Comments on the President's Health Care Speech September 9th
The complexity of the health care reform issue is such that it is impossible to comment on throughly in a single blog post. For the same reason it is equally as impossible for a President to lay out a 1018 page health care reform bill in a 50 + minute speech designed solely for the singular purpose of swaying the public opinion to support his (here) vision of reform. Not surprisingly the speech was short on specifics and long on rhetoric.
Few argue our present health care system is in need of reform. It is true that health care costs are exorbitant and health care coverage is costly. However, it is equally as true there exists no Constitutional or moral right to health insurance. It is true that every individual has the right to liberty, their life, and the pursuit of happiness. With these rights (as related to health care) they also carry the responsibility to; A) eat healthy, B) exercise vigorously and regularly, C) schedule annual physicals, D) heed their doctors recomendations with respect to preventative health measures, and E) provide for their own health insurance either through their employer if offered or a private sector health insurer of their choice.
Insurance companies that deny treatment for legitimate and treatable existing medical conditions are simply wrong. On this issue the President is right. Federal government oversight, to insure individuals who purchased health insurance are covered for all conditions pursuant to their policy, is proper, just, and good business.
The President has downsized the estimated cost of his plan over the next 10 years to 900 billion dollars. He stated that that the plan would be fully paid for by spending cuts (here) and tax increases. Tax increases is a specific action, and the President has said repeatedly the increases would hit those making over $250,000 a year. However we have yet to see the specifics with respect to what the President would cut. We are expected to simply believe the government would do that which both major parties by example have an anathema to doing, cutting overall government spending.
The President assured American's that illegal immigrants would not be covered by his plan. On this the President is telling the truth, sort of anyway. Look closely at what the current reality is. An illegal immigrant (quite likely with a fake ID) without health insurance goes to the hospital emergency room for treatment, lets say with a broken arm. The hospital cannot refuse treatment and sets the persons arm and releases them with instructions to follow up with their private physician. When the time comes to have the cast removed they present themselves to a free (government subsidized) clinic to have the cast removed and have the arm looked at. Cost to illegal immigrant, nothing. Cost to society due to passed through costs this individual didn't pay, significant. The truth is in America if you don't have insurance, and you can't pay, you still are not denied basic health care attention. It is simply free to them at the expenses of the tax paying American public..
The President claims that opponents of his plan have offered no constructive alternatives (here). This one is simply a lie. Just because the President does not agree with a particular alternative does not mean it was not offered. It is fairly clear that the President, who is a socialist and statist, will simply not accept any plan that does not increase the influence, authority, and power of the federal Government over the health care industry. This my fellow Americans insures a further erosion of our independence and liberties as a free people.
On the issue of Tort reform, a significant and costly item as well as being of major concern with physicians and surgeons, was given tepid recognition by the President. His plan (like G.W. Bush before him) would be to run a new pilot program, instituted by executive order, and would not be part of the legislation. How convenient and how obvious. Obama said; "I don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs." Think this one through my fellow Americans and see where it leads you.
This one is really worth taking note of. The President supports a McCain initiative that would allow for higher risk individuals to join insurance pools that could not deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. This clause would expire in 2013 and a more sweeping federal insurance exchange would go into affect (here). While the President states everyone will retain choice in his plan, the fact is his real plan is to over time move the system to a mandated public option or a single payer system. The system favored by the President and the socialist/statist (here) politicians in his party.
The President touched on what he feels is the reasons the American people have such mistrust for their government. The President attributes this to the "partisan spectacle" that hardened "the disdained many Americans have toward own government." He further stated, "The time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action." With all due respect the President is wrong. American's have disdain for their government because it is dishonest and corrupt. Disagreement, which results in prolonged debate aimed at "getting it right" is patriotic and the "American way." The President is attempting through flowery feel good rhetoric to turn the debate into something unpatriotic. He feels he must silence his critics by attempting to make them look small and unpatriotic in the public eye.
It is clear that some form of health care and health insurance reform is needed and inevitable. It should be clear, based on the history of government , that the solution is not found in greater government control or a socialist/statist option such as the "public option" or a "single payer" system.The answers lie in a combination of tort reform, immigration control, insurance reform (coverage of pre-existing condition), and a market based solution.
While it is clear the American people want a more affordable and effective health care system. It is also clear they do not want to scrap our current system and replace it with what eventually will become a government run public option or single payer system.
The idea of the government running a competitive insurance program is laughable. The President's intent is to dress it up, disguise it, and make it sound good to the public. However, at the end of the day we have a system designed to undercut private insurers so people naturally opt for the government insurance ultimately rendering the issue of choice mute. The day that happens, and it will if the plan becomes law , the Omamanation dream of a socialist/statist run health system becomes reality in America (here).
Rational Nation USA leaves you with this parody. Good night, and keep up the right fight.
Few argue our present health care system is in need of reform. It is true that health care costs are exorbitant and health care coverage is costly. However, it is equally as true there exists no Constitutional or moral right to health insurance. It is true that every individual has the right to liberty, their life, and the pursuit of happiness. With these rights (as related to health care) they also carry the responsibility to; A) eat healthy, B) exercise vigorously and regularly, C) schedule annual physicals, D) heed their doctors recomendations with respect to preventative health measures, and E) provide for their own health insurance either through their employer if offered or a private sector health insurer of their choice.
Insurance companies that deny treatment for legitimate and treatable existing medical conditions are simply wrong. On this issue the President is right. Federal government oversight, to insure individuals who purchased health insurance are covered for all conditions pursuant to their policy, is proper, just, and good business.
The President has downsized the estimated cost of his plan over the next 10 years to 900 billion dollars. He stated that that the plan would be fully paid for by spending cuts (here) and tax increases. Tax increases is a specific action, and the President has said repeatedly the increases would hit those making over $250,000 a year. However we have yet to see the specifics with respect to what the President would cut. We are expected to simply believe the government would do that which both major parties by example have an anathema to doing, cutting overall government spending.
The President assured American's that illegal immigrants would not be covered by his plan. On this the President is telling the truth, sort of anyway. Look closely at what the current reality is. An illegal immigrant (quite likely with a fake ID) without health insurance goes to the hospital emergency room for treatment, lets say with a broken arm. The hospital cannot refuse treatment and sets the persons arm and releases them with instructions to follow up with their private physician. When the time comes to have the cast removed they present themselves to a free (government subsidized) clinic to have the cast removed and have the arm looked at. Cost to illegal immigrant, nothing. Cost to society due to passed through costs this individual didn't pay, significant. The truth is in America if you don't have insurance, and you can't pay, you still are not denied basic health care attention. It is simply free to them at the expenses of the tax paying American public..
The President claims that opponents of his plan have offered no constructive alternatives (here). This one is simply a lie. Just because the President does not agree with a particular alternative does not mean it was not offered. It is fairly clear that the President, who is a socialist and statist, will simply not accept any plan that does not increase the influence, authority, and power of the federal Government over the health care industry. This my fellow Americans insures a further erosion of our independence and liberties as a free people.
On the issue of Tort reform, a significant and costly item as well as being of major concern with physicians and surgeons, was given tepid recognition by the President. His plan (like G.W. Bush before him) would be to run a new pilot program, instituted by executive order, and would not be part of the legislation. How convenient and how obvious. Obama said; "I don't believe malpractice reform is a silver bullet, but I talked to enough doctors to know that defensive medicine may be contributing to unnecessary costs." Think this one through my fellow Americans and see where it leads you.
This one is really worth taking note of. The President supports a McCain initiative that would allow for higher risk individuals to join insurance pools that could not deny coverage for pre-existing conditions. This clause would expire in 2013 and a more sweeping federal insurance exchange would go into affect (here). While the President states everyone will retain choice in his plan, the fact is his real plan is to over time move the system to a mandated public option or a single payer system. The system favored by the President and the socialist/statist (here) politicians in his party.
The President touched on what he feels is the reasons the American people have such mistrust for their government. The President attributes this to the "partisan spectacle" that hardened "the disdained many Americans have toward own government." He further stated, "The time for bickering is over. The time for games has passed. Now is the season for action." With all due respect the President is wrong. American's have disdain for their government because it is dishonest and corrupt. Disagreement, which results in prolonged debate aimed at "getting it right" is patriotic and the "American way." The President is attempting through flowery feel good rhetoric to turn the debate into something unpatriotic. He feels he must silence his critics by attempting to make them look small and unpatriotic in the public eye.
It is clear that some form of health care and health insurance reform is needed and inevitable. It should be clear, based on the history of government , that the solution is not found in greater government control or a socialist/statist option such as the "public option" or a "single payer" system.The answers lie in a combination of tort reform, immigration control, insurance reform (coverage of pre-existing condition), and a market based solution.
While it is clear the American people want a more affordable and effective health care system. It is also clear they do not want to scrap our current system and replace it with what eventually will become a government run public option or single payer system.
The idea of the government running a competitive insurance program is laughable. The President's intent is to dress it up, disguise it, and make it sound good to the public. However, at the end of the day we have a system designed to undercut private insurers so people naturally opt for the government insurance ultimately rendering the issue of choice mute. The day that happens, and it will if the plan becomes law , the Omamanation dream of a socialist/statist run health system becomes reality in America (here).
Rational Nation USA leaves you with this parody. Good night, and keep up the right fight.
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