Well, this edition was full of essays and info on Health care myths and the truth about the B.O. administrations intentions with reforming it. It's not something I was initially too concerned with, but I am now. It affects everyone, and lowers the standard of care in this country. Unless you are one of those "slobbering love affair" (courtesy Bernard Goldberg) people who love everything B.O. does, and consider Michael Moore movies to be documentaries, you should know what's in store for you and your family, and your tax dollars.
Here's some of what I learned. Whenever someone speaks about the current status of health care in the U.S., you hear wild statistics of "46 million Americans without insurance." Well, it's very misleading.
*First of all, almost 10 million of that figure, are not "Americans" legally; with the state of our economy (don't you hate that word, and how everybody throws it around yet?) we shouldn't be worried about health insurance for non-citizens.
*Another chunk of that 46 million, were only uninsured for a portion of the year, possibly between jobs says the Current Population Survey.
*Also, according to a 2003 study by the Bluecross Blueshield Association, it is estimated that about 14 million of those uninsured Americans, are completely eligible for programs like Medicaid and SCHIP for kids. They would be automatically enrolled in these programs were they ever admitted to an emergency room.
*And about 18.3 million were under age 34, and some of them may have simply determined that they are young and healthy and can do without coverage.
*And finally, many of the uninsured, choose to be uninsured, as they would rather pay the cost if they had to go to a doctor/hospital. As of 2007, about 17.6 million of the uninsured had annual incomes of >$50,000, and 9.1 million earned >$75,000--- which is the fastest growing segment of the uninsured population.
Everything considered, the figure amounts to about 8.2 million Americans legitimately without health insurance because they can't afford it, but make too much to qualify for government assistance. Still a problem to be fixed, but not by bringing everyone else in the country down, along with the standard of care and all the other sneaky additions to B.O.'s socialized health care plan.
In an article by Philip Klein, he states that even health care as it is today, cannot be truly considered a 'free market' health care system, as the government already plays too big a role in direct spending and regulation. The tax code adopted after WWII resulted in favorable tax statuses for businesses that insure their employees, and burdening those who purchased private insurance. It's restricting because the employees are stuck with whatever health benefits are offered, and since the insurance can't be taken from job to job, it 'compounds the problem of unemployment.' For those who do have private insurance and thus pay higher taxes, many states require certain benefits...like in vitro fertilization and morbid obesity treatment.
Another myth about health care: "Universal health care will save money, because we're already picking up the tab for the uninsured when they obtain care they don't pay for." In short, the reality is that the total cost of uncompensated care in 2008 was $56 billion--which actually is only about 2% of the nation's overall health care expenditures in the B. O. plan, estimated to be between $1.2 and $1.5 TRILLION. Not really saving money are we?
One of the biggest myths: "Other countries spend less than the U.S. but get better health care in return." But in reality, they set budgets and ration care--meaning they reserve certain treatments for over a certain age, even if you need it now. Klein sites the recent example of actress Natasha Richardson's death. After a head injury caused by a ski accident, she was forced to take a 2 1/2 hour drive to Montreal because helicopters weren't available, because they were too expensive for all hospitals, and their medical resources were "allocated according to the biggest gain for the biggest need," -Daniel LeFrancois director of Quebec's pre-hospital care. In comparison a 7 yr old girl in the U.S. survived a similar brain injury, as she was rushed to the hospital by helicopter. Who knows if Richardson, would've survived, or if the girl would've died in different circumstances, but it still reveals the difference in the quality, timeliness, and availability between a socialized system, and a somewhat-free market system.
Many of the countries with government run insurance, have huge shortages in doctors, to the point that people die from simple illnesses because they are refused admittance to overcrowded hospitals/emergency rooms--common in Britain and Japan. In Sweden, it's so bad that the country's own prime minister was put on an 8 month waiting list for surgery. In France in 2003, about 15,000 people died in a heat wave--"a crisis exacerbated because many doctors were on summer vacation."
Haven't we learned that free markets and capitalism works best? Socialism eliminates competition. And as Sen. Graham said,
"Competition regulates quality and price better than government control."
Many proponents of socialized care, constantly say that there are 'skyrocketing costs' that 'threaten the stability of the American family.' It's not true- if you look at this chart, spending for health care is at an all-time low since 1970. Regardless, B.O. wants to cut that 6 percent by 1.5 percentage points each year he is in office...forcing budget cuts for hospitals, and shortages in machinery and nurses, and increases in the waiting periods for treatment. It will cause more layoffs in the medical field, which currently employs 14 million Americans-- "more than 10 times the U.S. workforce at General Motors and Chrysler."
Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, brother to Rahm Emanuel, B.O.'s chief of staff, (no conflict of interest there) is an advocate for cutting costs and government-run health care. He even goes so far as to criticize the Hippocratic Oath, blaming it for doctor's "overuse" of medical care. It's ridiculous how much damage this administration wants to do, claiming it's saving money, while they sign TRILLION dollar bills funding BS programs that actually harm Americans. Unless you go to Michael Jackson's or Anna Nicole Smith's doctor, you probably never went to a doctor and felt that they were "overusing" care or "over diagnosing." I haven't. In fact I feel like I always have to push them to do more. Under B.O.'s plan, doctors who are not "meaningful users" of care, face financial penalties by 2014. Can you imagine being a doctor and having that over your head everyday? Every patient you get, you have to gauge whether they are worth the treatment. Spending for research will also be cut, delaying any potential medical breakthroughs. This country will be stagnant with no progression in any aspect.
Dr. Emanuel also explained in a Health Care Watch" article:
"every favor to a constituency should be linked to support for the health care reform agenda. If the automakers want a bail out, then they and their suppliers have to agree to support and lobby for the administration's health reform effort."
Real slick.
And you can bet that if this health care bill passes, you and I will be paying through our taxes, for ABORTIONS. Killing babies is B.O.'s top priority remember? Here is what Peter Orszag, White House Budget Director has to say about the possibility of tax-funded abortions:
Doctors are already leaving the medical field and moving on to other more stable careers. They are already turning away Medicaid patients because the portions the government pays, barely cover any of the treatment costs incurred by the patients. So we already have a decrease in doctors. Does this bill sound good for anybody? The people that voted for Obama because of his intention for healthcare reform, probably didn't expect all of this. The care they will get under his plan (if they ever are seen) will not compare to the care they would get if they were given any choice in policies across state lines, to pick and choose the coverage they need, and competing insurance agencies could give more options for less money. It should be just like auto insurance, you call for quote, and pick the coverage you want. But no, everyone has to be brought down, in the name of saving money, which isn't being saved, but printed off for trillion dollar bills. It's scary when we can say "a trillion dollars" and not think twice about it.
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