The health care industry has problems, just like the auto industry. But using government funds to bail out and take over another industry is not the answer. The government has already failed in running Social Security and Medicare, with both programs going broke. With a history of failure, why would another government run health care program succeed? It wouldn’t.
The government program may provide INSURANCE for everyone, but having insurance does not necessarily mean you have access to care, nor does it guarantee the quality of care you get. The government program by many speculations will result in rationing of care due to an insufficient number of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. It will also result in longer waiting times to get an appointment. In many cases that could mean the difference of life or death, of treatment that saves money in the long term, of preventing permanent disabilities or surgeries. Being able to obtain quality care in a timely manner is of utmost importance. We cannot sacrifice that care for a government system.
People talk about the disparity of health care. If H.R 3200 or a similar program is passed, the disparity will only increase. The 15% of people who are currently uninsured may become insured, but projections are there will still remain a majority of these people who will be uninsured. There will be a greater number of people whose current coverage and care will actually decrease in quality. As companies determine if the 8% penalty outweighs the cost they contribute to employer-based health care policies, they may opt to pay the penalty and leave the employees to fend for themselves. Smaller companies may still not be able to afford the health care coverage or the penalty and may close down, leaving those employees unemployed and looking for work in a grave economy. For anyone who has been a small business owner (and I have), unless you have many financial resources, just paying the daily bills is a challenge, often with the owner living off what little is left. Small business in America could quickly disappear with more government mandates. One can only speculate how the business world will react and the consequences this will play for health insurance for the employees.
A small group of people won’t be affected by the program either way. These are the people with money. They will have their insurance plans, but most important, they will also have the resources to pay for care out of their own pocket. They will have the ability to go where they want to receive care because they will have the resources to pay for it. Granted, they have that option now. But with the prospect of rationing, having the cash to pay for service may be a determining factor in actually receiving quality care in a timely manner.
