Monday, April 5, 2010

Healthcare LTD: An Alternative Proposal



Thursday night I attended a rally in Columbus to celebrate the passage of the healthcare overhaul bill. Spirits were running high, but beneath all the exaltation there was an undercurrent of worry that the Orangemen* will succeed at either repealing or overturning the bill.

I spoke with Senator Sherrod Brown, who openly admitted that the bill is flawed. "We had to make a lot of compromises to get it passed."

Back at home, I read all the letters to the editor in the newspaper vilifying Congress for enacting this legislation.

Then I saw where the national debt is projected to hit 101% of GDP by this fall.

Maybe we should start over.

If we do, I think we should create legislation that's more in keeping with what we can afford, more in line with the wishes of the American people, and more supportive of Amercian business.

Here is my proposal:

1) No one gets their healthcare insurance through their job anymore. The government can't afford to pay for healthcare and employers would certainly be more profitable without that burden.

2) Everyone buys health insurance directly from an insurance company, just like we do car insurance. That way, the free market truly will operate to force competition and efficiencies.

3) No one has to buy insurance. If they choose to spend their money on a new car or a nicer house, that's their choice. One of the most cherished American freedoms is choice, and the government should stop scheming to erode that freedom.

4) Just as with car insurance, when people become a bad risk, their company will raise their rates or drop them altogether.

So now that we've got the ground-rules laid out, let's take a look at what happens when people get sick.

1) If someone shows up at a hospital, either because they're sick or due to an accident, and can't prove that they will be able to pay their bill, we Let Them Die.

2) If someone is born with or acquires a condition that puts healthcare beyond their means, we Let Them Die.

3) When people get old and taking care of them becomes prohibitively expensive, we Let Them Die. (This one actually provides a secondary advantage of trimming the Social Security budget.)

4) Children whose parents can't afford to provide insurance are out of luck. Because, let's face it, kids who grow up like that are probably going to wind up being a life-long burden on the system. Let Them Die.

Healthcare LTD: With the current contents of our wallets, and our hearts, it's what we can afford.



*Followers of John Boehner.

11 comments:

  1. I am confused? are you a yes we can or a hell no you cant?

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  2. Jeanne, your proposal sounds very reasonable. But it's not too far from the health care the US already has.
    I know this is tongue-in-cheek. The French are still amazed at how reticent the Americans are to have national health coverage.

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  3. Sounds like your proposal will help take care of the over population we are facing these days too ;-) Glad I stumbled over here ... Following you now- stop by my place when you can ;-)

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  4. LTD sounds good to me..just let them all die..and then there won't be a need for health care..only the really healthy or nearly perfect will survive.
    If you are an Illegal Alien..your bill will be paid in full..how does that work:(

    ReplyDelete
  5. It's a whacked out messed up system that's not gettin' any better for the working man or woman.

    Have a blessed day my friend!!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm not confused. I'm with you guys. The ONO advantage (Obama's New Order) will really hit home when we finally legislate the guns out of the Republican's homes and pickup trucks. Then we can bring in the new military and round them up; put them in some kind of "camp" and tell them they must work for their precious "independence". In the meantime we can legislate abortions on them so they will stop reproducing any more of their evil little spawn. Sounds good to me!

    ReplyDelete
  7. At first I was hoping you were talking about Syracuse (Orangemen.)

    I've followed this so closely and truly, I am conflicted in my heart of hearts. I'm mostly jaded about how Congress "gets things done", but it's not like this is new information.

    I agree with some elements of yours, and I think I agree about the indiv. mandate. Choice is a tough thing for Americans, as it turns out.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have listened to Obarak's speech the day before the Health reform was voted, it was one of his greatest one! And also looked at his modesty while signing the voted bill.

    I love the video you showed!

    In France, every worker is assured, and around 10 percent of his income is taken out directly from the pay, and the company has to pay more then 30 percent more to it. The retired, children, spouses, households are insured too.

    If you have a long bad illness, usually you get 100 percent and do not have to pay anything, for healthcare or medicine. Otherwise, you pay upfront the doctor and you get reimbursed, most of the time 70%. In general, I feel it is a better regime then in UK, doctors care more. It was only when I arrived to France, and had to go to the hospital, then I was not yet insured, and indeed, it has cost lots of money. But from then on, for 45 years, and even now, and even if I am in another country, I am still insured, because when I worked, I paid my due.

    Yes, you CAN and of course, the video is more satiric. Doggybloggy, all the people in it said "can" only one "cant".

    Thanks for your visits.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm so confused about this stuff, all I can do is repeat jokes. Hopefully you will straighten me out at lunch so I don't keep telling this one:
    The new healthcare bill covers plastic surgery. If you tell them you want to look just like Nancy Pelosi.

    ReplyDelete

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