There is little doubt that there will be some form of a health care bill passed by congress this year. The main question seems to be whether this overhaul will include a "public option" or not. The "public option" is simply the government playing the role of insurer and offering an insurance plan in direct competition with private insurance companies.
The "public option" is also just another name for single-payer, or government run health care; Socialized medicine, under another name. No one doubts, and even the Democrats wink when they "deny" the fact that the "public option" will be used to drive private insurers from the field (you cannot compete with a "company" that can print money on a whim). Once the government is the "single payer" it will, as it already does with Medicare (the most inefficient form of medicine in our country, btw) set doctor's income and the price of all medicines and tests.
The effects of this type of Socialization, or government control of medicine, can be seen in countries that have already adopted this type of system. Those are the countries where the poor get sicker, the aged get euthanized, and the rich fly to America for health care. Namely, Canada, England, France, Germany, etc. Canada's reduced prices for medicine come off of the backs of Americans paying full price, and this is a travesty! But what will happen to Canada's sweetheart deal when America socializes medicine and forces drug companies to lower prices here? Well, if they cannot make a drug at a profit, they will quit producing those drugs. Many medicines could become unavailable at any cost, or perhaps only available illegally through a black market.
And the Democrats bald-faced declaration that there will be no rationing either proves they are liars in the extreme, or fools without the ability to recognize what is going on in the rest of the world! All socialized medicine is rationed, to believe that they can create a non-rationed system in America is ludicrous. Any system were demand is higher than the available resources is, by definition, a rationing system. The current system controls demand by pricing. Not fair, many claim, but I propose the benefits of a pricing controlled system outweigh the drawbacks and the alternatively proposed government rationed system is fraught with more perils and pitfalls. And congress knows this, or they would be the first to sign up for their own health care. However, every bill without fail, clearly and specifically exempts congress from their carefully crafted health care!
"Here, take this medicine", Dr. Congress offers a vial to the American Patient.
"But, is it good for me?" We ask. "Oh, yes, it is socialized medicine, it will cure what ails you!" "Have you tried it?" "Heavens no, its only good for you, the people, we your leaders would never drink this stuff!"
Even without a "public option" government, all of the various health care overhaul bills active in the House and Senate are terribly flawed. One of the most important issues, one that even divides Democrats is the forced funding of abortion provided for in these bills. The "Hyde Amendment" claims to insure that "public money" cannot be used to fund abortions, but it is in reality an accounting slight of hand, requiring that every State provide an insurance option that includes abortion coverage, requiring even that the States go out and recruit a provider if there are none locally willing to provide for abortions, and requiring that abortions be funded through the insurance premiums charged to all insured.
All people will be required to purchase insurance in the Senate version of the bills; just as all people are required to purchase Automobile Insurance in most, if not all States. And like failing to purchase Auto Insurance causes there to be penalties, failing to purchase Health Insurance will come with some amount of financial penalty. Employers will likewise be required to provide insurance for all employees or pay a penalty. This quite obviously amounts to a brand new Health Insurance Tax that will directly effect employee take home pay and drive many small businesses out of business.
"So what is the answer?" you ask. Well first let me say that our system is not as broken as congress would like you to believe. The main problem of price controlled medicine is that only the rich will ever have the very best care. However, like everything else, it is those who are willing and able to pay for the very best care that drive the innovations that allow that care to become less expensive and more common place. Brand new technology is expensive because it takes a lot of time and effort to develop it! Just like the latest and greatest electronic gizmo is very expensive at first, bust as newer gizmos are created and the costs to mass produce the older gizmos comes down, they become affordable to more and more people.
"But health care is a basic right, not a TV set!" you might argue. You may or may not be aware, but in this country it is currently illegal for a hospital to turn anyone who needs life-saving emergency medical treatment away, without regard to their ability to pay. And that is how it should be. But to stretch that idea and claim that the very top of the line medical treatment should be available to all is to ignore the reality, that there simply is not enough to go around, and even if there were, there is not enough money to pay for it.
We could feed the whole world too, if it wasn't for the fact that farmers, truck drivers, ship owners, etc all expect to be able to make a living and feed their own families! The same is true with health care. If we stifle innovation, and give up advancing technology, we can just barely give basic health care to all people, but it would drag everyone down to the lowest common level!
If we want to stop the spiraling out of control costs of health care we must first end the expenses in areas we can control without killing innovation.
Namely Tort Reform!
No comments:
Post a Comment