Health Care Reform in the Real World

The unconstitutional process taking place in Washington DC has most Americans feeling like they are living in the Twilight Zone. Since when is wiping out private health care a method of “reforming” private health care, and on what basis is Obama “gaining supporters” for his plan when the bill hasn’t even been written or reported on by the CBO yet?

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There is NO honest open debate happening on a piece of legislation that nobody has seen yet. But that hasn’t stopped Obama & Co. from twisting arms to gain support for a bill that doesn’t exist, despite the fact that most Americans violently oppose any effort by the Fed to seize control of one-sixth of the US economy, via health care. So let’s take a real world look at the health care discussion, on the level of the average citizen supporter of nationalized health care. Believe it or not, I actually have a few regular readers from the other side of the aisle. I assume, because I get their heart rate and blood pressure up and eliminate their need for a cardiovascular workout. But one of my oldest friends from across the aisle is Nick, and Nick wrote me concerning my last column - The Truth About Progressives - aka Marxists.

“Quick question - My buddy Jeremy got laid off from FedEx in Sept. after 13 years with the company. Without many employment options out there for him, he decided to return to college. That was probably a good idea. However, that leaves him without health insurance. He can't afford it. What's your advice to him, Dr. Williams?”

As always, I tried to provide my best advice…

“Don't replace an incoming producing job with non-income producing expense and hope to balance your personal budget. He has to replace income with income, not income with expense. I hope he signed up for Accounting 101...”

Nick didn’t appreciate my advice…

“I appreciate your candor. I've been waiting for a conservative/Republican to state their true belief about health insurance, which is: "If you don't have it, tough sh*t!" Your honesty is refreshing. I'm sure Jesus would be proud.”

I asked Nick to answer a few questions…

1. Name the Fed programs that ran on budget as projected and didn't go bankrupt?
2. Who came up with the HMO and what did the HMO do to health care?
3. What do you think the Fed runs well?
4. Why do people from countries with socialized medicine come to the USA for treatment, even when they can't afford it?
5. Since the bill isn't even written yet, and the CBO hasn't analyzed it yet, on what basis is Obama "gaining support" for his plan?

Nick is still thinking… Then I decided to offer Nick what he wanted…

“I agree to pay for your friend’s health care needs while in college. But as the payer, I get to define what his health "needs" are, and what treatments are economically acceptable to me. Still want me to be his health care provider?”

There is one rule that you can never escape on earth.

He with the gold makes the rules…

If the gold is in the hands of the people, as it has been for more than 235 years in the United States, then it is the people who make the rules. Nick’s friend Jeremy is free to make his own choices, whether to work or go to school, have coverage or not have coverage, choose what types of coverage to have, all at his own discretion. But if the people allow their government to control the gold, then it is that government who gets to make all the rules, who is covered and who isn’t, what is covered and what isn’t, which treatments are economically acceptable to the universal payer, and which treatments aren’t. In short, this is why people from all parts of the globe come to the United States for medical treatment, even though they have “universal care” in their home country, and often can’t really afford the treatment they need in the United States. Americans can tell where foreigners are from by the condition of their teeth, their skin, their hair or other health related physical traits. We can tell which visitors come from countries with “free” health care. What does that tell you about “free” health care?

It is a matter of life and death

A supporter of universal health once asked me what heart bypass surgery is really worth – indicating that the USA price for such a procedure is too high… He was from Canada. I answered - that depends on whether or not I am having a heart attack at the moment you ask. If I’m not having a heart attack, the bypass surgery is too expensive. But if I am having a heart attack, who cares how much the surgery costs or what I have to do to pay for it? The point should be very clear now… do YOU want to decide whether or not you get that surgery, or do you want your government to decide? He with the gold makes the rules. This is the health care debate in the real world. Are there things we could do to improve the quality and affordability of health care in America? – Of course, and we should do those things. But name one federal program that the Fed has run well?

• Freddie and Fannie?
• Social Security?
• Medicare?
• Medicaid?
• Food Stamps?
• Welfare?

Every program has been plundered, wasted and bankrupted by the very folks telling us they can run one-sixth of the US economy and make your health care decisions for you… As average citizens, we can buy a hammer for less than a tenth of what the federal government pays for a hammer on average. That’s because nobody is more careful with your money than you are… So when the government says that they can manage YOUR money and your health better than you can, on what basis do you believe them? There is NO track record to support such a silly notion. So, on what basis is there any support for nationalized health care? Do you think Nick still wants me to be his friend’s health care provider? Only in the Twilight Zone….