Quote:
Copyright (C) 2010 by F. Scott Sinclair. All Rights Reserved.
OpEd
Part 2: The Health Care Fiasco
President Obama, and others, state that it costs $1,000 per
insured person to pay for those who don't have health
insurance and choose to use hospital emergency rooms
instead of primary care physicians. And we want to
completely overhaul (ruin) our health care system because
of those who don't have health insurance and are forced to
use the nation's emergency rooms? A ludicrous notion at
best. Why is that? Because all you have to do (if Obama,
et al aren't lying to us) is have the insurance premiums
now in effect frozen at their current levels, and order
the insurance companies to hand over $1,000 from each
of their policyholder's premiums to fund the uninsured
in a special pool that all insurance companies must be a
part of. And by immediately freezing insurance premiums,
the private insurance companies can't arbitrarily pass
the $1,000 cost onto their customers: us. Hence, if it is
true...that $1,000 dollars of our premiums are going to
help pay for the uninsured, then let's call their (Obama's,
et al's) bluff...if it's a bluff. Now that's a measure that
won't cost a dime of additional taxes (if they're telling
us the truth) because we're all already paying the $1, ooo
dollar premium(s) already: it's factored into your
yearly premiums already (according to Obama), and
then tax the super rich their fair share: end of problem,
including the pre-existing illness issue, etc.
The bottom line: all the government has to do is set up
a few basic rules to contain costs and premium rate
increases, address tort reform, pre-existing illnesses,
portability, interstate competition, etc...nothing more.
Let the private sector work within those guidelines,
and the customers will pay less and carry the freight
(as it's doing now, not the government: us, the taxpayers)
to maintain the system we have right now. But with
price controls and all the other things mentioned above,
the health care system will remain as it is now, but in
an improved fashion. A fairer system for all. Even
those who are fined for not buying insurance will be
given basic health insurance equal to the value of
their fine. That's an altruistic approach to health
care, not a punitive one.
Just another idea (for what it's worth) to try to
stop the intense conflict over the health care
overhaul, in an attempt to provide constructive
thoughts on a difficult problem. Thank you for
your time and consideration given to this matter.
Sincerely,
Novelist F. Scott Sinclair
