Banging on the drum

The National Coalition on Health Care called Tuesday for a rapid, sweeping reorganization of American health care. Without drastic changes, here are the resulting consequences:

Premiums for family coverage will exceed $14,500 in 2006, more than twice the cost of similar insurance in 2001.

Two million people a year will be priced out of the insurance market, with the number of uninsured growing to more than 51 million by 2006.

Patients could be injured or killed by uncoordinated, poor-quality care.

Nothing new here – but we need more action, less talk.