Healthcare Reform: Politicians Claiming Divine Rights

President Obama and congressional Democrats have failed to convince the American people their reforms will improve the national health care system.

For sure, the U.S. system is in need of repair. The United States spends 18 percent of GDP on health care, while Canada and prosperous European nations spend about 12 percent. Outcomes are comparable—by some measures U.S. health care is better and by some measures those nations get better results. However, the United States has tens of millions of people without insurance who either can’t get it or afford it.

Drugs, doctor visits and hospital stays are more expensive in the United States. The U.S. system is burdened by huge malpractice costs, and by excessively expensive administration imposed by private health insurance companies that pay lavish executive salaries.

Malpractice lawyers are well positioned within the Democratic Party, and early on, President Obama gave them a pass. In addition, he has failed to adequately challenge the American Medical Association, pharmaceutical companies, and the likes of Aetna and Humana.

Consequently, the President is reduced to asking Americans to spend more and pay higher taxes for health care today, while vaguely promising to “bend the curve” and lower costs in the future.

Americans fear that Obama’s curve bending will come down to rationing that puts ordinary citizens in long queues and the elderly at peril. Long waits for surgery and to see specialists in foreign government-run systems make those fears well founded. It becomes a short leap to hysteria about euthanasia.

Americans fear a moribund bureaucracy, akin to the Post Office, will be making critical decisions in their lives, and they will be left with the kind of recourse they now enjoy in tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service.

Those fears are genuine and not satisfactorily answered by President Obama and Speaker Pelosi.

At town hall meetings, members of Congress and the President face citizen anger. Democrats and the media are quick to note conservative groups have encouraged opponents of health care reform to voice their concerns, but Democrats often ignore that labor unions favoring nationalized health care also cram these meetings.

Polling data indicate voter approval, among all voters, for the Democrats plan has fallen below 50 percent while opposition stays above that important dividing line.

Undeterred, Nancy Pelosi and her liberal lieutenants in Congress scream they are victims of right wing scare tactics. In reality, a theocratic conviction that more government always improves conditions makes Democratic Party leadership blind to facts and deaf to reason.

The Bush Administration and its conservative allies in Congress were not much better. To the end, they believed that market forces could lower health care costs and rein in excesses on Wall Street.

In Washington, conservative Republicans believe liberals are not merely wrong but dumb too—that makes whatever Republicans advocate smart and compelling.

Liberal Democrats believe conservatives are not merely wrong but evil—that makes their reform agenda the Work of God.

I don’t mind politicians praying for divine inspiration in hours of trial. What disturbs me are those claiming the Divine Right of Kings.

Comments

[Rick99:]

It is time for someone, somewhere to proclaim divine rights and to fix healthcare. The Republicans owned the House and Senate for 20 years and gave us absolutely nothing beyond "Health Savings Accounts" which shielded a few thousand dollars of income for the lucky few and very well-off who were able to stuff that money away in a savings account. Now, they are "full of ideas" that they say they will implement if only the voters put them back in power. We've been hearing that same tired song since Truman first noted there was a problem with health care in America fifty years ago. I for one don't mind someone assuming the mantle of divinity and throwing out this broken record so that we can have a new song in this country.

Aug 13 01:17 AM

[Steven Hansen:]

although Peter is a Faux news talking head and this piece has a conservative bent, you should not throw out the basic element of his article.

nothing in this bill is addressing the massive burden medical care is imposing on our economy.

this is my problem with the fluid health care legislation. the cbo says the plans will cost us money. we already have budget overruns.

why don't we attack the costs ( because the vested interests hold the politicians by the nuts)?

Aug 13 05:32 AM

[Tom Armistead:]

It is not possible to evade the issue of Healthcare costs, since at the current rate of growth, and combined with the demographics of the baby boomers, Medicare will not be able to meet its obligations from predicted revenues for any meaningful period of time.

Other unpleasant facts: A large part of lifetime medical costs are incurred in the last two years of life. A large part of medical costs are preventable, caused by excessive use of tobacco, alcohol, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, prescription and non-prescription drugs, sedentary life styles, and lack of routine or preventive medical care.

Frequently family members are unwilling to perform the menial tasks associated with care in the last years of life. They prefer to leave these chores to others, at the same time avoiding hard decisions as to the quality of life that is being produced by the massive expenditures of other people's money.

That's the facts of life on health care and until we as a society are willing to deal with them we are all going to aggravate each other no end.

Aug 13 07:04 AM

[jziehr:]

Another thoughtful article from Mr. Morici. But, as is so often the case, he offers no solution to the problem. He says that our healthcare system is in need of repair but then does not say how to do that.

We need solutions to the healthcare problem not just commentary.

Aug 13 08:17 AM

[fireball:]

my cat and dog get reasonably priced care. there is no caticare or doggycaid. there is no govt. interfernce, just competition to provide the best care for the best price. hmmmm.

Aug 13 09:10 AM

[Hot Richard:]

Once your dog and cat can vote, there will be a forked tongue demon politician rubbing their bellies and promising FREE VETS! Then costs will go up dramatically.

Actually won't rub kitty's belly...they no like.

Aug 13 10:48 AM

[YoYoMama:]

What are your solutions?


On Aug 13 08:17 AM jziehr wrote:

> Another thoughtful article from Mr. Morici. But, as is so often
> the case, he offers no solution to the problem. He says that our
> healthcare system is in need of repair but then does not say how
> to do that.
>
> We need solutions to the healthcare problem not just commentary.

Aug 13 11:52 AM

[YoYoMama:]

Peter Morici is the only SA contributor whose opinion on health care reform I respect, only because he sees the issue from all angles.

Authors who offer solutions from the left-leaning angle get lambasted by the conservatives on this forum. Lambast the president, you hear from the Democrats on the forum.

The truth of the matter is there is no one solution that will not hurt another group. It is the veritable "Rob Peter to pay Paul" dilemma. The crux of the matter is - who is "Paul" - i.e., who needs reform the most, and who needs it least?

Everyone wants to believe they are the Paul in this situation. The truth of the matter is, the "Paul's" of the world are the working poor (who do not qualify for Medicaid) and the self-employed and small business owners who can only obtain personal health insurance.

The working poor simply cannot afford insurance. The self-employed and small businesses (less than 20 persons), also either cannot afford health insurance, do not qualify because of pre-existing conditions, or are charged ridiculous rates for very little return or face policy rescission (which may be as high as 30 - 40% of policies).

I personally see virtue in both the president's policy in offering a public option, which would provide real competition for private insurers. But I also see that cost reduction is the key missing compenent in the president's policy. I also see virtue in the Republicans favoring health cooperatives, association care, competition across state lines. Unfortunately, they have had their heads in the sand on this issue for too long, and the solutions they offer simply aren't strong enough.

Those of us who can step aside from our own political leanings can see that BOTH cost reduction (Medicare overhaul, torts reform, medical technology, more competition for private insurers) and expanding government coverage would work to fix many problems in the system.

Too bad both we as Americans and our leaders can't see this and work together to address these issues. It's to our own peril we cannot.


On Aug 13 08:17 AM jziehr wrote:

> Another thoughtful article from Mr. Morici. But, as is so often
> the case, he offers no solution to the problem. He says that our
> healthcare system is in need of repair but then does not say how
> to do that.
>
> We need solutions to the healthcare problem not just commentary.

Aug 13 12:04 PM

[Windsun33:]

Both sides have said, and now Obama continues to say, that huge savings will come about from "fighting fraud and waste" and "increasing the efficiency".

If these fixes are so obvious, then why has nothing been done for 20 years? They cannot fix the obvious and well known problems, yet I am supposed to trust them to now fix all of that, plus add a trillion or so more to oversee?

I don't think so.

Aug 13 12:21 PM

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Aug 14 11:07 AM