The problem

MBPHOTO/istock

• Spending on healthcare in the United States has grown from 7.2 percent of GDP in 1970 to 12.3 percent in 1990 and 16.2 percent in 2007.

• In 2007 Medicare and Medicaid accounted for nearly 20 percent of the federal budget and more than 27 percent of total healthcare expenditures.

• 47 million Americans are uninsured.

• Premiums increased 114 percent between 1999 and 2007 while workers' earnings increased only 27 percent.

• The average cost of an employer-based insurance policy in 2008 was $12,680 for a family and $4,704 for an individual.

• The United States had approximately 8.1 million uninsured children in 2007.

The players

The administration