Un-Healthy America is Stuck in the Middle…Again

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I have, successfully, avoided political commentary on The Slow Bleed for the better part of 2010. Frankly, it was intentional but I guess even this hiatus cannot last forever.

Let’s start with last night’s monumental passing of the Health Care Reform package shall we?

For starters, let me be very clear. It is terrible that 40+ Million people living in the US do not have health care. Few elect not to have it while the greater part of the group simply cannot afford it. That tragedy certainly needs attention and needs to be fixed but in the correct manner. With that said…

The Bi-Partisan Bill with only One Party’s Votes.

Must Have: American’s will be required to have health care, or pay a fine. Seriously? Who decides what is affordable or not for another individual? Since when are American’s required to purchase something? Will we be required to purchase a Ford if the US car companies get in trouble again?

Dollars and Sense: “We,” the taxpayers, will pay somewhere around $950 Billion dollars, initially, for the plan. It may reduce the national deficit by $150 Billion in the first 10 years (second grade math tells me the plan then initially costs taxpayers $800 Billion right?).

The plan is suppose to save close to a trillion dollars the following 10 years (2024-2034) – but that assumes that no significant costs go up in the next 20 years (I am sure doctors and politicians are more or less ok with a 20-year pay freeze?).

Increase Payroll: Thousands of non-medical personal need to be hired to implement and maintain the program. Those new employees are probably pretty annoying people and are going to want to get paid to work. Sheesh, the nerve.

Who Loses First?: Medicare benefits will change dramatically. The biggest item being used to pay for the new program is $500 Billion in cuts to the Medicare program. This all happens as 72 million baby boomers become eligible for Medicare in the next decade. The second biggest move to pay for this is by raising and expanding the Medicare tax.

Is it Getting Crowded in Here?: With the average wait time to see a doctor measured in days and weeks (not hours), 32 Million additional people will have a negative impact without first building and infrastructure to handle it. (For example, Massachusetts is the only state that offers universal coverage. It suffers from some of the worst primary care wait times in the United States yet has the highest concentration of doctors nationwide.)

Hey Buddy, Here is an Envelope: Don’t even get me started on all the “special kick-backs” and bribes that were written in to garner votes – those dollars are in the millions and millions as well.

Now, that is not to say there are not some great provisions in the plan…

Medicare: Prescription drug coverage gap closed; affected over-65s receive rebate and discount on brand name drugs

Medicaid: Expanded to include families under 65 with gross income of up to 133% of federal poverty level and childless adults

Insurance reforms: Insurers can no longer deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions

Insurance exchanges: Uninsured and self-employed able to purchase insurance through state-based exchanges

Subsidies: By 2014, according to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill will give 19 million uninsured Americans subsidies averaging $6,000 to help pay premiums and other medical charges – (although the $6,000 must be paid by someone else somehow).

In the Family: Your child can stay on your policy until they are 26 (as a parent, tell me why that is a good thing?)

Great stuff, but it all of it needs to be paid for somehow.

The expense of health care is not fully paid by the newly insured – For 19 Million people their insurance is supplemented. That means the bulk of the medical costs need to come from somewhere.

That “from somewhere” is a new tax structure imposed on individuals and businesses.

Go Socialized or Go Home?

Here is my overall point (man you had to wait awhile didn’t you?) America is stuck in what I call a “politically correct middle ground.” We want to maintain our core democratic values but we keep injecting the contrary.

For example, true democracy is survival of the fittest. When a poorly run business shuts its doors, the next one steps up to the plate. But the new just-bail-them-out-with-taxpayer-money messes it up.

Bailouts protect those that have failed. It messes with the natural order of things. Forcing citizens to purchase insurance or making someone pay for someone else’s insurance is not only an infringement of rights but also an infringement of core constitutional values.

The government has “ownership” of banks, insurance companies, car manufactures, and now, health insurance.

This “take from the rich and give to the poor” middle ground stifles entrepreneurism and growth. If a person or business is penalized for becoming too successful or making too much money why try at all?

The Bottom Line

Certainly we need to help all fellow human beings regardless of race, religion, age, or geographical location. And we do need to find a way to insure millions of people without insurance. But…

You cannot take away the inalienable rights of one individual’s pursuit of happiness to supplement another.

You cannot pose “caps” on those that try to succeed beyond the norm – they are the ones that create jobs for others to then fulfill their dreams.

Time will tell what the net effect will be on American’s both financially and physically. Last night is a start, but not one that is off on solid footing.

I am done. I now return you to your regularly scheduled Slow Bleed topics.

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