His email-

I’m with you on the stupidity and waste that often comes with government. Here’s the one issue I have: I see dead people now. People who die (and suffer) because they don’t have health insurance at all, or because their insurance acts like the fire marshall below and says they don’t qualify for procedures they need. I see completely responsible people ruined financially because they have one small medical crisis and spend decades of their lives in debt for tens of thousands of dollars through no fault of their own. I don’t think our current system is particularly smart or well run either.

But I do have faith that with the minds working on this issue from all sides, we can come up with something better. Half the nations in the world have, and we have the most brilliant minds in the world here. We can do better, and we should be ashamed that we haven’t done better already, and that many in power would rather turn this into a political battle rather than just focusing on helping people in the best way possible.

My reply-

I don’t think anybody disagrees there needs to be changes to the current healthcare situation. But my fear is that when the government steps in the dead will get deader. And more dead.

The only thing the government does well is fight wars and build roads. And even with wars -they look to competing private weapons developers for the new and cutting edge stuff. They don’t create anything. So I see no reason why with healthcare they would do or implement anything that would make anyone go, “Wow, that’s an awesome idea!”. They just tax and waste and politicize and get dumb and dumber. Look at the retarded post office -less people send mail so let’s just raise prices! Duh!

Remember that whole ‘stimulus’ package? What happened to that? Who did that help? What about the Auto bailout? This whole health plan is looking at between a trillion and two trillion. That’s insane! Who’s going to pay for it?

I am self employed and have high deductible insurance. Not cheap but bearable. Disaster insurance really. With free annual checkups and discounts. If I have a cheaper government option, sure I might try it, but I can guarantee they’re going to suck the expense from me someplace else. Or constrict any business expansion because I would then be forced to provide insurance if I hired employees. It’s just so lame to penalized for productivity.

I think the out of control lawsuits and skyhigh liability for doctor’s can’t be helping costs. Look, doctors will make mistakes, but there is a difference between negligence and a mistake. But sue happy lawyers see no difference.

I appreciate your thoughts . This is an issue that really needs to be hashed out and I think other people need to see your concerns because they are valid. And most have them.

The question is not is it broke but how do we fix it?

When I criticize socialized healthcare, I am told that I must be one of the few people to have a great healthcare plan (nope… $7.5k out of pocket last year for 2 minor surgeries).

I’ve seen cost estimates of 1.0 – 1.5 trillion dollars over the next 10 years. Who’s going to pay for that?

Healthcare is broken, this is not the solution.

Thanks for posting!

John

For health care (on a rant, here, I admit!) that means three things: 1) no more group plans (just because you work for a big company doesn’t mean you should have health care while some poor fool who wants to do his own thing risks going without because he has a pre-existing condition or can’t afford health care at full pop — no tax break); 2) no pre-existing conditions; and 3) everybody has to buy it, and if you can’t, there will be thresholds below which the government will help you out.

Harumph.

Jeff