You said:

"Guaranteed access to quality health care is both a basic human right... "

One thing that all of you who invent rights out of thin error probably fail to consider is that unless you provide it yourself, then for you to have that right means someone is obligated to provide it. I would like to hear an explanation of why I and my fellow citizens, including doctors, are obliged to provide health care to you or anyone else. The right to health care can only exist in a statist/socialist country, not in a free country.  Neither the government nor society has any money, therefore to provide health care as a right means that it has to come from mine and everyone else's tax dollars.  

The reason that health care is so expensive now is caused by all the current "rights" to health care provided by government programs or regulations. Medicare, Medicaid, mandatory emergency room coverage to all, employer provided health care, an unwllingness to let anyone die without spending a fortune on their first few or last few  days, etc. have created this mess and a universal healthcare system isn't going to fix it. Yes there will be some winners, but many losers as well. 

The free market is the only thing that works and healthcare is a long way from being a free market.  How we would ever get back to one is a different topic.  

Fran, I write this to you in good will. I know that you want the best possible health care for all Americans, just like I do. The issue at hand here is not in the what, it is how. Healthcare proposals coming from the Democratic side all propose a government takeover of the health care industry. Obama wants to subsidize healthcare for all Americans that cannot afford it. Both of these ideas are so foolish, I don't know where to begin. Both in my opinion will lead to an enormous downturn in the healthcare industry. Curing breast cancer involves research dollars. It involves investment in time and energy. There are so many great charities out there that contribute time and money to curing breast cancer and we all support those immensely. I have run race for the cure about 20 times, and I always enjoy it. Subsidizing health care will simply cause costs to go up, and quality to go down. This is econ 101, and unfortunately, most of our politicians are economically illiterate. I urge you, from the bottom of my heart, to reconsider the idea that the government be responsible for healthcare. It is a disastrous idea, and will postpone a potential cure, with foreign and domestic investment going to more profitable sectors of the US economy that are unregulated. I suggest reading some works on government subsidies and see what they have done to other industries. Thomas Sowell's basic economics is a great place to start. Thank you, and I prey we develop a cure as soon as possible. I will see you at the next race.