Michael Rentiers

We’ll all need some form of health care after this is over

As long you aren’t stranded on a deserted island somewhere, (and let’s face it you wouldn’t be one of my tens of readers if you were) you have heard quite a good bit of the arguments surrounding the proposed health care “reform” debate.  From my perspective, it is an argument that cuts directly to the role and scope of government as well as the future of the American economy and notions liberty and rugged individualism.   We have all heard the debates on both sides and I don’t have to tell you where I come down in all this, so I won’t rehash it here.

I do want to take a look at what is happening in Washington through the lens of common sense.  Let’s take a look at the last couple of votes as well as future votes through the prism of regular, hard working Americans that will be paying for this thing.  Sometimes we get too caught up in the ideological battles. For the normal folks out there who want the truth, I think I have a good perspective for which you can judge if what elected officials are doing is the right thing or not.

Let’s start out with the latest Rasmussen tracking numbers that pretty much say you don’t need to read what I am going to write:

Just 38% of voters now favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s the lowest level of support measured for the plan in nearly two dozen tracking polls conducted since June.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% now oppose the plan.

I don’t think any sane person would argue at this point that the current plan is popular or that it represents the best efforts of the people elected to serve.  In fact, I think the US Congress knows quite well that the plan that passed the House and the plan that is beginning debate in the Senate will not achieve any of the stated goals.  Additionally, I believe that they know that they are in for serious loses in the midterm election next year.  Unfortunately, the Democratic leadership has made a political calculation that states that it is better for them to force it through, no matter what, than to admit they were wrong and start over.

The congressional leadership is willing to risk damning this nation to a generation of hardship and potential ruin for pride and control.  This is a game of power at the highest stakes imaginable.  But it didn’t have to be this way.  Common sense folks would follow a line of thinking that goes something like what I lay out below.

Currently, I am wondering aloud about why the most important piece of domestic policy in a decade is being written behind close doors, being voted on late at night on weekends and is having to be dragged across the finish line by the narrowest of margins- only after weeks of back room vote buying and arm twisting.  If this bill would do even just a little of what congressional leaders say it would do, there would be massive support for it by the majority party and even among reluctant Republicans.  More importantly, the voters would be clamoring for it.  Common sense tells folks that things are not right.  In fact, it screams out that things are very badly wrong.  Makes sense?  That argument is all common sense-no politics needed here.

The Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader both had to buy votes, threaten members and provide political cover just to get passage by the thinnest margins.  Does that sound like a bill that members support?  Does that sound like how you want your health care decisions being made?

So where could we be if folks like you and I, you know-common sense types, looked at how we could increase coverage, lower costs and expand benefits?  Just off the top of my head I would say you and I might offer the following solutions:

• Stop fraud, waste and abuse of Medicare.  According to CBS it is a 60 Billion dollar problem.  Sounds like a good first step.  Instead, Congress is going to cut Medicare benefits.
• Lower costs of private plans by allowing interstate competition.  Surely you knew that you could only choose a plan that was approved to do business in the state where you live?  What would happen if you could choose from the thousands of plans out there now?  What would those companies do if they could compete state to state, from border to border for your business?
• Stop companies from disqualifying customers based on strict preexisting condition guidelines.  Everyone is for that.  It is in the current plans, but sugar coating a cyanide pill doesn’t make it fun to swallow.
• Allow individuals and small businesses to pool their buying power and purchase cheaper plans like large businesses can.  What more can you say about that?
• Tort reform.  I believe it was Senator Reid that said the savings of $54 Billion amounted to a drop in the bucket.  Really?  Chump change to the big spenders of your money I suppose.

So folks, you common sense believers out there-why wouldn’t we start with those common sense solutions?  Why not start there and then move forward if it wasn’t enough.  I am pretty sure the voters would thank their representatives who swore to uphold the Constitution.  After all, we still believe in what remains of the uniquely American notion that Liberty, no mater how hard, is always preferable to heavy handed overreaching of the state.

Just off the top of my head I laid out a case for why any reasonable person should be down right scared about the current health care debate and a few suggestions for what they should be debating.   Just a little common sense will go a long way.  So watch your elected officials.  Can they be bought off despite grave reservations about these “reforms”?  Will the true cost and effects of the proposals be debated?  Will Congress discuss alternatives?

Listen, then act, but always use common sense.