Obamacare, The Coming Nightmare

The Guy By The Door said...
After two months, where is Bob Beers, The Lesser yet Brighter?


Not sure what this person means by “The Lesser”. I have been dealing with a very serious health issue, one that, if I did not have decent insurance, probably would have either completely crippled me or killed me. Based on the tone of the comment, this must be good news for the Guy By The Door.

The good news for me is that this last treatment seems to be working. What is going on attacks only the body, not the brain, so, at least for now, I am still “The Brighter”.

Obama’s Health Plan, base on the few scattered pages I have been able to glean would have considered me too old to save. The Democrats pushing for this Soylent Green style healthcare pish-tosh the people concerned about the bit Tom Daschel snuck in by saying it is only a tiny part of the entire bill and nothing to be upset about. I have a question for these Democrats, how many Supreme Court decisions affecting our rights have hinged on one word, much less an entire passage in a bill?

Rising costs of healthcare are a real and ongoing concern, especially with the boomer generation entering AARP territory. I happen to be one of them. I also happen to disagree with Washington’s single-payer solution.

Imagine the worst possible HMO. Now imagine that HMO on steroids. The picture you come up with won’t even be close to the eventual reality if this bureaucratic Frankenstein’s Monster is passed. One thing the media and the majority of the bloggers fail to consider is the sheer immensity of graft and corruption that permeates our political class. Those in favor of Obamacare believe all the taxes taken to pay for this “benefit” will be used just for that. The reality is that after all the skimming takes place only a tiny percentage will actually pay for care. Does no one read history any more? Or do you all think Congressman Jefferson and his frozen assets was an aberration?

A small amount of research reveals that the single greatest expense in healthcare is insurance against litigation. Not just the ever-rising cost of policies, but all the other attendant costs arising from the procedures doctors and hospitals put in place to prevent litigation from ever happening. We have become a sue-happy society. In some neighborhoods, children are raised with the idea that they are responsible for nothing. If something goes wrong, sue. Here's a question, what would happen to the cost of healthcare if that way of doing things changed?

The average ambulance chaser takes 30% to 33% of every award. Most take it off the top and add their expenses to the bill. In many cases this can reduce what the injured party eventually gets out of the award to 20% or less. Is there any wonder why trial attorney associations fight tooth and nail every time tort reform raises its ugly head?

There are four simple common sense solutions to the healthcare problem. They will never see the light of day because far too many people in power are reliant on the status quo, but I will list them regardless.

Number one is real tort reform. By reducing the award percentage to 10% and disallowing the carryover of costs, we would all but dry up frivolous suits. Attorneys can live very nicely on less than $600 per hour.

Number two is forcing Congress to live within the laws they pass. For far too long have those in Washington been given the prime cuts while we have to be satisfied with the gristle. If a pampered Senator or two had to wait in line for an examination, the lines would become shorter over night. Congress should not be allowed one health plan and us another of far lesser quality. Better yet, keep Congress out of the healthcare business.

Number three is allowing the free market to actually be free. Insurance, doctors and hospitals should be allowed to compete honestly for our dollars. The elimination of monopolies and allowing those who cannot compete honestly to fail would force prices back down to reasonable levels.

Number four is the most controversial, build the southern border wall. Go deep enough so that it cannot be tunneled under and higher enough so that it cannot be climbed. Use several independent contractors so that all sections are built at the same time and ignore every complaint from Mexico, the UN and the left. Place an Ellis Island style structure every fifty miles or so and allow those who truly wish to work come in, but only after they have been proven healthy and honest. Work visas can insure they pay their way like the rest of us. Those who are caught not carrying legal visas can be sent back across the border to get in line. What part of “illegal” do you not understand?