Balanced Article from USA Today - Healthcare Myths [Archive]

OutsiderWithInterest

07-01-2009, 12:40 AM

Thanks for the link, but actually, I see nothing new here.

I keep hearing these two major goals being discussed:
1) Getting all the uninsured into an "insured" status
2) Cutting costs

The problem here is that these goals are mutually exclusive. Insuring 50-million people costs money---A LOT OF IT. It is hard to find accurate numbers (even the 50-million uninsured is suspect IMO), but surely a great many of these people aren't insured because they cannot afford it, or they are unwilling to pay for it.

That means the costs fall on the shoulder of those who have always forked over the dough---the taxpayers. That equates to MORE costs for me, not less.

There is also that camp that claims that the more people we cover, using a standard system, increases efficiency and thus, decrease costs. That's pure bunk. There has never been a government social program that became more efficient. All of them turn into huge unmanageable nooses around the taxpayer's necks. What would possess anyone to believe this would be any different??

What's the solution? I don't know, but as I get older, I lean towards doing NOTHING.

Why? I believe it is probably an unsolvable problem. Americans aren't like those in other "industrialized nations" (a term that abhor btw), that is, we want top notch service, and we want it now. If the government gets its nose stuck into the situation and starts rationing services (Yes I know---all the PRO do-something crowd claims we will not do that, but alas, there is no other way to contain costs), the public will go crazy. Then, watch stage left: The attorneys enter the scene. Once Granny loses her life because the government was negligent in providing timely care for a condition that they knew existed, Granny's grandchildren will sue for millions [partly to cover pain and suffering and partly to pay for their early retirement!]

Secondly, taxpayer's tolerance level does have limits. Once the reality sets in that, "darn---the plan doesn't work quite as planned", and they start seeing annual increases in outlays for health care, we will right back in the soup. The current bums will be tossed out, layers of duct tape will be applied, and health care will so screwed up that we'll all pray that it go back to the way it is today! Can nobody else but me see the health care regulations eventually becoming as bulky as the tax code?

Lastly, and this is the most important: WE CANNOT AFFORD IT. The United States is broke! Only in Washington does the logic exist that the best way to get out of debt is to borrow more money. We are increasing the national debt by about 3.5 billion PER DAY right now. It is a train wreck that continues to roll down the track.

It IS a big problem, no doubt. I just don't think there's much the government can do to improve it.