Obama's 9/9 Health Care Speech - A Non-Collectivist's View.
Obama claims people with existing plans don't have to change plans.
False (partially) - In fact, the long list of government mandated changes to those existing plans will radically increase prices. How can they not? That could well force people to change!
* Remove yearly and lifetime dollar cap. on insurance coverage (or copays?)
* No pre-existing conditions exclusions?
* No dropping people?
* Taxes on existing high end plans?
Where is the freedom in forcing people to buy insurance?
* Why should everyone is forced to buy coverage for AMA allopathic drug health care?
* What if they don't belive in that sort of care?
* What if they take care of themselves?
* Why should they be forced into the same insurance pool as those who don't make healthy choices?
* Why should they be forced to buy plans that are loaded with government mandated coverage for things they don't need like 'mental health' councling or abortions or 'drug dependency' counceling?
Was there deception from Republicans, Constitution Party supporters and Libertarians, as he claims? False (mostly).
* Many of the opposition criticisms were not lies!
* A form of death panel was in HR 3200 (Democrat House Plan). It may have been removed, but to claim it was never there is deception.
* He also used verbal trickery (like "what the definition of is is"). Sure HIS plan didn't have the list he gave, because HE didn't have a plan at all! At the time of his speech he still didn't have a published plan. His deception is that in fact it was HR 3200 that was what was being criticized. AND HR 3200 did have elements that could be characterized that way. Forced end of life counseling of seniors, could be considered a 'Death Panel'. .
* Also relevant to a 'rationing of care type death panel' is the consistent mention of the stupendously high cost of the last few months of life. 'Cost versus benefit' panels will almost certainly be in his new initiative to reduce "waste and abuse". What a comedy! Every politician promises to reduce waste and abuse', but it never happens. Because it can't! It's part of all human systems. The bigger they are and the less accountable, the worse the waste and abuse is.
How will his new proposal to increase drug coverage for seniors save money for the government?
* Sounds like more government money for the drug companies. They loved Bush's drug plan too.
Yes, malpractice reform could save money for doctors and then for patients.
Creating standards of care will force conformity in the way doctors treat a specific disease. A political process will dictate rigid procedures that will be difficult to change or adjust to the patient.
How as the 900 billion going to be paid for? Savings in the future? Spending cuts in other areas if they savings don't show up?
* Cutting managed care Medicare plan subsidies will make it even harder for seniors to find plans and doctors.
* Cutting direct Medicare payments will make doctors loose even more money per patient and cause them to drop even more Medicare patients. (This wasn't in the speech, but I presume it will also be in his new plan.)
* Oh, yes, then there is the perennial 'waste and abuse' promise. LOL
The fact is that health care is not a right, like freedom of speech or the right of self defense.
* The fact is that _neither_ people nor government can spend unlimited amounts on everyone who wants every test and expensive or even harmful procedure.
* The fact is that when people don't pay, they don't watch out for costs.
* Lasik eye surgery is one of the only medical procedures that goes down in price because doctors have to compete on price and service. That's because it's not covered by insurance.
* The 'deep pockets' of insurance are the problem, and government mandates make insurance even more unworkable.
A never mentioned solution?
Deregulate the practice of health care, drugs and medical devices/machines at the state and federal level.
* This will lower costs, because there will be many more providers.
* Let people serve the needs of people without government interference.
* Let alternative health practitioners compete on a level playing field.
* Yes, people will have to make smart judgments on who and what they trust. The Internet can empower those decisions.
* Creativity and a variety health services will flourish as they once did in America.
In Liberty,
Grant Rostig
grant.health@debateitall.comPlease excuse any unintentional inaccuracies that may be present in the above. This was written based on my general knowledge of the subject.
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