In the wake of the failure of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's much publicized universal health insurance bill, all eyes are turning back to Washington. Will health care become a strictly national argument?

The Washington Post things so. According to the article they ran this week, when Schwarzenegger's plan went down in defeat, "so did hopes that successful reform in such a populous, influential state would bolster efforts elsewhere to cover more of the nation's 47 million uninsured."

All over the country have appeared articles and op-ed pieces that suggest that state level health insurance isn't going to work, that only a national plan will function properly and protect the health of those who can't afford coverage.

But on the other side of the argument, there are those who suggest that universal health insurance itself will never work in any venue, a fact made clear by (once again) the failure of California's bill.

For now, it seems that the pressure is back on Washington. The election primaries are flooded with talk of health care in America, and both Republicans and Democrats seem to have something to say about it. Hopefully this means that 2009 will bring some change to the table. But, in the mean time, those who need medical coverage today need to shop around for a policy that can protect them through the rest of 2008.