Draw the Line at Universal Health Care
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With most American’s realizing that the American Health Care System is in crisis and that medical insurance premiums have risen beyond our ability to pay millions have been forced to severely limit coverage or drop it all together. However, few of us can agree on the best way to resolve the situation that has left these same families in the vulnerable position of facing economic disaster if a tragedy or severe illness were to strike. To solve this issue some would purport that we the American taxpayer should pay the cost but the increasing burden of federal debt from Bush’s War on Terror has already overwhelmed the average taxpayer and additional taxes are sure to bring more than a squeak of protest.
While some companies, in our area at least, are addressing the problem by offering low-cost doctor visits at walk-in clinics there is still an invisible line that I would hate to see crossed as we are weaned away from the standard of care we have known for decades.
Presidential hopeful John Edwards, a Democrat, has publicly admitted that while the option of Universal Health Care must be considered it would definitely result in higher taxes being paid by those who can least afford it since there are always enough loop holes for the rich to escape the brunt of the cost. On the other hand, Democratic Presidential candidate, Hilary Clinton is outright calling for a socialistic form of health care wherein she claims that if the system were to be made efficient enough the additional cost could be avoided. However, one only need to look at inefficiently current federal programs are being managed, such as Medicare, to realize that the new, streamlined health care system will result in taxpayers paying more for a poorer quality of care. Backing her contention of why this system will work Ms. Clinton recently stated, “We’ve got to get the costs of healthcare under control. Why would we put more money into a dysfunctional system?” I agree with Ms. Clinton on the one hand that no one wants to throw money at the already defunct medical system. However, what makes her think that a new healthcare system run under the fiat of the federal government would be any better than the current system that is disintegrating under both private and governmental controls.
John Edwards plan first calls for businesses to be required to pay for or significantly cover the cost of their employees insurance premiums, after which he will rearrange federal law to control insurance costs before requiring that all American residents have insurance. However, one has to give him credit for having a plan since Republicans, for the most part, are not addressing the issue at all. It is a given that Republicans on a whole oppose federal control of the health care system but withering away from the issue and refusing to address it doesn’t make it go away.
One only has to look back over the past five decades to see how our medical system got into the mess it is in today but contrary to the ridiculous claims of some presidential hopefuls handing more power over to the federal government is not the answer. In fact, it should be seen as another slap in the face to state governments who were guaranteed the retention of their decision-making power by the constitution that also called for a small federal government.
The danger I see in handing our medical system over to the federal government it first that they will never return it to the individual and ultimately they would have the power to deny care or force medical decisions on the American people against their wishes. Additionally, since it is documented that the government desires to monitor all of our movements with tracking devices one has to wonder what other controls they would choose to enforce limiting our freedom even further.
[tags]Universal health care, Democratic proposal, Hilary Clinton, John Edwards, Federal government, Monitoring Americans, Health care system, Socialized medicine, medical insurance[/tags]
5 Comments
marc klink
April 14th, 2007
at 2:41pm
An interesting opinion. While I agree mostly, I think that there is no reason why the people [who are supposed to be in control of the government]could not have federal healthcare begun with the stipulation that after the set term for the overhaul [I would say at least 10 years] the adminisration would revert to the individual states.
I have heard how giving the government more power is a bad thing all my life, but still reply that if limits are set at inception, there should be no problem.
On the other side of things, reform of medical lawsuits is also in order. Every single person needs to learn early in their life that if someone dies due to bad medicine, no amount of money will compensate. ‘Reasonable to the common man’ is a standard that should be used in ajudicating suits.
reflections
April 14th, 2007
at 5:42pm
Dear Marc
As always I am glad to hear your opinion.
I also agree that malpractice lawsuits are a large part of the problem with the escalating cost of medical care. I wish that juries wouldn’t grant such large settlements. Doctors can’t be expected to be infallible and I believe that the majority of them do their best to help all of their patients.
I do, however, hestiate to believe that the government would honor a time limit even it one was imposed on conception of the plan. Maybe it is because I have become quite cynical of late with the way the government has been run. ALso, I have known people in Canada and England, where socialized medicine is practiced and their opinion is that the care is poor and the cost is quite high. In fact, several of them state that they come to the states to get procedures done as they aren’t available in their own countries in a timely manner.
As we have discussed previously I would back Edwards and I guess that means his plan for universal coverage but my fear is how future administrations would handle the issue once he left power. Again nice to hear from you and have a good evening. Jackie
Mike Esposito
August 7th, 2007
at 10:27am
You’re right, the United States Health care system is broken and there is no easy fix. The health care system, like the military industrial complex of the cold war, is predicated on corporate profits and not the well being of the patient. The CEO’s of the large HMO’s and pharmaceutical companies have the same agenda as any other corporate leader. Raise their company’s stock price or lose their job which pays their obscene salary and bonus. Health care corporation’s focus is financial and they are not concerned with access to care or the quality of care their patients receive.
These same companies will push for tort reform because it limits their liability in medical malpractice lawsuits. They want to limit patient access, reduce their costs and not have any responsibility. The trial lawyers will not tolerate these unconstitutional limits and are fed by the victim’s misfortune. We have all heard the advertisements asking, “Has anything bad ever happened to you. Someone else should pay. Call us now. Time is running out.” How would they survive if they could only make a few hundred dollars an hour? (Assuming, of course, that they are not double billing). However, without these legal wolves patrolling the health care system even doctors would be in at risk to corporate domination.
Where does this leave the doctor? Right next to the patient in the over-crowded emergency room wondering how things have gotten so out of control.
Posted by Dr. Michael Esposito M.D.
Radiologist and Author of “Locked In,” a new medical thriller.
http://www.mikeespositomd.com
reflections
August 7th, 2007
at 1:08pm
Dear Dr. Esposito
For years I have had friends who practiced everything from denistry to obstetrics who were violently opposed to universal care insurance. They firmly believed that once it was implemented Doctors would have the care prescribed for their patients dictated to them by bureaucrats. These same bureaucrats, they believed, would not be as concerned with the welfare of the patient as they would be with making the almighty dollar. These men and women are dedicated and caring individuals who give of themselves to their patients so I truly believe that their fear is genuine.
In fact, one only has to look at the long-term-care crisis where so many patients have paid in thousands of dollars in premiums only to have their claims denied when they are most needed. I am fortunate, living in Missouri for the last year, I have found a complex of doctors who have been working to undo the damage that an improper diagnosis by doctors in California have created. I have never received better care but these doctors work under Cox Hospital systems not under a managed care policy.
I will look forward to checking out your new book, Hopefully there will be enough truth in it to awaken the public to the danger of allowing doctors to be controlled by corporations who only care about how much money they can make.
Thank you for visiting my site and have a good evening. Jackie
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May 30th, 2008
at 2:07am
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