Too much of America’s gross domestic product (GDP) – nearly 16 percent - is devoted to health care. Yet the U.S. Census Bureau reports there are 47 million Americans without health insurance, up from nearly 45 million in 2005. Millions more are estimated to have inadequate health care coverage.

The premise behind Universal Health Care, typically mandated by a governmental body, is that citizens within a specific geographic region are guaranteed the right to medical services regardless of their ability to pay.

Universal Health Care is enjoyed by many people in industrialized countries, as well as some developing nations. But the United States, the most powerful nation in the world, does not extend this privilege to its citizens. In the U.S., adequate health insurance and the ability to pay medical expenses typically determine whether a doctor will treat a patient.

Even though the U.S. currently spends more than $2 trillion a year on health care, millions of Americans are still in need of coverage. Americans pay for health care in a variety of ways:

Universal health care in America has become a hot button issue on state and national levels, particularly during the 2008 presidential election season. Every candidate running for the White House is talking about it.

But there is one solution none of them have mentioned. It comes from The Greater Medical Center Group, an Atlanta-based clinical/ educational body that is focused on addressing the physician shortage that threatens health care delivery in America.

A recent plan by the Greater Medical Center Group (GMCG) promotes a universal health care program that suggests the money should come from those who would benefit most by bringing millions of people into the system: hospitals, insurance companies, physicians, pharmaceutical giants, health care suppliers and malpractice lawyers. These industries profit from the $2 trillion spent annually on health care.

A 4.5 percent tax on their gross revenue would raise nearly 75 percent of the $112 billion needed, as outlined in the GMCG plan. If each uninsured individual contributed $50 per month towards health care insurance, that would raise the other 25 percent.

It is easy to see why the insurance companies should sign off on this plan. This proposal brings $112 billion of revenue into their coffers. Adding 47 million people to the health care system means a potential 15 percent increase of patients for doctors and hospitals; meaning more revenue.

A solo practice physician grossing $300,000 a year in revenue would contribute $12,000, but could see an additional $45,000 in revenue, resulting in a net gain of $35,000. Hospitals would see a greater increase in revenues from admissions, outpatient procedures and diagnostics. Forty-seven million more people would be eligible for prescription drugs, thereby allowing more profits for pharmaceutical companies. All participants in the health care delivery system would realize an increase in their customer base and gross revenue performance.

With this plan, an uninsured family of five that would normally expect to pay $1,000 monthly would now pay a total of $250 per month for health care benefits, a reasonable burden for an average family. Individuals who participate in this plan would have a benefit package similar to base plans offered by national health insurers.

The GMCG plan would deliver sound inclusive and comprehensive care to all uninsured Americans. Provided care would include coverage for office visits, prescription drugs, diagnostics, surgery and hospitalization. Negotiated pricing that is more accurately reflective of the real cost with hospital groups, insurance companies, physicians and all heath care suppliers would allow for cost containment and facilitate quality assurance benchmarks. To read the GMCG universal health care program in-depth, visit the Web site: www.gmcgroup.org.

The directors of the Greater Medical Center Group believe that providing health care access for all will require a combined effort from physicians, patients as well as governmental and corporate sectors. The organization supports increasing the pool of qualified physicians in order to help increase the availability of health care resources.

Since U.S. residency directors admit only approximately 6,000 foreign-trained physicians into their programs each year, the GMCG program is critical. The current U.S. medical education system does not have the capacity to produce all the physicians needed to treat Americans in the coming years.

The Greater Medical Center Group is doing its part to address the issue of universal health care by facilitating clinical training programs for medical students and doctors trained outside the U.S.