Our Health Care "Crisis" And How To Fix It

There are many people in this country that think that our health care system is in a crisis. It’s not, but it could be in the not so distant future. It’s not because there are supposedly 40 million Americans who don’t have health insurance. I don’t believe that for a minute when you take into account the upwards of 20 million illegal aliens that use our emergency rooms for primary care, and then not pay their bills. Yes, at that point, we get stuck with the bills as the honest law abiding taxpayer. There are also studies that show that most of those supposedly 40 million are only uninsured for a brief period of time. That’s the reason why health insurance needs to be portable. Let the employer pay the employee the money that they spend on a person’s health care package and let the individual shop around for the best deal they can. Let the individual own the policy rather than the company. In this article I’m going to offer two proposals. The first one is how to fix the health care industry using market-based solutions. The second one is a sarcastic take on a national health care plan that would keep rich liberals who want to cut the line by paying cash, from creating and using a bureaucratic two tier health care system to their advantage. Why should they get access to quality care, when they want to force the masses into sub-standard Hillary Care socialized medicine?

Before we get there, however, let’s keep in mind that the health care problems in this country can not be fixed overnight. It’s going to take time, because it has taken a lot of time to get where it is now. If you take a good hard look at the system, it’s expensive, but it’s not broken. We have the best health care system in the world, bar none. I know liberals will argue that point claiming that Europe has better health care, just because it’s free. Liberals, after all, don’t want to have to be responsible for anything. They just want every thing provided to them, while they play and have a good time pursuing whatever pleasure strikes them at the time. For this reason, what they want is a system of socialized medicine. That way they won’t have to be responsible for their own health care. That’s only part of the equation. When you get past the usual liberal smoke and mirrors, the real reason that they want socialized medicine is so that it can be used as a tool to "cull the herd" so to speak. It’s one more means that they can use to force people into certain behaviors and thought processes, or be eliminated from this earth. They can use socialized medicine as a tool to get rid of undesirables who disagree with the Left Establishment’s group think mentality. Communism is Communism even when it’s called Progressivism. When you look at the end result of socialized medicine, you get rationed health care, which means that people are denied life saving procedures, and ultimately, government enforced Euthanasia for the elderly and those considered to be mentally ill. One of the definitions of mentally ill will be anyone who disagrees with the Left’s ideology or positions, and/or speaks out against them.

Now here’s the first solution. As I said, make health insurance portable. You own it, not your employer. It’s yours and you take it with you when you change jobs. You also deregulate the insurance industry so that individuals say in Kansas, can shop around and purchase health insurance in Wyoming if they can find a policy with the coverage they want cheaper there. Force the insurance companies to compete for your business, and the price of insurance will drop. Also, let people purchase the coverage that they need. There is no need for men to have to pay for coverage for mammograms and women to pay for coverage for prostate exams. They don’t need them.

At the same time, we need to rein in the trial lawyers that bring frivolous malpractice lawsuits causing many doctors to get out of the business, and ultimately costing the consumer much more than necessary. There need to be caps on the amount of damages awarded to individuals for so called, "pain and suffering," with most of the award ultimately going to the attorney after legal expenses anyway. Things used to be different. I remember when I was a kid, the doctor would come to the house, and my dad would write the doctor a check for his services. If we went to the office, it was the same thing, but less money. I believe a house call was $15 and an office visit was $10. All routine lab work was done at the doctor’s office, not sent out to a lab, unless it was some sort of specialized test. Plus, there was no need to perform gazillion tests in order to cover the doctor’s ass from a frivolous lawsuit brought by a lawyer like John Edwards. Times have really changed haven’t they? If you really look at it, the price of health care in this country didn’t get all that expensive until people started having health insurance. The problem is not the supposed 40 million people without health insurance, it’s the 260 million that HAVE health insurance. Hey, someone else is now paying for it, who cares about the cost…

Now let’s look at the other solution. If Hillary becomes president, we are in for a world of hurt as far as health care is concerned. What will happen will be a two tiered system like they have in Britain and Canada. You will have the typical Left Wing Marxists who will "insist" on a fair health care system for all, except for them of course. A perfect example is Barbara Castle, a Member Of Parliament in Great Britain, who said, "No one should be able to acquire better health care with a checkbook," yet when her son needed surgery, she admitted him to an expensive PRIVATE hospital under an assumed name. She wasn’t about to use the public health care system that she so vehemently supported for "everyone else." Like most liberals, she is just too freekin’ important.

Here’s my plan for Socialist medicine. We have to make sure that the system is fair and equitable for the "common good." We start by putting the entire health care system under the control of the federal government. No private sector health care will be allowed period. This is to make sure that rich liberals will have to stand in line for their rationed health care just like everyone else. If our politicians and rich liberals have to stand in line, you better believe that the lines will get shorter and shorter all the time.

In order to ensure that there is an adequate supply of health care professionals, you start by nationalizing the medical school system. If you are good enough to get into medical school, the government will provide the training. That way you can accept a reasonable salary upon graduation, that will increase with longevity. All health care workers will be part of the MPH force and will hold the ranks of officers in the Merchant Marines, just like MPH doctors and nurses currently do. A doctor holding the rank of O-3 has a base salary of about $40,000 per year, and that increases with longevity and with promotions. They would also receive variable housing allowances with the amount determined by the cost of housing in their area. In addition, they will also be exempt from any and all malpractice lawsuits. I know the insurance industry and the trial lawyers won’t be happy with this arrangement, but come on now folks, we all have to make sacrifices for the "common good," as Comrade Hillary says.

Now comes the fun part. Liberals are going to hate this, but like I said, it’s for the common good. Get with the program. You are no more important than the rest of us, despite what you think. Free health care is going to be expensive. It’s going to require tax increases in order to pay for it. Therefore, we need to make sure that people lead a healthy lifestyle in order to minimize their use of the system. Healthy people require less medical care than sick people. Many chronic conditions are simply a result of personal lifestyles. Those lifestyles will have to change. Let’s start with substance abuse problems. The health problems of those addicted to hard drugs are well documented, and even benign drugs like marijuana contribute to lung problems over time. Therefore, in order to make sure that people don’t use drugs, every person in this country will be subject to random drug testing. If you test positive the first time, you will be forced into rehab. If you fail a second time, you go to prison, no exceptions. It’s for the common good and it will save the taxpayers money.

The problems associated with alcohol ranging from domestic violence to drunk driving are also well documented. Therefore, every alcohol purchase will need to be accompanied by a Social Security number whether in a bar, restaurant, or liquor store, so that the government can track your alcohol purchases. Once you exceed a certain amount of booze in the course of a month, the government can step in and evaluate you for alcoholism. If you are determined to have a drinking problem, you will be involuntarily enrolled in an inpatient rehab program and be required to abstain from alcohol for a minimum of one year upon leaving the facility. If you relapse, determined by random testing for alcohol in your system, you will be thrown in prison. Yes I know this will force a lot of bars and restaurants out of business, but don’t you think that this will be for the common good? We will need to do the same with cigarette purchases. Every tobacco purchase will need to be accompanied by a Social Security number, so that the government can track tobacco purchases, and deny health coverage for tobacco related diseases in smokers. I'm sure the government will approve of this measure, since their goal is to eliminate smoking, by their own admission. Look at all the smoking bans that are in place in bars and restaurants. The question is, can the government live without the tax revenue that it gets from the sale of tobacco products? I think not.

How about heart problems associated with diet? Let’s do the same thing with red meat. You will only be allowed a certain amount of red meat each month, and your meat purchases will also have to be accompanied by a Social Security number. Once you reach your government-determined amount, you will not be able to make the purchase. The store’s computer, which will be tied into a huge government database like the store’s computers in liquor stores, bars, restaurants and 7-11s, will deny you the "privilege" of purchasing those burgers. If you are having an outdoor barbecue and plan on purchasing steaks or ribs for your guests, you will have to apply for a permit and submit everyone on the guest list’s Social Security number. A Social Security number, with extra attention devoted to fast food establishments will also accompany all purchases at all eating establishments. Isn’t this fun? We are going to make you healthy for your own, and the "common good." What’s the matter? You don’t like this invasion of privacy? Come on Liberals, how else do you think that we can make things fair for everyone and keep costs down? Aren’t you willing to do your fair share? Ah, that’s right. There is no provision for you phonies to bypass the system. Too freekin’ bad.

Next how do we get people to exercise? Let’s see, you make it mandatory. Let employers get a tax deduction for providing health clubs on their premises, or for small businesses, they get a tax break for providing health club memberships—same with the self-employed. Better yet, let’s nationalize the health club industry and make attendance at a gym or some other exercise program for certain number of hours per week, mandatory. Hey, if we are going to nationalize the health care industry, let’s go all the way and nationalize the health club industry too. If you fail to work out a certain number of hours per week without a doctor’s consent, you can do you exercise time in the yard at the "Big House."

There you have it. My proposals to fix the health care problems in this country. Which do you prefer? With the second proposal, I have created the worst case scenario for fixing our health care system with the ultimate in socialized medicine. If you think about it, it’s the only way that socialized medicine would really work. For me, I’m more interested in using the free market to bring down the cost of health care, rather than create the Orwellian nightmare that Hillary Care would be, as the first step in Totalitarian control over our lives. I have a father that is 90 years old with Alzheimer’s. I don’t think that he should be euthanized, which would be a distinct possibility under a national health care system managed by a Far Left Wing Totalitarian government. This is the type of government that the Left wants to force onto the American people for their, and their alone, benefit. I don’t want a system that allows rich liberals to adopt the old, "do as I say, not as I do" mantra, while they continue to deconstruct systematically this country of ours…the greatest republic in the history of the world. My dad is a World War II veteran who fought for the freedoms that we take for granted today. He deserves something much better than the Communism of Hillary Care.