percent of our health care dollars in administration. We can do better, we must do better. The time is long overdue for Congress to pass a national health care program which, finally, guarantees health care to all as a right and not a privilege.

Currently, 47 million Americans have no health insurance and the number of under-insured is even higher. Health care costs are soaring. We also pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. As bad as our general health care system is, the dental care situation may even be worse.

In the United States today we spend over $7,100 per person on health care while other countries, which provide health care to all their people, spend considerably less. And what do we get for this huge expenditure? Well, we rank 42nd in the world in terms of longevity, 41st in the world in terms of infant mortality and near the bottom of the list in terms of disease prevention. According to a number of studies, we also rank low in terms of patient satisfaction. In the midst of all of this, insurance companies and drug companies make out like bandits.

Let me briefly describe to Vermonters some of what my office is doing to address the health care crisis nationally and within our own state:

First, in Vermont we are working with communities around the state to provide expanded primary health and dental care access through the creation of Federally Qualified Health Centers. In the last five years -- working with health care advocates in Franklin, Rutland, Orange, Washington and Lamoille counties -- we have helped establish federally funded community health centers that are now providing quality health and dental care to residents in the designated areas regardless of income. Today, the six FQHCs in Vermont (and one partial FQHC) serve about 86,000 Vermonters. My goal is to see a health center in every region of the state so that all Vermonters will have access to their primary health and dental care needs at a cost they can afford. My office is also having success working with Vermont communities and schools around the state to improve dental care access.

Second, in order to address the shortage of health care providers, the Senate passed a higher education bill that would substantially increase the number of graduates from nursing schools. We are also fighting hard for a major increase in funding for the National Health Service Corps, which will make it easier for young people to attend medical and dental school.

Third, I am working with other senators to pass prescription drug reimportation legislation that will allow pharmacists, distributors and individuals to pay the same price for prescription drugs as do the people in Canada and Europe. This legislation, which can lower the cost of prescription drugs substantially, recently passed the U.S. House.

Fourth, as a member of the Veterans Committee, I have pushed hard for legislation that passed the committee and will likely be adopted that will provide the largest increase in funding for veterans health care in recent history.

Lastly, I will soon be introducing legislation which will provide federal assistance and waivers for those states interested in establishing universal health care. My own view is that the quickest route toward a national health care program will be when individual states go forward and demonstrate that universal and non-profit health care works, and is the cost effective and moral thing to do. It is my hope and expectation that Vermont will help lead the nation in that direction.

Sen. Bernie Sanders of Burlington is an independent U.S. senator from Vermont.