Universal Health Care

During a recent and highly televised prime time address, President Obama promised that he will pass [health care] reform that “lowers cost, promotes choice and provides coverage that every American can count on.” Believe me, I wish I could trust the man to keep his word and fulfill that promise. But my gut, and my inability to ignore the promises he has already broken tell me he will inevitably let the American people down again. I want to start by addressing two very important points regarding the reform bill currently working its way through Congress. First, it should be understood that we the people do not have a thorough understanding of what this reform would mean for us. And, really, how could we be expected to, considering that neither Congress or the President have much of an idea themselves? Obama recently admitted that he is “unfamiliar” with one of the bill’s key provisions, which would govern whether or not the public can keep their existing insurance. At the same time, members of Congress who even care to read the bill are just beginning to scratch the surface of the one thousand plus page document. The bottom line is that this is not something that should even be voted on, let alone passed, without Congress reading it and fully understanding it. If passed into law, this bill will transform the way in which we are able to receive medical care. That could be a good thing, or it could be a very bad thing. I’ll get into that more later. The second important point I want to make is this: the President and members of Congress will not be required to abide by this new law. Congress will pass it and Obama will sign it, but none of them will have to play by its rules. This is not good. In an effort to sum up my concerns, I ask you this: “How can we possibly have a government of the people, by the people, and for the people if those elected to create laws are not required to abide by them?

There is so much more to say about this health care reform, and more posts on the issue are sure to ensue. I assure you I’m not trying to write a book here, but allow me to briefly address some of the negative aspects of adopting a universal, single-payer health care system that perhaps you have yet to consider. Again, we do not yet know exactly how these provisions would govern our care. But, we do know some, and many of us recognize the overwhelming amount of power that would be granted to the federal government if we were to implement a traditional universal health care policy. Please understand, I believe every American citizen deserves and should have access to affordable, quality care. But the reality is that universal health care, or socialized health care, will not achieve this. In fact, it would be terribly ineffective. If we look to other parts of the world, we can already see what we would face if we were to adopt this system. In Canada, for example, citizens have no freedom of choice when it comes to receiving medical care. And, as a result of so many people seeking care from the same federally mandated clinics and hospitals, the system is overburdened and underfunded. What’s worse? The only way the government is able to keep spending to a minimum is by rationing the care. That is exactly what will happen here. A person in need of immediate surgery could end up having to wait months or longer. Ultimately, this system will give the federal government the power to decide what kind of care you get and if you'll get it in time. There is so much to consider, and I urge you to continue to listen to arguments from both sides. As you continue to learn more, consider this recent quote from Congressman Ron Paul, who is also a practicing physician of over thirty years: “Trust me, with managed care, and now with socialized medicine coming, quality will go down, costs will go up, there will be shortages, there will be lines, and nobody’s gonna be happy.” Lastly, if you support a government run health care system, I would very much like to know why. This is important, and we should all be talking about it.