Saturday, May 3, 2008

Only you can solve the health care crisis

One of the biggest strategies of the democrats to win the White House in 2008 is to appeal to the 47 million uninsured people in the United States, and telling them that they will create a universal healthcare system so everybody will get "free" healthcare.

I placed free in quotes in the last paragraph because you and I know that when a politician says something is free, what it really means is a big tax increase on everybody else so you can get your "free" healthcare.

To me, the strategy of the democrats is this: Since the 47 million Americans are too stupid to solve their own health care problems, we are going to solve them for you with another big government program. And, they want to force you to buy into it.

Quite frankly, while healthcare is typically a democrat issue, many people are still very skeptical that universal, or socialized, or big-government health care and forcing people to buy into it is really the way to go.

The real solution to the health care crisis is to provide people a choice so they can choose the insurance plan that works best for them, at the lowest cost. Likewise, they should be able to choose not to buy any health insurance too.

Providing choices, and inciting competition between businesses, is what has made the U.S. economy the best in the world, so why not do the same for the health care system

And that is where John McCain steps in. By proposing a health care program of his own, he intends to sweep the health care issue right out from under the feet of democrats.

Instead of forcing people to buy health insurance as both the democratic candidates have proposed, McCain proposes to solve the uninsured problem "without a massive new government program that denies you health-care freedom in the name of providing care at a price tag we cannot afford," according to Patrick Rooney & Dan Perrin in their post"Wanted: Doc McCain," a post on the May 1, 2008, over at Nationalreview.com.

McCain's policy is actually quite simple, and it would involve allowing people to purchase health insurance across state lines. "This will increase choices, lower costs, and most importantly," according to the article, "bring more Americans into the folds of having health insurance."

Likewise, the authors state, "Senator McCain’s emphasis on patient choice and control is another winning message. It means he trusts you to make better health-care decisions about your health with your doctor than can a government or corporate bureaucrat."

In other words, John McCain DOES NOT think you are too stupid to think for yourself.

According to John McCain, "The Right Rx: Choice and competition are indispensible to real reform that brings costs down and broadens access while maintaining quality," on nationalreview.com (May 1, 2008), the government provides tax benefits to employers who provide health insurance to their workers and their families.

While this isn't the perfect arrangement, "Many workers are perfectly content with this arrangement, and under my reform plan they would be able to keep that coverage," wrote McCain.

For the other 47 million, another option would be available if they choose it:

"Every year, they would receive a tax credit directly, with the same cash value of the credits for employees in big companies, in a small business, or self-employed. You simply choose the insurance provider that suits you best. By mail or online, you would then inform the government of your selection. And the money to help pay for your health care would be sent straight to that insurance provider. The health plan you chose would be as good as any that an employer could choose for you."

And, on top of that, "The bottom line: Health insurance would be yours and your family’s health-care plan to keep without worrying that it will go away along with your job."

Of course this is only a proposal, and if McCain gets elected a proposed bill will be debated, tinkered with, and maybe even changed a great deal.

However, if the resulting compromise results in a free market solution to the health care crises, the country, and it's citizenz (that's you and me) would be far better off than either alternative, which are the status quo and universal healthcare.

The real solution to the healthcare crisis is within the people of this great nation, not a one size fits all govenrment, beaurocratic program. The only candidate for president who understands this is John Sidney McCain.

2 comments:

Righty64 said...

It really amazes me how the Democrats and their allies create the "problems" in the first place and the end result is, a boondoggle government program that proves to be worse than the original problem. The so-called War on Poverty single-handedly destroyed the black and to a lesser extent, hispanic family unit. Social Security was never meant to be the government pension plan that it became. But, talk about those of us young enough and willing to take a small percentage of what is "supposed" to be our money and invest it the way we see fit for our retirement. NO WAY! You do not know what to do with that money, we, the big government, we know best. On this, I am with Sen. "F--- You" McCain. This is when he remembers that he is a conservative Republican. Now on that globaloney warming. . .

DB said...

While I can generally care less about this issue, one thing strikes me as odd. How is forcing someone to purchase health insurance make it "universal?" Usually universal is meant as a right, or available, etc. It would seem to be my right to have health care or not. Simply my choice. Like "universal suffrage." It is everyone's right to vote, whether they do or not. Health care should be the same. And I think that is where we are at. I don't have answers, just questions...

Perhaps this is just another political lingo hack job where they put a catchy name on something to sell it...Patriot Act for example.