Obama hits 'fear-mongering' on health care changes

[Guest NewsBot]

CHICAGO (AP) -- Pushing again to get the health care system overhauled, President Barack Obama is arguing that people must beware of "scare tactics and fear-mongering" that have killed such efforts in the past....

 

 

 

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[RoyalOrleans]

Fukken brilliant.

 

How about a "Transparency in Spending Act" so that the public remains informed of the total cost of health care?

 

Declare that "Health Care spending pay for Health Care services." Spending on health care should NOT come from the general treasury, but should be funded by taxes on other health care spending. That way, people can see how much of their health care spending dollar is spent on OTHER PEOPLE's health care instead of their own.

 

The "rich" are going to be paying for health care services for the poor in ANY case. What does it matter if they pay through an increase in the income tax, or a tax on their own health care insurance premiums?

 

The difference is that people will rally to resist the wealth transfer if they can see it more clearly.

 

For reasons that are obvious, Democrats would not let this pass -- which is yet another reason to propose it, and talk about it. Opposing transparency in spending will have a political cost.

[RoyalOrleans]

Arguably the most galling aspect about rising health care costs is the market distorting / virtual criminal role of politicians in enacting legislation covering healthcare insurance "mandates". Where 30 years ago we had 252 mandates, today we have some 1,900+!

 

Today you as consumer simply cannot buy a high deductible, no-frills policy tailored to your needs. On top of that you can?t buy a health insurance policy across state lines because of various ?mandates?. This is a free market?

 

In Canada, healthcare is perceived to be "free", but the system has to use ?deterrent fees? to dampen (ie. ration) unnecessary demand, caused by the scores of moms who bring their kids in for every little sniffle / cut / scrapes, hypocondriacs, and the scores of "little old ladies" who come in regularly mostly as a kind of social visit. These scenarios represent very real attracted costs to a universal health care delivery system. Its just human nature that if some good or service; be it provided by government, the free market or religious institutions; appears to be "free", its consumption is going to get overused / abused.

 

Given the millions who remain uninsured today for various reasons, the introduction of a universal healthcare system would have to serve 10's of millions of them as new full fledged ?patients?. Couple this with the costs to address the scenarios described above, how can there not be some kind of rationing of services given there can be no near / medium term change in the number of doctors or nurses to address the increased demand for services? Its just plan illogical at best and disengenous (an outright lie) at worst on the part of politicians and supporters to argue that the introduction of such a system here wouldn't have the same issues!

 

The best solution to address our healthcare needs here in the US is to move away from the largely (70+%) "employer provided" healthcare model in place today, to a true free market system unfettered by any connection to employers or government. What we need is a system where you as a consumer can actually pick your own plan tailored to your actual needs, offered in any state / across state lines, free from any government meddling and special interest lobbying. A system where you would be treated as a real "customer" as opposed to being treated like some "passive subordinate" (?patient?) as is the case with employer provided care today where you have little to no incentive to look at the actual cost of treatment options.

 

In spite of the Leftist / Democrat rhetoric about the alleged problems with the "lack of universal coverage", its really about Democratic party politicians wanting to exert ever more control over us, making us ever more dependent on big government as the solution for every newly politicized "problem" in our lives. Forget about the rhetoric, big government control is what this is all about. Folks, its just that simple.