First, they argue for the free market principle of expanding choice. A public option will give Americans more choice in health care. How can they advertise choice when a majority of them want a single payer system, but realize that this is not politically expedient right now. They also seem uninterested in the Republican idea of purchasing health insurance across state lines.
Second, they argue that universal coverage will curb the upward spiraling cost of healthcare. They also echo President Obama's promise that if you like your health care plan you can keep it. Consider how they plan on paying for the plan. They will cut Medicare payments to providers, and add new taxes on medical supplies and procedures. After listening to the director of a hospital on C-SPAN radio, Medicare payments do not cover the cost of services sufficiently. Therefore, hospitals must make up this loss by charging insurance carriers inflated prices. These costs get passed onto the consumer. Thus, those with health insurance are presently subsidizing those on Medicare, Medicaid and the uninsured who use the emergency rooms. Thus, the Congressional plans propose to pay for the expansion of coverage, through taxes and Medicare cuts, will be passed onto the insurance companies, and then onto the consumer in terms of higher premiums. Will you still like your health care plan over the public option if the cost doubles in the next five years when this bill goes into effect? Is this real choice?
Further, they paint the insurance companies as evil for denying coverage for preexisting conditions. If the goal is to expand health care coverage, both to more people and also in terms of covering preexisting conditions, and also to control cost, the math doesn't add up unless services be denied to some people. This provoked former Gov. Palin's "death panel" remark. Although no mention is made of this in the bill, Governor Palin is looking at the matter with foresight, one of the chief marks of wisdom.
Again, I am not surprised by the rhetoric. The norm of political speech seems to be, identify the area in which you are weak, and portray it as your strength. Thus, the socialists market their plan as increasing choice, when in fact their goal is a single payer system. Those who hide their intentions behind their rhetoric, pinned the phrase: "Bush lied, people died", on their political opponent. If you have problems telling the truth, call your opponent a liar. And universal health care proponents have a big problem with Gov. Palin's remark seizing on how this plan will eventually affect the elderly, because she rhetorically claimed ground that they want for themselves. This might have provoked freshman representative Alan Grayson of Florida's comment about Republicans want grandma to die quickly.
The sad truth is America is in trouble. Given our debt, our economic troubles, and the increasing number of retirees in the next few decades, we cannot continue to look the other way and pretend things are going to be alright. California is the model socialistic state. The state opted out of the 1994 welfare reform, there were many subsidized programs for low income households, there was generous compensation for the unemployed and those injured on the job, there were generous subsidies for college tuition, and now that is all gone. State workers were generously compensated, and guaranteed generous pensions. For example, state prison guards made a base salary of $70K, and with overtime, many were making six figures. Can the private sector match these benefits? Since the 1990s, the private sector has continually streamlined itself with respect to compensation, wages and benefits, to stay competitive. Thus, as government fattens itself, and guarantees its compensation through public employee union contracts, while the private sector becomes lean, eventually the lean cows of the private sector cannot support all the government obligations and the system collapses. What is happening in California after years of socialism is a sign of what will happen to the US at large in the not to distant future. And because California cannot legally cancel many of its obligations, it was forced to dramatically raise taxes and cut services. I predict, in ten years from the passage of this health care bill in Congress, taxes on the middle class will increase significantly, and health care benefits will be dramatically curtailed.
