We have heard alot of heated rhetoric lately about the debate for health care/insurance reform. I'm going to toss in my two cents. Forget about the morality of providing insurance for all citizens regardless of situation, or collusion within the insurance industry, etc.. I suggest insurance reform is required because it makes financial sense. I ask to consider: we cannot afford not have universal coverage.
In most, if not all of the states, hospital emergency rooms are required by law to treat all patients regardless of their ability to pay. If the patient has insurance or the financial means to pay for treatment, the paperwork is completed and whatever needs to be done is done. If the patient has no insurance or money, they are given the immediate treatment required, stabilized, and sent to a county hospital. These hospitals are run by the county with taxpayer funds to provide medical care to the indigent. If the number of patients sent over by commercial hospitals increases, the rising cost of operating the hospital will require more taxpayer funds.
Meanwhile, the hospital, having treated the emergency patient basically for free, now has to cover the cost somehow. They either have to cut costs or raise their rates. Since cost-cutting soon reaches the point where care begins to deteriorate and they will lose patients, raising rates is the hospital's best option. As hospital costs rise, eventually the insurance companies have to raise their premiums to cover their increased payouts.
Not rocket sceince, but a simple diagram of why we need universal coverage. We are already paying for it, it's just not being delived in the most cost-effective manner.
posted by johnH56
And there is a disconnect in the logic of the national health plan. The first one- we can't pay for it. I didn't say that, The Congressional Budget Office is projecting at least a $260 billion dollar shortfall Realistically, the shortfall is closer to 1.6 billion dollars. So we are making health care dependent on whether the Chinese government will buy US bonds. The Chinese are already saying they are looking for alternatives. You want to have someone in China determine your health care. I've heard of depending on the charity of strangers but that is not the american way.
The claim for the need for the health plan is to control costs. But no plan on the table has any method to control costs. There's a disconnect in the logic. If we can't solve the alleged problem, what's the point of the exercise?
There are so many misconceptions by those offering this plan. The logic doesn't make sense. There are claims of endorsements by groups that haven;t endorsed the plan - the AARP. These are dishonest claims that call into question the credibility on those advocating the changes. How else are they misleading the people.
Polls indicate more than half the US population is opposed to what they hear. The amount of fear and concern raised should tell you and everyone advocating this program something. Are you proposing to override the will of the American people because you know more than they do? Remember this is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. And the people are again this.
They have legitimate reasons to fear a natuonal grab over another 16% of the US economy. Let's get the government out of the banks and out of the auto companies first. Let's get social security and medicare and medicaid solvent first.
Write in Guestbook
posted by mshadow22
Write in Guestbook