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Depository of Power - The Freedom of Choice

Posted by The Conservative Commonwealth on Thursday, September 10, 2009 11:51:50 PM
Thomas Jefferson has provided us with a plentiful amount of timeless quotes. This is one of those great quotes:

"I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their discretion." - Thomas Jefferson
 
The health care issue is similar to a lot of other national politics issues being discussed and comes down to two simple questions: "Who should possess the depository of power?" and "Are the American people enlightened enough to have the freedom to make their own decisions?". These important questions extend beyond this issue and are central to America's future.
I believe that every person is born with the natural desires to be free and to be the master of his or her destiny. We yearn to find labor that fulfills us and we want to keep the fruits of our labor. We want the freedom to exercise the religion of our choice and to speak freely and without censorship. We desire an environment where continual hard work will yield success and we will become victorious in our pursuit of happiness. These are American values.

Health care is a personal matter and a personal responsibility, not a right or an entitlement. American's should be allowed to make health care and health insurance decisions for themselves because all situations are unique and there is no universal answer to the question of what is best for each individual. A healthy person with personal savings should have the option to make the informed decision to not carry health insurance without being penalized by higher taxes. They should hold that depository of power! A person should be able to sign up for the most comprehensive of plans or the most basic plan for catastrophic situations. Where do we draw the line in knowing what is best for our neighbor?

In Obama's address to Congress on Wednesday night, he said that no one should "go broke" paying for health care services. Medical costs are currently inflated and 60% of bankruptcies are due to medical reasons, according to an August 2009 study. There is no arguing that this is a major issue, but the solution is worth an argument. First, let's examine that figure. The reverse side to that figure is that 40% are NOT due to medical reasons. That means an estimated total of 600,000 Americans will declare bankruptcy for other reasons. There are many reasons why one might file bankruptcy and there are many understandable and unfortunate situations. However, it is no secret that our society, as a whole, has not been responsible with money for quite some time. This is something that is actually encouraged by politicians (and was George W. Bush's demand for what people do on 9/12/2001: go shopping) because our economy is 70% consumption. We need to learn how to become better savers and become more frugal with our money and sometimes, unfortunately, failure is the best medicine (no pun). Bankruptcy is rebirth, not death. What drives up the cost of health care and health insurance? There are many things and no easy answer.
  1. Malpractice lawsuits are a major reason. Malpractice lawsuits are necessary for extremely improper medical care, but there are many lawsuits that are illogical and unwarranted. Medical professional liability insurance, protection against medical malpractice suits, costs medical professionals between $5,000 and $150,000 per year, which in turn raises the price of treatment. Because doctors are afraid of being sued, they also perform numerous tests on individuals just to cover all ends, which obviously increases the total price of treatment.
  2. Illegal immigrants are another major reason. Estimates show that 12 million of the "45 million uninsured Americans" are illegal immigrants. For every dollar that illegal immigrants pay in taxes, they consume three dollars in government services. With the number of illegal immigrants increasing every hour, this is an unsustainable system. Many pregnant illegal immigrants race to our country at the last minute to give birth in San Diego because doctors cannot turn them away and their children become their ticket to staying here.
  3. The next major reason is that patients who use health insurance are not as concerned with the cost of their treatment because they don't see the bill right away. If everything must go through an insurance company, medical personnel can increase the cost of their services because insurance companies subsidize care. A visit to the doctor for the common cold should not cost a hundred (or hundreds) of dollars!
  4. The lack of a TRUE free market health care system is another major reason costs are so high. The government does not allow health insurance companies/plans to compete across state lines. This limitation drives down competition and limits options for consumers. The government has their hand in health care with many regulations as it is, which disturbs the free market.
The good news is that we are not hopeless and not destined to socialize medicine. There are a few changes that can be implemented that would drastically improve our problems.
  1. We need tort reform. A person who brings an frivolous case against doctors should have to pay for court costs if they lose the case. Also, reform is needed on compensation so that minor medical errors do not result in someone winning the Powerball Jackpot!
  2. Stop illegal immigration - NOW! Immigrants who do not follow the standard procedures are breaking the law and disrupting our civil society. Ending illegal immigrants would improve security, increase wages, reduce unemployment, and lower medical costs.
  3. A patient who goes in for minor or routine care should pay for the services rendered. Health insurance is not needed for the minor cold or for a routine office visit. Costs would be lowered because doctors would not have to file paperwork with insurance companies and wait for compensation. Cash speaks loudly and discounts prices in many situations.
  4. Consumers should be able to purchase insurance from companies across state lines just like consumers buy products off the internet from all around the world.
I do not have health insurance. I am too old to be on my parent's coverage and cannot afford the premiums because I am in school. I am thankful that I have been healthy over the course of the last 20 months and have not suffered because of my lack of coverage. I agree that some things need reform, but I believe that reform should not be rushed through or forced through. Americans have given feedback at town hall meetings and Congress has hopefully listened. It is time that we, the people, possess the depository of power, not an inefficient batch of government bureaucracies.
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My Personal Socialized Health Care Experience

Posted by The Conservative Commonwealth on Thursday, September 10, 2009 11:50:05 PM
Operator: "East Broadway Family Medical Center ... Can I help you?"
ME: "Yes, I'd like to make an appointment to see a doctor."
Operator: "Okay. Have you been seen here before?"
ME: "No, I haven't.
Operator: "Well, the first available appointment to see a doctor is July 20. Will this date work for you?"
ME: "I believe I have the flu. Is there any way I can be seen earlier?"
Operator: "No sir. You can try a different location."

This is the actual conversation between myself and an operator at a branch of the Louisville, Kentucky Family Health Center on May 26, 2009. FMC is a government-funded medical center that treats patients based upon income, with some patients paying nothing at all and others paying up to 100% of charges. Eight weeks was the absolute soonest that I could be seen, with some locations simply turning me away from any treatment at any future time. For a routine physical examination involving embarrassing personal areas, waiting eight weeks before being seen actually sounds like a great idea, but certainly not when someone becomes sick at the height of the H1N1 (Swine) Flu scare. My interaction with socialized health care started with a sneeze and ended in frustration.
 
The United States already has a form of socialized medicine. I kindly suggest that those interested in government-run health care look no further than their friendly neighborhood FMC the next time they seek treatment for a cough or sneeze.
 
For a detailed argument against government-run healthcare, see my blog post, "Depository of Power - The Freedom of Choice" after President Obama's speech on Wednesday night at 8:00 PM.
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Website

Posted by The Conservative Commonwealth on Thursday, September 10, 2009 10:04:00 PM
My friend and I created a website this week. It is called Generation Politics Network. His site is called The Kentucky Liberal, while mine is  The Conservative Commonwealth.
 
Please check us out and let us know what you think!
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