Friday, June 26, 2009
Obama dodges central health care question
Obama hems and haws, and gets long winded to avoid the key issues. The health care system is messed up, but government involvement will just make things worse. National health care is a huge power grab which we can't afford and don't need. Any solution must include individual responsibility for good lifestyle choices.
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The lie that a "Public Option" will just create “healthy competition” is just that. An INSIDIOUS Lie perpetrated by a Government with an unholy lust for even more power. Why is it a lie? Because unlike the Federal Government who can tap in to the U.S. Treasury (as they have been doing feverishly lately) when claims surpass revenue. The private sector is held to a higher standard. Namely, fiscal responsibility. If claims supercede revenue, an insurance company must be held to the ramifications that happen to any company that does not balance it’s portfolio correctly. Namely, FAILURE (except, of course if that company is AIG who gets bailed out over AND OVER again by our precious BLOOD SWEAT and TEARS)!
ReplyDeleteOnce the insurance companies fail (shortly after the “Public Option” starts promoting “Healthy Competition”) we will be left with “Medicare” for all! But wait! How’s Medicaid & Medicare working now? Let’s see. At the current rate of Medicare expenditures, by 2014 Medicare will be bankrupt! Why? Because they have been robbed for other expenditures by a fiscally irresponsible, over burdensome Federal Government. Whos answer to EVERYTHING is to throw money at it! Easy to throw when it’s not yours.
The private sector does not have the luxury to play with America’s BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS. We must balance our portfolios responsibly and consistently or we will not have the the funds to pay the big claims when they arise (and they do arise, and they do so often). This being the case, it comes down to who the American Tax Payers want to handle their medical care. And overwhelming, those tax payers want choice and fiscal responsibility. They will receive neither through a government run “Public Option.”
Even though a Public option will not work. We still definitely need health care reform on many levels and if Government MUST play a part there are intelligent things they can do. Here’s where they can actually help:
1.) Weed out all of the illegals who are sucking our Medicaid system dry such as in Illinois and many other states.
2.) Instead of bailing out GM with Billions of our blood sweat and tears and then letting them file bankruptcy 3 months later. Why not fund a NATIONAL High Risk Pool for those who are rendered uninsurable? We already have such State run High Risk Health Insurance pools in the majority of States. These Risk Pools will cover anyone regardless of their medical history. The problem is they are under funded so the premiums are extremely high. Instead of spending $1.6 Trillion to insure only 11 Million of the 45 Million uninsured. LEAVE the bulk of the nation's risk where the money is, namely with the insurance companies. Then provide a National Federal & State funded Risk Pool for those who are rendered uninsurable. Since the uninsured far outweigh the uninsurable, this would cost far less than the currently proposed $2 Trillion PLUS over the next 10 years.
3.) Pass a law that mandates that all American’s, who can afford to purchase Health Insurance (remember the 35 Million) actually do so! Pass a law that states that they must purchase some basic level of Health Insurance coverage for themselves and their dependents. The Fed has has already helped design Consumer Driven Tax Qualified Health Insurance so the premiums remain affordable and the family has an impetus to help control costs.
Why would passing a Health Insurance Mandate work? Remember car insurance? It used to be that you could drive around like a moron without it. Congress then mandated (and rightfully so) that ALL drivers purchase some basic level of Car Insurance to protect themselves and those who they may injure. This worked for the car insurance industry and it would do the EXACT same thing for the Health Insurance industry. Adding to the national risk pool 35 Million more American’s would drive down Health Insurance premiums for all American’s. It’s just an actuarial fact.
and... #4.) Establish a Federal oversight committee to regulate and hold accountable physicians who make medical mistakes. What’s one of the biggest reasons why health care is so expensive? Hint: It’s not “rich CEO’s” and “outdated medical records transfer processes.” It’s Medical Mistakes! Here’s the real facts you won’t find in the media outlets:
ReplyDelete1995: A Study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) found that only two percent of medication errors that occurred during the medication administration process were intercepted.
a. More people die from medication errors than from work place injuries
b. Medication errors account for approximately one out of 131 outpatient deaths and one out of 854 inpatient deaths.
1999: Institute of Medicine (IOM) releases its first report on healthcare quality and medical errors. http://www.iom.edu/?id=12735 The Study finds in part that:
a. Medical errors are responsible for injury in as many as 1 out of every 25 hospital patients.
b. Between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans die each year from preventable medical errors in hospitals alone.
c. The deaths from preventable medical mistakes are equivalent to the number of people who would die if a jumbo jet crashed EACH AND EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR, and all its passengers died!
d. Medical errors cause more deaths than motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer or AIDS…..and this study is TEN YEARS OLD and STILL no Federal oversight committee! Oh wait! It gets worse!
2002: A Study issued by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) concluded that more than 200,000 medication errors occurred during 2002
2004: CDC reports that 90,000 patient deaths occur each year due to patients contracting hospital acquired infections. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/pdf/nnis/2004NNISreport.pdf
a. Many hospital acquired infections are caused by health care workers who fail to wash their hands in between patients.
2006: Studies assessing the state of hospital patient safety conclude that current progress is slow, results in general are at best modest, and the gap between the best possible care and actual care remains large. http://www.healthgrades.com/media/dms/pdf/PatientSafetyInAmericanHospitalsStudy2006.pdf
More Facts:
Preventable medical errors result in extended hospital stays, expensive treatment for chronic medical conditions and astronomical medical costs that are associated with treating debilitating life-long illnesses. Some experts state that these costs may be in the range of $150-200 Billion dollars per year. Gee, where else could we spend that money??? Quick reminder:
ALL of the aforementioned happened under the nose of our Federal Government. And we want them to regulate Health Care?? Let’s not save ALL of our anger for the “greedy” insurance companies and “over paid” doctors and CEO’s. Let’s focus our Anger on our GOVERNMENT who has allowed this systemic problem to continue over three administrations!
Ask yourself, why does the health care industry basically regulate and report on itself? Why is certification and accreditation voluntary? Why don’t we have a Federal agency that acts like the FAA and investigate medical mistakes, just like airline accidents or near misses? Why do only some states have mandatory reporting requirements of medical errors? All Good Questions that need to be answered before we hand over our very health freedoms to the Government to “regulate”.