Earlier this month, the Huffington Post reported that California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the latest Republicans to publically announce his support for Health Insurance Reform. Other republicans working in a bipartisan manner include former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson.
Why are so many republicans backing the bill? Aside from recognizing that it’s necessary, it’s because, since day one, President Obama and supporters of Health Insurance Reform have been communicating values. When speaking about this issue, values such as equality, opportunity, change, the future, quality and well-being are regularly stressed. It’s hard for people to disagree with such values, because it would almost feel inhumane to admit to not wanting all people to have quality and well-being.
Fortunately for America there are plenty of people who realize that creating expanded government control of health care does not equate to providing all people with health care.
ReplyDeleteGovernment cannot offer health care without cost nor can it provide better health care than privately paid for health care.
Thane,
ReplyDelete1. Right now, without a public option there are 51 million people without health care. And given that every other country that has managed to achieve universal coverage has a government option of some sort I'd say the prospects look a lot brighter for getting there that way than any other way. Do you have an alternative way to get everyone covered that you'd like to propose, or are you just a professional naysayer?
2. Nobody can offer anything without cost, that's an oxymoron and you know it. However given that the CBO figures released yesterday for the house bill show that it will actually reduce the deficit by over $100 billion over the next ten years compared to doing nothing, I'd think the 'deficit hawks' should all be flocking to it. Only it's not really about spending, is it? It's about your anti-tax, anti-government, social Darwinist/survival-of-the-wealthiest ideology. Why not just come out and say it?
3. People on medicare are more satisfied with their coverage than people on private insurance. And nobody gets arbitrarily dropped from medicare when they get sick. Now, would you care to rephrase that?
Kyrsten- thank you for the reminder. I also subscribe to the thought..."it takes a village". I would hope that people realize that the intention is not for one person to do a thousand things but for a thousand people to do one thing united.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Dawn Hunter
Eli,
ReplyDelete1. If 18 other countries adopted a bad idea, that is no reason for the US government to adopt it.
2. The biscuit of deficit reduction is only possible by a combination of increasing taxes a lot and reducing government spending. I have plenty of faith that the current administration can accomplish the first but none at all that the government is going to reduce government spending.
3. I don't doubt that many people with government paid insurance are happy with it. My question is "Is government health care a good idea?" My answer would be no, at least for those who have to pay for it.