So, this is going to be another political post. I just have it on my mind, and I need to vent slightly. I'd like to add as a disclaimer that I have not done significant research into this subject. I read the US News and Business news a few times a day on my Blackberry (using a fantastic program called Viigo, which I highly recommend for all blackberry users out there) and glean most of my information from the articles that appear from Reuters. I may be wrong on a few points, but I just have to talk about it because it's driving me nuts.
Quite some time ago, I wrote a post about the health care problem in the US. It was an interesting one for me to write, as it's a situation I'm close to having a father who has worked for Kaiser Permanente his entire life. However, as Obama is in office, he has made it clear that next few months are "crucial" for his healthcare reform plans. He wants to push some things through Congress before their recess for summer that happens in August. Part of this is to push through plans for health care which could include, among other things, taxing employer provided health care. True, he has said that he doesn't want to do that, however an article that I read recently remarked that the Senator writing the bill has said that it was likely to happen to help to cover the costs of the health care reform.
I ask this question earnestly: Why do we believe, when we already have a broken Medicare and Medicaid system, when our economy is in the pits and our government has already spent trillions of nonexistent money to help it to recover, and that they are already taking so many taxes from us, that we should allow the government to have more money to run a health care system? Is our system perfect? No. Is it expensive? Yes. But is the solution for our bureaucratic and compartmentalized government to take more money from us to provide an undoubtedly complex and expensive system of health care? I do not believe so.
I am genuinely confused at our belief that our government, who has made a debacle of health care in the small programs that they have, can run a full fledged health care system in the United States. Some argue that they are the only ones who could take a loss on health care and keep it running, but for how long? Eventually, they will take more money from us to fund more programs. Eventually, they will need to make money somewhere. Will they be able to buy the latest and greatest technology without it? It will cost us breakthroughs, and probably lives. The reality is that we need a program that encourages health. A program that encourages you to be healthy and not abuse the system. Something that can reinvest profits and keep themselves afloat. We don't need more bloated government programs. We need ideas that will truly work.
I'm just confused as to why we believe that this is a good idea at this point. Insight?
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5 comments:
I couldn't have stated it clearer. We have already seen how government is trying to mingle itself into everything we do in our lives, and it looks to be that healthcare is next on the chopping block. As a healthcare provider I am afraidof what these upcoming changes will have on my practice and my patients. I look at other systems like that of Canada, France and England and see how it affects their citizens. Yes everyone gas coverage, however, they are taxed on 50% of their income for that healtcare and if grandma falls and breaks her hip she's confined to a wheelchair for 6 months while she waits on the waiting list to be surgery. In essence, I don't believe our government has the capability (let alone the money) to run our healthcare. For further insights please visit my blog at http://tyler-isupa.blogspot.com and read my post titled "You want a change? You make the change."
Amen Matt. I found this article that lists the pro's and con's of a universal healthcare system: http://www.balancedpolitics.org/universal_health_care.htm There are more than twice as many cons listed. I don't trust our government as our government much less adding the healthcare into their reign. I'm tired of Obama trying to be the hero and changing things that don't need to be fixed. He and his fellow Liberals are taking all incentives to work hard and taking all accountability away from those companies that have failed. To add to that, Rusch said yesterday that Obama will use more money in this 4 year term than the presidents in the last 30 years combined. Ridiculous.
I agree. I think Aubrey hit the nail on the head by mentioning what happens with this type of program, it kills the motivation for people to inovate. The government is caught in a trap, they want people to inovate, but that creates inequality. The government wants inequality so they can get re-elected. Sadly they choose what is best for them, not what is best for the country.
Did you hear that Kaiser has joined San Francisco's Universal Health Care Program for its city residents of 'lower income' which, ironically, is $110,00 per year for a family of four? Dad says Kaiser won't do it without the ability to 'not lose money', as non-profits state. I hope it succeeds. Kaiser has been providing care for years--The U.S. government, not so much.
I have yet another great article that shows the facts of universal healthcare: http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/25/10-surprising-facts-about-american-health-care/ . Hope this doesn't get passed as easily as the 11 Trillion dollars stimulus. Ridiculous.
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