Health Care: Failing Experiment
One of the many great things about federalism: It allows 50 different entities -- the states -- to experiment with policies, providing examples to the federal government about what works and what doesn't. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said the "states are the laboratories of democracy."
One particularly useful policy experiment is taking place right now in Massachusetts. In 2006, the state implemented a program to achieve universal health insurance coverage for all of its citizens. Advocates of liberal reforms on the national level -- including the hotly debated public option -- have pointed to the Bay State's approach as one to emulate. But a closer look at the results there hardly confirms their rosy conclusions.
Although the percentage of uninsured residents has dropped, costs have exploded. This is hardly surprising, as most of the uninsured were brought into the system by subsidies. Accordingly, the increased demand led to higher costs. This is why government health insurance is little more than bait-and-switch: It may begin to alleviate the coverage problem, but it exacerbates the cost problem -- which worsens the coverage problem again.
Reform should focus on increasing private competition, which is the one proven method of lowering costs. Ending strict medical licensing requirements would also expand the supply of treatment options without adverse effects on quality, thus lowering prices.
Of course, there is another way of attempting to control costs: government rationing. This summer, Massachusetts arbitrarily cut off many subsidized benefits for some 31,000 legal immigrants. With the economy still struggling and tax revenue falling, it's not hard to imagine more benefits being cut.
Politically weak groups are the first to see their care rationed, but eventually everyone could come under the unblinking gaze of government planning boards that decree which treatments will be paid for and which won't. (In Britain, the NICE board has recently refused to pay for eye medicine that would prevent a veteran from going blind until one of his eyes loses sight.)
State policies offer myriad lessons for federal lawmakers. Those in the Senate and House should take a careful look at what's going on in Massachusetts. There are better ways of reforming health care.
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Here’s the key paragraph which still stands unrefuted: “costs have exploded. This is hardly surprising, as most of the uninsured were brought into the system by subsidies. Accordingly, the increased demand led to higher costs. This is why government health insurance is little more than bait-and-switch: It may begin to alleviate the coverage problem, but it exacerbates the cost problem—which worsens the coverage problem again.“
“Don’t dare stay in the way of millions of others in our freedom to choose at our paying full premium, options of lower costs.
Those who don’t like freedom, get out of our way.”….
Another says, “I’ll stand in your way”….
There we have the anti-freedom, anti-American comments from one who disrespects millions of Americans’ freedom of choice as to how and where to spend their hard-earned incomes. One who so disregards freedom shows his favor for socialism, even communism; certainly not freedom for Americans. Can he be a loyal American? I’ll not answer such, as he has provided his own answer as to his political beliefs and defines if or not he is truly a freedom-loving American.
Beware of such among us. It can be mentally contagious, just as many have been infected with similar mentally from Rush Limbaugh and other anti-Americans.
“A flimsy little pacifist saying that to a chiseled rugged individual.
Truth: I’ll stand in your way. What will you do?”
Careful there Dr. Hulk Hoagiemeister!!!! “Truth” could very well be less a “flimsy little pacifist” than you hope and whole lot more of “a chiseled rugged individual” than you imagine yourself to be!
Oh, I just LOL’d at the tough guy overture. In this respect, Arnold Swartzenegger is symbolic of the Republican Party.
Sure, he was ripped and chiseled 25 years ago, but he let himself get soft and flabby over time and probably couldn’t kick much of anything with that artificial hip he’s walking around on these days.
Get out of our way? Heee heee. A flimsy little pacifist saying that to a chiseled rugged individual.
Truth: I’ll stand in your way. What will you do?
Depends on who you trust. The Obama and the evasive plan he dances around or the Obama speaking openly behind closed doors with his allies, the labor unions.
It was Obama HIMSELF saying at an SEIU forum that “I don’t think we can ELIMINATE employer coverage immediately…“ but continuing private insurance will be eliminated over time.
Or do you trust Democrat Congressman Jan Schakowsky yelling to a rabid room of radicals. Referring to a reporter who wrote their health plan will “put the private insurance industry out of business and lead to single payer”. Schakowsky proudly shrieks “HE WAS RIGHT. THE MAN WAS RIGHT” to cheers from organized America haters.
Now I know God gave some brains to most all people.
Some folks wanna stay with their plans with premiums doubling every 8 years, fine, enjoy. Just don’t dare stay in the way of millions of others in our freedom to choose at our paying full premium, options of lower costs.
Those who don’t like freedom, get out of our way.
Ted Kennedy would still have the freedom to seek the best possible health care for himself under the Democrat Government run health care plan. Because Congress is exempting themselves from the same government run health plan you and I will be subject to.
However, your freedom is no longer an option once you surrender to Big Government.
Man up. Stop being a weak sheep.
Why would any wealthy person go to one of the best cancer treatment hospitals there is? Cause they can afford to, and have the freedom to so choose.
Why would any public school teacher send their kid to a private school? Cause if they can afford to, they have the freedom to do so.
Can all readers of this message afford to go to the Cleveland Clinic, best cardiac hospital in the world, for treatment? Some can; most can not. Some foreign royalty and other rich folk can afford to travel to Cleveland, Duke, etc, cause they got the $$. Majority of us common folk can not do so, but that’s o.k., we do have adequate quality care in most parts of the country. Issue is: normal quality care is becoming more unattainable due to skyrocketing costs; especially, from insurers.
THAT is the prime issue that people fail to acknowledge and address, favoring politics over affordable basic health care. Stupid? Bout as much as one responder’s comments about Ted Kennedy and public school teachers ramming crappy education down kids throats.
If Massachusetts Government Health Care was so great why did Ted Kennedy travel 8 state lines away to Durham, NC for treatment at the Duke Medical Center before his death?
Much like public school teachers who send their kids to private schools but want to ram crappy education down your throats, it looks like Teddy talked the talk, but did not walk the walk.
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