On June 15 of this year, President Barack Obama visited the American Medical Association to push his public health-care proposal. This is a controversial issue in America and one that desperately needs solved.

According to the Daily Herald, "the United States has the most expensive health-care system in the world, at $6.719 per person annually as of 2006-twice as much as most other industrialized nations."

But, like any other "hot button" political issue, this one seems mired in endless propaganda. The Democrats lean toward some type of government interference, while the majority of Republicans lean the other way. Meanwhile, polls are showing that a majority of Americans favor a public plan. A recent survey even found that 60 percent of physicians favor some type of a public plan. What, really, are the advantages and the disadvantages of a government-run public-health insurance plan?

According to Progressive States Network, an organization that gathers policy issues-including those concerning health insurance-at the state level, there are three main benefits of public health insurance:

Affordability - Individual companies have long benefited from the strength of "numbers" in lowering the insurance costs for its workers. The more employees a company enrolls in its health insurance plan, the lower are its premiums. Imagine, then, the premium lowering power of billions of enrollees that the government could offer.

Quality of Care - The choice of a public health-care insurance plan would significantly improve the quality of care. According to Progressive States Network, "three or fewer insurers control 65% of market share in 36 states." Introducing a public-plan option would ensure a healthy amount of competition and would force insurance companies to compete on the basis of quality rather than on cost-saving measures.

Guaranteed Insurance - Not only would a public plan option cover all those who want it, but also all those who need it. Many people lose their private health insurance through job loss, but this would not be an issue with a public plan.

But not everyone thinks that public health insurance is a good idea. According to the Daily Herald, critics of the plan list these major disadvantages:

It would negatively affect private insurance companies. Because private insurance companies may not be able to adequately compete with the premium-lowering ability of the government, they may be forced out of business.

Delayed healthcare - Republican congressman Peter Roskam, member of the Ways and Means Committee, fears that the "red-tape" of a government run program could lead to delayed healthcare for those who desperately need it.

Other Republicans (and Democrats) are looking at ways to lower healthcare costs and provide more coverage without creating a public health insurance plan.

But no matter what side of the political fence they are on, most policy makers agree that something has to be done about Americas "healthcare" crisis-and so does the American Medical Association.

Initially, the AMA had opposed any type of public health insurance plan but, after President Obama's meeting with them, they have expressed a willingness to consider some of the healthcare bills that are, or will be, presented to Congress.

For more information on health insurance, visit http://www.publicinsurance.org