Reforming Health Care

I usually try to be tactful, but this time I'm coming right out and saying it. George Bush is an idiot.

Bush is ripping John Kerry's healthcare program, saying that Kerry wants the government to take over our healthcare system. Which actually sounds good to me--that's what Canada has already done, and they have higher quality healthcare at a lower per capita cost. But Kerry's proposal only tinkers with the current system, and doesn't abandon it entirely. Naturally, Bush takes the simplistic view, and his argument against Kerry's plans is simply ridiculous.

"I'm running against a fellow who has got a massive, complicated blueprint to have our government take over the decision-making in health care. Not only is his plan going to increase the power of bureaucrats in your life, but he can't pay for it unless he raises your taxes."

George, you're probably not aware of this, coming from such a priviliged background as yours, but most people already aren't the ones making the decisions on their health care--the insurance companies are. The insurance companies are the ones who decide which procedures are covered and which ones aren't, and given the high cost of health care in the U.S., if your insurance company says it won't pay for a specific treatment, then more than likely you're not going to undergo that treatment, even if it's essential to your health. So even if it's the government calling the shots instead of the insurance companies, people wouldn't be any worse off--and probably better off, given that the government isn't bloodlessly profit-motivated like the insurance companies are. (Given the choice between a government bureaucrat and a corporate executive running one's life, most people would choose the bureaucrat.)

And yes, Kerry's plan would likely result in higher taxes. But under a nationalized system, people would also be paying lower health insurance premiums on their own, which would likely negate the higher taxes being paid. Also, recent studies have shown that companies are holding back from hiring new employees because of the high cost of benefits, particularly health insurance. Freed from paying the higher cost of health insurance, employers might finally boost their hiring, raising employment and giving the economy a much-needed stimulus.

The only constituency that could possibly be harmed by health care reform is the insurance companies. What a pity that would be.