EDITORIAL: Universal care: Why not West Virginia: Why not West Virginia.(Editorial)

Jan. 26--Remarkably, several West Virginia lawmakers are backing a long-overdue measure -- universal health care. Despite naysayers, we think the Mountain State can undertake this landmark proposal. Back in the days of the first President Bush, states perceived that little federal attention was being paid to domestic problems, so they worked on their own solutions. West Virginia was one of those. It paid for a two-year health planning commission, hired an expensive and respected national medical consultant, and studied other states such as Hawaii and Vermont. Many states mounted similar efforts. Study groups and pilot projects were everywhere. Then President Clinton was elected and all the states shelved their separate health-care plans, awaiting the national …