Much has been said about the new National Healthcare Law with opinions being fairly well split as to it being an individual right or illegal imposition of government. I would like to weigh in on the subject with (hopefully) less emotional extremism than has been demonstrated in the media. First let’s take a look at a few facts about our current healthcare system.
20 years ago the skyrocketing costs of healthcare started hitting the national stage. It was well known and predicted by Republicans, Democrats and private corporations alike that, at the projected rate of cost escalation, the bankruptcy of our public and private retirement systems and unaffordable personal and group health insurance plans and premiums was inevitable. We can all now safely conclude that WE HAVE ARRIVED and are on the brink of the greatest economic collapse the world has ever known.
But before we look at the political aspects of the National Healthcare Law, let’s first look at some of the facts surrounding our current system of healthcare. Here are some of the obvious:
1. There are 35+ million people in the United States without healthcare and millions more with healthcare they can’t use because of high deductibles and co-pays they can’t afford.
2. Those without healthcare are forced to use the ultra-expensive hospital emergency medical services and drugs, the cost of which is passed on to the paying customers.
3. The lack of proper preventive healthcare negatively impacts the physical and mental development of our children, the quality of life of our citizens and workforce, and exponentially increases the total life cycle cost of individual healthcare.
4. Of the top 39 developed nations in the world, the United States ranks at the bottom (dead last … 39th) in effective treatment outcomes. So the statement that the United States has the best system of healthcare is absolutely not true.
5. The United States spends more than twice the money in terms of the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) than the other developed countries. This being greatly magnified when you consider that the GDP per individual is much greater in the United States than in the other developed nations.
6. When looking at total life cycle costs and the increasing life expectancy of individuals, it’s a certainty that most of our senior citizens on social security have already incurred or will incur total cumulative medical costs far in excess of their contribution into the government system, making them by far the largest non-funding entitlement group.
7. Prescription drugs can cost US citizens 300%-400% more than the same drugs sold to citizens in other countries.
8. Many medical procedures and services (of equal quality) can be obtained out-of-country at a fraction of the price for the same procedure or service performed in the US.
9. With the exponential growth in “specialists” and “partnering medical providers”, higher and multiple co-pays are now charged for a single medical event.
10. Our legal system promotes the filing of frivolous lawsuits for which the burden of proof of innocence and financial expense rests on the medical provider and their insurer without any realistic financial limitations or risks to the claimant.
11. In reality, the only service provided by the health insurance companies is to; (for a king’s ransom in fees), take your money and pay your medical bills.
12. The method of establishing reimbursement rates for medical services (periodic moving averages) results in regular “steep” cost increases.
13. The FDA requires drug developers to spend years and millions of dollars before even the simplest drug can be approved, even when other developed nations have approved the drug. The results are fewer and often inferior treatment options, and higher costs due to reduced competition.
14. Prescription drugs are generally developed to mimic a naturally occurring chemical or substance, but because natural substances cannot be patented and sold for huge profits, it requires years of development and millions of dollars to produce an often inferior synthetic drug. The “natural” cure or preventative medicine is never disclosed.
These fourteen points are just some of the standout truths concerning hundreds of billions of dollars in excess costs present in our current system of healthcare. Now let’s look at some of the standout truths in the current political debate over the need for a mandatory system of Healthcare.
1. The opposition to the National Healthcare Law (mostly Republicans but also many Democrats and Independents) really doesn’t have and have not presented a viable point-by-point alternative to the healthcare crisis. What has been presented is nothing more than a temporary delaying tactic to promote reelection and maintain the status quo, with the long-term outlook continuing to be total economic collapse and possible large scale civil unrest.
2. Yet, the National Healthcare Law is clearly too expensive in its current form to be economically feasible. However, it does establish a foundation upon which real change to our healthcare system can be enacted. However, it must be modified and molded first to the needs of the American people and only then followed by private corporate considerations.
3. Enactment of real healthcare reform can only come from bipartisan political support. Republicans and Democrats who cannot work together or for the primary good of the American people should be removed. A true Republic by and for the people, (not by and for the corporation) could handle this.
4. Lastly, and the absolute best source of truth presentable is the Man of truth Himself. Jesus made it crystal clear in His numerous parables and statements that we are to care for the less fortunate, feed and clothe the poor be they citizens or foreigners, consider others needs before our own, and not be motivated by greed. To ignore these truths is to ignore Christ and call him a liar. That’s the broad way that leads to destruction (the path we are on?).
Friends, the battle we are in is not just for a way of life, but for our very souls. We have allowed greed, in the form of a spoon feeding Mega Elite to lull us to sleep and dictate our acceptance of a political system based on corporate policy and earnings, rather than honor and justice and love of our fellow man. Our sleepy acceptance has taken us to the brink of disaster. In declaring this nations independence Benjamin Franklin spoke correctly when he said “We must hang together, gentlemen…else, we shall most assuredly hang separately”. It is now blaringly obvious that to survive, we must stand and fight.
Gary Morgan
Manson, NC
Whoa, I need my breakfast first.
Gary Morgan you failed to address by question of last week.
Anonymous,
Didn’t really understand the question but did read your final opinions. Maybe reading James 3:17-18 will help. It’s very soothing and it sings in the KJV.
Bless you!