As the debate heats up over healthcare reform, it seems to me that what we are really talking about is health insurance reform.
The public plan option is health insurance funded by tax dollars. This option is supposed to compete with private insurance companies, but I don't see how that's possible. While no one in our business will argue that reform is necessary, I think that we know there are ways to mandate strong, positive changes without completely replacing the entire system.
And really, is the care the problem or the cost? To me it would seem to be the cost. the cost of every day folk buying the coverage that they need. Because for many people, they do not care of the care they get is paid for them or not. They don't care if it affects their credit and oftentimes, it does nothing to affect their lifestyle.
It's the people who do care who pay. The majority is paying for the minority. And so much now these days that it is not putting a strain on the system, it's putting a strain on the payors. The people who buy health insurance.
The law already tells us that you must get care if you show up at a hospital, regardless of your ability to pay. And while some would argue that the care is lacking, others would say that the opposite is true. Why do so many people come here for their specialty care if it is so bad?
What we need to do is make the system more friendly to the people who are paying for the insurance, not replace it with an entirely different system. Take a deeper look into the public option and the potential cause and effect. Without a doubt it is a trojan horse to universal healthcare. The rules that are established around it will make it so. Most small business owners will know that to pay a 3% payroll tax in place of health insurance premiums would be a significant reduction in cost. At least in the beginning.
Since nothing is actually being done to reduce the cost of care, the taxes will continue to rise. When taxes become disproportionate to incomes, care will be rationed. In the President's TV special 2 weeks back, it was made apparent that care would be rationed even up front, for people who were deemed terminal over a certain age.
How can we put a value on the precious life that we've been given, and basically tell people to up and die already because it costs too much to keep them alive? It must be hard for physicians to tell a patient and their family that their condition is terminal. How would you like to be the one who tells them that while we have the technology to extend life, it costs too much to keep them around, so say good bye to grandma because she does'nt have much time left?
I for one do not want my government making those decisions for me or my family members. If they had maybe they'd have told me when my baby daughter was dying of liver failure that it was too expensive to treat her. My insurance company did taht and I fought back. How do you fight the federal government?
Then answer is you fight NOW before it happens. before it's too late. As always, I welcome your feedback.
