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Health Care Reform: A Political Slight of Hand
1 CommentFrom the beginning, the message about health care reform has been a mixed one. On the one hand, Washington has claimed that the reform is all about saving costs. On the other hand, it has wanted to implement the once very liberal notion of universal health care. So the question quickly arises, how can you reduce costs if you are going to pick up the obligations of 30 million new health care customers?
Somehow getting people to believe that by expanding coverage, costs go down is one of the greatest political slight of hands seen in some time. Who is going to pay for those 30 million new customers? You are. Your cost will be the cost of your health care, plus the additional taxes that you will pay to fund the 30 million who are currently uninsured.
Additionally, we should ask the “and then what?” question. And then what happens when you put 30 million additional folks into the health care system? When the demand for health care goes up substantially and there is not an equivalent increase in supply, prices go up, or there is rationing. There is just no way around that. So, it’s inevitable that the price of health care goes up, that there are probable shortages as well AND that your taxes will go up.
It’s a shame that our leaders could not have worked in a bi-partisan way to JUST reduce costs and then, once those savings poured into the federal coffers, use them to expand coverage. That’s the way that most of us run our household budget and our businesses. But that is just too rational – and too much work for our politicians.
Published on January 8, 2010 · Filed under: Editorials, Featured;
One Response to “Health Care Reform: A Political Slight of Hand”
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Mrs. Mootz said on October 6th, 2010 at 8:50 am
I attended a health care reform seminar yesterday and while I was against this reform from the get-go, yesterday just helped re-establish my position.
We learned that we will spend $924 billion on this reform and over the next 10 years we will save only $120ish billion. If someone can explain to me how that is “saving money” please go for it. I’d love to hear that one.
Americans want bigger and better healthcare at a lower rates. We were told the ones who are going to get hit the hardest by having to accept less money are hospitals, pharmacuetical companies and medical supply companies. Doctors aren’t going to take less money. We’ll just end up seeing shoddier healthcare for more money.
I’m in HR, so this seminar was really about how this reform is going to affect how employers handle health insurance. Let me tell you, people are nuts if they think this reform is for the “poor people” and all the “rich companies” are going to pay for this reform. (And keep in mind “rich companies” in this reform are, for the most part, 50 or more employees! That’s mom and pop businesses in some instances. That’s companies that are considered small businesses in other laws.) With all the changes, the paperwork, the manpower it’s going to take each company to follow the law – the amount of money is ridiculous. Insurance rates are going to skyrocket because of the limitations being put on group policies. Companies aren’t going to take money out of their own pockets for this. Sure, an employee’s deductible and premium might not be astronomical because of the law, but companies will find another way to pass the expenditures off to the employees. Less of other benefits? Lower salary increases? The “little people” are going to get hit just as hard, but in other areas now.
People want to know how a government run healthcare systems works? Look at Tricare (the insurance for military.) Yes, it has its benefits, but ask any military family and you’ll hear that many “civilian” doctor’s don’t accept it, the wait times to see a Dr. that does accept Tricare is ridiculous. Walter Reed hospitals are, unfortunately, struggling to take care of the amount of servicemembers that need that medical help and it’s because of lack of funds.
