Although Flawed, Obama Care Is The Best Solution
Well, that's not entirely true. The real truth is the best solution is national health care ( NOT insurance ). My belief is the only way to get there is with baby steps. And Obama care is just one along the way.
It is my opinion that people that don't want national health care fall into one of several categories.
1. They believe our health care is the best in the world because of capitalism.
2.They profit by investing in poorly regulated insurance companies.
3. Don't understand that we already HAVE national health care - just in an incomplete and poorly managed way.
I'm sure I can come up with a few more, but let's start with these.
They believe our health care is the best in the world because of capitalism.
First, I love capitalism. I DO believe economies based on supply, demand, and innovation are the best. And there is no doubt that medicine developed on the promise of obscene reward drives many to invest billions for a slice of that lucrative pie. Thank God Dr. Salk didn't feel that way! Seriously, I believe the purest definition of obscenity is profiting from other's illnesses.
So how do we solve the problem of rewarding research of medical miracles if we take capitalism away from medicine? Really? You don't know? How about simply paying the researchers their worth? When the solution is realized, the people that FUNDED the research - THE PEOPLE of AMERICA - own the product - NOT the researchers! After all, they were paid - and, hopefully, well for the job they did. The result of that research can then be used to better our society.
It's kind of like developing software. If a company hires programmers to develop the next best app, the company owns the resulting product NOT the programmers - they were already paid.
So, if the "company" is the American People, we ALL benefit.
They profit by investing in poorly regulated insurance companies.
I understand that investing in health insurance is a sweet deal. But don't you realize the true cost? Let's stop making money on the backs of unfortunate soles who, by no fault of their own - most times, need to buy that new medicine in order to survive.
They don't understand that we already HAVE national health care - just in an incomplete and poorly managed way.
This is my favorite. For starters, Meicare, Medicaid, and VA are all versions of national health care. But it goes MUCH deeper than that!
A great example is the cost of insurance has nothing to do with the individual purchasing that insurance.
I was once on a management team for a small company in Maine. We were researching insurance options for our employees and came across a plan that would cut the cost nearly in half. At the last minute the insurance company withdrew the offer citing the fact that one of the 25 employees had had a heart attack in the last few years.
Are you serious? Because Joe Blow, at 62 had I heart attack, John Public, at 27 has to pay double the rate for his insurance? OBSCENE!
The bottom line is insurance companies MUST include "healthy" people with the "sickly" people in order to make a profit. It makes sense, but how in the world is it fair to those unfortunate individuals who work for that small business? How is it fair for the employee of a small business to pay double, triple, or even more than his neighbor who works for a multinational conglomerate downtown.
The irony is insurance companies stifle free enterprise by making it much more difficult for small businesses to compete!
I am willing to bet we already spend at least twice as much on health care as a country than we would if we provide "care" instead of "insurance".
Yes, Susie Researcher, may never develop that wonder drug because she wasn't lead by greed. I can live with that! (or not!).
Conclusion
I hate Obama care - not because it wants to fine me if I don't insure I have health insurance - but because it doesn't go far enough. I am resigned to the fact that I will probably die before this great country of ours has the balls to stand up to corporate greed and provide health CARE to its citizens.
It is, at least, a baby step in the right direction.
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