The health care reform bill doesn't cure what ails America.
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“Government should practice the same principle as doctors,” President Obama said. “First, do no harm.”
The nearly 3000 pages that make up the Senate's current version of health care reform fails to satisfy Obama's Hippocratic oath, and it still doesn't fix what's wrong with
Sadly, few if any lawmakers will read the bill. They will rely on their minions to labor over the multitudinous pages, creating synopses and briefs outlining the bill's major points. Given their liberal bias, it's unlikely Congress will hear arguments made by conservatives across the land, especially one in the tarnished and severely dented silver state of
But we can try.
This bill hurts healthy people, especially young ones. More sick folks will get health insurance, yes, but how? Under the bill, insurance companies must take on 20 million new customers, including more sick, higher-cost people. Without enough healthy, lower-cost customers to balance out claims paid for sicker patients, insurance companies will have to raise their rates, or cover less care.
Why? There's a basic rule for all businesses: you must make more money than you spend, or you won't be in business very long. The difference between the two numbers is your profit, and industry analysts agree that profits for health insurers are already slim, which is why insurance premiums have been steadily rising over the past 10 years: health care costs exceed health care insurance payments. The Senate bill doesn't fix this.
Instead, the bill limits how much insurers can make on older, sicker customers who are still under Medicare age. Healthy people under age 30, who tend not to use insurance, will likely see a "substantial increase," in the cost of a policy — making them more inclined to pay government fines rather than buy insurance. The bill's fines will not be imposed for 4 years, and the maximum fine will be only $750 by 2016. A simple insurance policy for a healthy, young person is easily three times that at today's rates, so there will be little financial motivation for this group to enter the insurance pool.
The bill hurts the health insurance industry. In addition to shrinking their already thin profit margins, the Senate bill requires the health insurance industry to pay new annual fees to the government: $2 billion in 2011, increasing to $10 billion by 2017. Analysts say these costs will be passed to consumers because insurers need to protect their profit margins, which are generally thinner than other health care companies like drug makers.
Added up, analysts say the bill would mean higher premiums for young, healthy consumers and employers who buy coverage. And that's on top of hikes spurred by rising costs of medical care, which the bill doesn't address.
The bill hurts 35 states. Another 15 million new "customers" will qualify for a government-mandated, expanded Medicaid program, paid for by each state's budget. Unless you live in
Senate Democrats in 14 other states negotiated similar sweetheart deals to increase federal monies to their states, in return for their favorable votes. Those monies will be paid for mostly by taxpayers in the other states, including those hardest hit, like
Citizens and senators alike are already lining up to protest the legality of such bribes, citing articles in the Constitution and federal laws that prohibit preferential treatment in the form of public monies to certain states in return for votes from public officials.
"I think we're going to be discussing health care reform continuously for the next several years as we try to fix all the things that are broken with this existing bill," said Brad Fluegel, chief strategy and external affairs officer for WellPoint Inc., the nation's largest health insurer based on membership.
"First, do no harm" is a good rule for everyone, not just doctors. Before you do something radical, make sure it will make things better, not worse. That isn’t conservative or liberal, that's just sensible.
What will it take for government leaders to hear the sensible people of
Like this article? Kelly is a business owner, writer and single mom in Reno. Click "subscribe" above, and befriend Kelly on Facebook.
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Comments
Republicans have been saying over and over that they have no idea what is in the bill because they have not read it. They hold up stacks of paper and shout about the bill being too long to read. For the love of God, it's only 2,000 pages. Are all republicans illiterate? Major spending bills typically run over 1,000 pages.
Sean:
Have you read it?
The bill is actually up to 2,733 pages and it was a Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee that said, "I don't expect to actually read the legislative language because reading the legislative language is among the more confusing things I've ever read in my life." I've read parts of the bill. If you enjoy employer-provided health insurance, you can probably kiss it goodbye as it will be cheaper for employers to not offer insurance and instead pay a fine or to reclassify workers as contractors so workers pick up insurance through the "health insurance exchanges" and pay the entire premium. On average, premiums will be $500 a month for individuals, $1200 for families. This will be on top of tax increases and the increased cost of health care itself, since that was never addresses. Good luck, all!
That is very true. But You can get always get a full medical coverage at the lowest price from www.bit.ly/7bwEx2 if you do your home work you can find the best plan.
Everyone remember who it was that took away your right to choose your healthcare plans, who taxed you more, who is putting government in charge of your healthcare decisions, who takes away your freedom with madates, and who will weaken and destroy the best healthcare system in the world. Everyone remember what it used to be like before the Democrats destroyed it for everybody. Never, ever forget who did this.
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