“The Way I See It” is an attempt by the columnist to enlighten readers on a subject as he views it, and does not necessarily reflect the views of this publication.
ObamaCare Opinion
After eight years of “We must pass it to see what is in it!”, we have seen many things in ObamaCare. Huge governmentt bribes to even get Democrats to vote for it. Massive waste in just the computer programs to get people signed up. Drastic increases in premiums. “You can keep your policy and your Doctor.” was a bald-faced lie and they knew it. Policies must include many things the buyers don’t want or need. There is “Health Care Rationing” and the “Death Panels” to decide who gets what, and it is all more “Politically Motivated” than economically feasible. The Leftist Lib/Prog leaders want “Single Payer” Socialized Medicine, ObamaCare was designed to fail, to lead to a “Popular Demand” for that, the “Inner Circle” all knew it, and most helped plan it, while denying that intent.
The more Govt controls heath care, the more it gets expensive, unresponsive to patients needs, delayed, and even denied. Anyone that doubts this simple truth must study the current “Charlie Gard” kerfluffle. Granted, the Cost/Risk vs. Return for Baby Charlie’s case is so negative that his local “Death Panel” had to recommend that he be un-plugged and left to die. However, since the parents managed to raise donations, and some Doctors may want to treat him simply to study his condition with hopes to learn how to cure/prevent it, why won’t the Hospital release him to his parents and allow him to be treated “outside their system”? That is where the ‘Bureaucratic Totalitarianism” comes in. If the Medical Bureaucrats allow Charlie to be released, and he dies in spite of expensive heroic efforts, then that’s OK; BUT if he should live and actually improve, (Marx forbid!), several problems arise. First – the Bureaucrat Death Panel would be proven wrong and Govt Bureau-wienies hate that. Second – The next patient with a similar condition, their family will demand the treatment that was successful, the Death Panel will be forced to admit their job is “Resource Appropriation” based upon THEIR Cost/Risk vs. Return “equations”, and they will have to justify it. Third- if they surrender control in this case, they may lose control in the next one, and Govt Control of HealthCare is all about CONTROL to the Bureau-weenies. That is the bottom line.
From a practical standpoint, ObamaCare is a massive failure. Massive cost increases for most policy holders, huge deductibles that often make their “insurance” worthless, coverage they don’t want or need, and carriers cancelling and quitting the ObamaCare system. More people uninsured, or with less usable insurance at much greater cost, and difficulty finding a “Plan assigned Dr.” that will see them in a reasonable length of time. But it IS a huge ‘political victory’ for the Lib/Prog/Dems, and they are NOT going to support any Republican efforts to change and improve it. Any Dem that votes with the Repubs will be labeled as ‘a Traitor’, and will become a “Non-person” for campaign help in the next election, or might even face “Party Organized” opposition in the primaries. ObamaCare is a Party “Sacred Cow”, and will stay so until it is repealed, or drives the Federal Govt into bankruptcy. Period. Therefore, it must be repealed before there will be any effort by any Dem Congresscritter to help the Repubs replace it. The Dem Party “Inner Circle” has decided that as long as they can prevent the repeal or change of ObamaCare, THEY WIN, and to hell with the costs, the actual value of of the “coverage”, or the deteriorating quality of the medical care. It is the ‘Political Victory’ of ObamaCare that counts.
If you want decent quality in Health Care, the CongressCritters and their Bureaucrats must be forced to participate. If they and their families are exempt, it doesn’t really matter to them, and stays a “political football game”. We need to protect the Free Market System and separate out the Govt Socialized System so beloved by the Lib/Prog political wonks. But Conservatives must face the fact that some form of Govt Care is inevitable. And the Libtards must realize that anything that must be taken from one person to give to another is not a “Right”. People getting “Free” care do NOT have a “Right” to Doctor choice, or the same level of care as people who pay for it or have the real Insurance to pay for it, and especially don’t get “elective” treatments like abortions and “gender re-assignment surgery” at other people’s expense. That is simply a “Collectivist’s” Fantasy – everything for everybody supplied (by magic?) by Big Mommy Govt? Ain’t happening!
The ‘Quick Fix’ is make everyone that votes for ObamaCare sign up for it, cancel all the Cadillac Congressional HealthCare perks.
Govt interference raises costs. Bureaucracy increases waste, and the potential for fraud. Medical Malpractice fraud is so rampant it is a game. Insurance Companies would rather make “small” pay-offs rather than fight it out in trials, and that encourages more “low-risk’ fraudulent claims. Using the Free Market Insurance model for Govt supplied Medical Care only increases the Fraud. Govt money should be spent directly on care, not insurance. If there is to be Govt mandated HealthCare it must be multi-tiered. Free Market Insurance for those that want it and can buy policies that cover what they want, not what some Political Committee says “everyone” must have. Gov’t workers should pay for the insurance plan they choose, not be given a Gold Star Cadillac Plan with no direct costs. All plans should have co-pays. There should be more choice of Over The Counter medicines, remedies, and preventatives. “Alternative Medicines” should be freely allowed and even encouraged if less expensive and still effective. And if we are to have Govt Health Care, let it be run by the Public Health Service directly and encourage On The Job Training in a para-military environment to provide disciplined experienced medical workers to the Free Market System, as well as opportunities to motivated young people that can’t afford the expense of a conventional Medical education. That efficient, low cost care would find many patients among those that could pay, either ‘out-of-pocket’, or collect from their insurance later.
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