Ron Amundson’s Political Blog

Its interesting to note that so many folks on both sides of the issue of healthcare reform think its free. Democrats think that preventative care will save money, and reductions of waste will fund healthcare for all. Republicans don’t want higher taxes, don’t want illegal immigrants covered, and think insurance companies should be deregulated. Everyone, Democrats, Republicans, employees, employers, and retired folks think they spend too much money on healthcare. Guess what… healthcare is not free, and if you find it is, thats because someone is paying for it behind the scenes.

It may be that you don’t want higher taxes, but you fuss every time your insurance goes up. Well, the solution to that, is hidden. Bash on the insurance companies enough, and they will reduce benefits and deny claims, not for the nickel and dime stuff, but for serious illness, such that folks can still perceive they have great coverage.

Follow this up, by annual caps, lifetime caps, recision practices, denial of coverage for those with prior c-sections, infertility drugs, family coverage termination, or even ill employee termination, such that folks with illness are no longer covered. Then encourage such folks to get on medicaid, such that their expenses get hidden away in state budgets.

Then to top it off, don’t let states raise taxes to cover medicaid, so they too have to cut expenses and reduce benefits for the seriously chronically ill, such that only acute care is covered.

Of course, even that might be too much, so the solution is to limit acute care… and then the patients only source of acute care is the ER, which of course they wont be able to afford. Its the same deal with illegal immigrants, they get care per EMTALA, but it does have to be paid for. The end result, doctors end up having to fund the ER at huge costs… but of course thats problematic, as they need to make money, or at least stay above water.

So… the doctor’s solution is to raise every ones rates in order to keep doctors from loosing their shirt. Of course the problem with that is, insurance companies and Medicare dictate what they will pay to the doctor. If the doctor is shafted enough, he will say screw it, and leave the system, or perhaps leave medicine entirely. Such will create a supply side shortage, and put a serious dent into the pool of folks considering medicine for a profession.

This in turn affects the loan industry, being ex-docs wont be able to cover $300,000 in student loans, medical facilities wont be able to cover their loans, the pool of folks wanting loans for med school, and facilities will shrink and investors might actually feel some push back for a change.

The question then becomes…

Do we let the market run its course until investors get pinched? It might be the only way folks wake up to the fact that healthcare is not free, and that yes, someone does have to pay.

Do we let lobbyists write healthcare reform to reward their investors? It would bring massive gains in some sectors, with massive costs to others… most likely the doctor or hospital will pay financially and the patient will pay with their life, or at a minimum, a reduced quality of life.

or

Do we realize that healthcare is not free, and that all, everyone from the student loan firms, to the patient has to take some responsibility, and some of the pain of change?