Obama’s Launches Email Health Care Reform Campaign
Did you receive an email from Pres. Barack Obama yesterday afternoon, urging you to get others involved in Health Care Reform? I did. Now, if you didn’t, don’t feel left out — I’ll give you the skinny on Obama’s letter. This letter from Obama actually gave me hope that Americans are making their voice heard and pressuring their Congressional representatives to vote against the Health Care Reform bill.
Will Health Care Reform Mean Health Care Rationing for some Americans?
The Vice President and I just met with leaders from the House of Representatives and received their commitment to pass a comprehensive health care reform bill by July 31.
This bill should give all Americans the willies, because health care rationing is a legitimate concern. Is there language in the Health Care Reform bill that will protect Americans from being denied treatment based on their age, disability, or quality of life? For those of you who have grandparents who have needed open-heart surgery, or a person with diabetes or cancer, these are just a few examples of people who might be on the bubble of being denied treatment under nationalized health care in America. Why? Cost. Bottom-line concerns.
Monday, I met with some of these health care stakeholders, and they pledged to do their part to reduce the health care spending growth rate, saving more than two trillion dollars over the next ten years — around $2,500 for each American family.
Now, this bold statement from Obama begs the question of why health care leaders have not already cut out inefficiency and saved Americans money before now. Don’t you think this is a lot of smoke? Remember the specter of health care rationing? These health care leaders have not given any details as to what will be cut to reduce the cost of health care. Part of the solution to cut costs under health care reform could be health care rationing. Scary, right?
The letter goes on to say that Health Care Reform is being debated in the House and Senate and asks readers to forward Obama’s letter to others who want to stay up to date on the issue. Sounds like an email campaign to me.
When will Obama get off the campaign trail? This is a clear call to the American people concerned about the consequences of Health Care Reform. There are alternatives to Obama’s plan; you may want to read one of the alternative health care plans with no rationing by clicking here. In the meantime, keep fighting the good fight. Keep calling and writing your senators and representatives. Here is an easy way to contact your senators and representative in two minutes or less. Click here to make your voice heard.
Are you worried about health care rationing?
Photo Source: Wikimedia
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Today I feel like being outrageous…
Let’s say, at the very least, that health care is a human right. Perhaps it is not a human right on par with not having to pay for a rape kit, which seems to be how health care is currently paid for. It would seem to be less important than equality before the law, since patients with means often pay for patients without means–usually without knowledge or consent. This makes health care, then, a sub-human right.*
If Mr. Obama wants to fix the problems in Medicine, there is reason to worry. I heard him murmur out his proposal, and was surprised that it did not address a budget for sickness. It had one for prevention and wellness and all sorts of things which are either not shown to work or shown to not work. The rest was gobbledygook. It would not have been accepted by any teacher I’ve had.
If we are to pay for health care, should it be at Cost(necessary for upkeep of facility, administration, paying off the Doctor’s medical school and other NECESSARY things)? or Cost + a small amount for profit? Surely the present way of running things is absurd. Some pay far more than cost while others pay nothing.
The problem with cost or low cost is that doctors fear their patients, or at least the lawsuits they might bring; therefore, they would never consent to decreasing the legal budget. Also, there would be no budget for research; cancer patients would be trotted out before congress and politicians would be told they were killing them by creating the new structure.
If we are not to pay for health care, that is, not directly, how is abuse to be avoided? If some hypocondriac comes in everyday complaining of nonsense, or a munchausen patient keeps doctors busy while really sick people wait, there is a problem. This would happen more than it does because both the really sick and the pretend sick would be more willing to come since they would not have to pay. The pretend sick, having more interesting symptoms and potentially grant giving or journal worthy illnesses, would be given preferred treatment. This is why politicians jump to rationing.
Yet there is a possible way.
Suppose we eliminated Medicare and Medicaid. Also, the state medical programs. Then we broke the insurance machine. Then the Tort lawyer machine. Then, have those who can pay for their own treatment, pay. For those who cannot, the hospital could set up a charitable fund and have black tie events to seek donations. The people who could pay for their own treatment would be invited.
While we’re on crack, let’s just cut the administrative overhead and overinflated salaries of the upper management and send it to the doctors.
*(not in the eugenic sense, let’s be clear, but the etymological sense of a right below the level of human right)
@all It’s a slippery slope Mr. Obama is skidding down, and health care rationing is a big problem the forgers of Health Care Reform have not addressed.
@Fallstar Great points on health care reform!