Island County Democrats provided a public service last week with a forum on health care issues that drew a sizable Sunday crowd to the Whidbey Campus of Skagit Valley College.

Health care is at the crux of the nation’s economic problems, but it’s such a large issue that it seldom makes the agenda of local groups concerned about local issues. But health care has enormous local impact, so a forum on how it should be addressed was welcome.

Nothing concrete came from the meeting, of course. The main speaker favored a national, single-payer system like they have in Canada and France. Audience members questioned the cost and efficacy of that, but at least the issue was thoughtfully discussed.

Island County is like any other place in America. Budgets are being strangled by the cost of health care, both in government and in private business. If health care costs would stop rising so dramatically, Island County’s severe budget shortfall would be less stressful. If health care wasn’t so expensive, Island County employers could hire more workers at a time when unemployment is skyrocketing. If health care were available at a reasonable cost outside of the work place, people wouldn’t be so terrified about losing their jobs, and would be more likely to take a chance on starting their own businesses. More new businesses with entrepreneurial leadership is what will ultimately lead the country out of this recession, but health care costs stifle the process.

President Barack Obama’s proposed budget earmarks hundreds of billions of additional dollars for health care, but it doesn’t address the core problem of exorbitant costs. It’s good that millions of more Americans will have health insurance, but bad that the present hodgepodge of health care services and insurers will not be simplified. Throwing more money at the problem is a temporary palliative, but not a solution.

Health care costs have helped bring America’s automobile giants to the brink of bankruptcy, and this is just the most visible symptom. Thousands of smaller companies can’t afford health care, which hurts businesses and their employees.

This time of economic crisis should be used to design a national health care system that covers everyone and won’t bankrupt businesses and individuals caught up in a health care crisis. It’s a tall order, but one that must be filled before the economy can start growing again.