After watching days and days of news coverage on this issue. I feel I can sum up where everyone can agree on for this topic.
1) By and large most people agree that the health care system needs to be reform.
2) Any changes that are undertaken need to be set-up in way that they are paid for and do not increase the national deficit.
3) People should have the option to keep what they currently have in place for care whether a change happens or not.
Here is where people don't agree
1) Who or what should pay for these changes or reform.
2) Introducing any government option will effectively erase the private insurance industry (removing your option to choose).
3) How much control you have over whom, what, or where your medical treatment is provided.
Where Attorney General Holder called a nation of cowards on race - it would appear that terminology applies here as well - I just think hypocrites fits better.
Let's keep it simple and just work on the money part shall we?
1) First off - if you are worried about increasing the national deficit you by default already acknowledge that we are in DEBT. The only way to counter DEBT is to pay it off or remove it via some other form of positive credit toward your balance (whatever that may be). I keep hearing people say that "WE" shouldn't have to shoulder the costs of all of this deficit - that's true. However if its "OUR" debt who else should pay for it? The government? (yeah that comes back to you in a tax). Private industry (yeah that comes back to you in price hikes). Foreign countries (uh..we already tried this - hence our current position). So who does that leave?
(insert any Michael Jackson (RIP) Man in the Mirror joke here).
Thats right us. When WE are in debt and in need of services. There is really no way of US getting around it. That means somebody if not everybody is going to have to pay probably taxes to address this issue. Its the ugly truth - and I don't even like to say it (who does really?) - but there is NO way around this issue. We all are going to feel the costs of this economy/deficit/reforms for at least the next few years so here is a clue - GET OVER IT - WHETHER YOU LIKE OR NOT - WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER.
2) We already pay for ALL KINDS of PUBLIC services so this is not a new concept - and I'll let you in a little secret (sssshhhh - don't tell anybody. THE PRIVATE VERSIONS OF THEM ARE DOING JUST OK - who knew?). We have PUBLIC SCHOOLS and PRIVATE SCHOOLS. I haven't heard about any private schools going out of business lately. Have you? We already have PUBLIC DEFENDERS and PRIVATE DEFENSE ATTORNEYS - man when is the last time you heard about an Defense attorney that was getting blown out by those friggin Public Defenders downtown? Don't like how the local Police - "protect and serve"? - Guess what - you can buy or rent your own cops - via security details, private investigators, etc. We even have PUBLIC RESTROOMS and somehow yours seems to still get PLENTY OF BUSINESS. Last time I checked in the battle of PUBLIC vs. PRIVATE - Private side was doing pretty good.. Don't believe me? When is the last time you used one of these?
Imagine that.
My point is that creating a public OPTION - in no way puts in jeopardy whatever businesses are already in place. Having options ALWAYS is a good thing.
3) With regard to this whole "rationing" of treatment or long wait list for getting care. Are you serious? Forgive me - but is it not common for you to have to make an appointment in advance of seeing a doctor or other provider? Do you not make your next appointment MONTHS out in advance when you are on way out the door of your last appointment? Why is waiting to see a doctor all of a sudden the bogeyman? You do this already.. You don't want to wait? You go to an EMERGENCY ROOM - they triage you into the "people who really don't have an emergency but can't wait" category and you get seen that day. They charge you and or your insurance out the roof for coming in there unannounced and then your insurance companies goes back behind your back and cuts that bill in half (or more than that). My point is that this is not a new issue either. You already deal with this.
I haven't seen one part of this bill or anything that people are saying that suggest that you can be made to go see a certain provider without any choice in the matter. Who would agree to that? But what does happen is there are networks (HMO, PPO, O mother hubbard, etc.) - where your insurance is Bishop Don Juan - and because it cost less out of your pocket - you are more "inclined" to go there. This my friends is what we call "steering". Actually its almost illegal but I guess you have your neighborhood lobbyists to thank for that a pass on that one.
Will there be more wait time? Possibly. Its logical to think that if more people have access to care there will be more patients. But God forbid that the hospitals do something insane like- hire more staff - to deal with the higher demand (is that jobs created or jobs saved? I think its both - score 2 for me).
Do I have all the answers - no. But I do know that all this fear mongering is counterproductive and holding us back from our true greatness. People need to get up off their high horse and realize that you can't have it both ways. You can't ignore the problem and expect it to go away. You can't want change for the problem and do nothing to change it. It just doesn't work that way. At all.
Here endeth the lesson.
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