Wisconsin to become guinea pig for Universal Health Care…
Posted by Casey:
This is just absurd. A 120% state-wide tax increase to cover the cost of it is needed!
Absolutely insane. But, if the Dems are put in charge of the Wisconsin House next year, I guess we’ll see what the outcome is in a few years…
Thank God I don’t live in Wisconsin….
http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110010374
Find out my personal position on Health Care after the jump…
I oppose Universal Health Care because I know first hand how inefficient and unpersonal government is.
I work for the VA. I see the inefficiency and incompetence every day.
One thing the article does not address is what is sure to become an enormously expensive beauracracy that has so much red tape, regulations, and price controls that services become limited because hospitals cannot afford to provide that service to as many people because of reduced pricing capability.
Furthermore, I am fundamentally opposed to ANY direct tax on the people, their property, or their freedom. That goes for states as well as the federal government. I resent having nearly 40% of my paycheck confiscated by the federal government every two weeks. I resent having to pay $thousands to the state of Texas based on the supposed “appraisal value” of my property, which is largely based on which party is in charge of Congress.
I resent the fact that my mother, who is mentally disabled by a psychological disorder, fought Medicare and the Social Security Administration for years to begin receiving benefits that she, under the current law, is entitled to. I am highly grateful to a Democrat, Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, for helping my family achieve this goal of receiving Medicare and SS benefits for my mother. However, this solidified my opinion that Universal Health Care by government is wrong.
However, I agree wholeheartedly that the current health care system is broken.
It is essential that we remain the world’s leader in health care technology and medical advances. It is essential that we lead the way in finding cures, treatments, and remedies. I fully support the use of federal funds to bolster stem cell research, biochemical research, and others.
But as far as personal health care, Government has one role: regulation and ensuring that everyone has equal access to it. We must get Congress to pass laws that remove the post-World War II employer-provided health insurance model. It must move to a personalized model.
I use the analogy of car insurance. You should be able to choose different levels of medical insurance coverage, for different costs based on age, fitness, drug use, alcohol use, etc. You should be able to search for the best price and insurance companies should be able to offer their services everywhere, to everyone. Doctors and patients should be able to decide the best course of action without insurance companies or government buearocrats determining otherwise.
There needs to be a National Patient Records database. This is one area where the VA has an edge on private health care. We are implementing standardized medical records for veterans that is unparalleled anywhere else in the world. Privacy, data integrity, and reliability are essential, and regulating that all doctors and hospitals have access to this information with a patient’s permission is paramount. This will reduce medical malpractice possibilities, increase a doctor’s understanding of each case, and enable doctors, patients, and hospitals to make informed decisions.
Free market reform would reduce costs much more than anything else. Reducing the tax burden would reduce costs even more.
Ultimately, what will reduce costs the most will be medical liability tort reform. We must institute a loser-pays system, establish limits on damages, and reduce a doctor’s liability.
To reduce costs and increase care, we need to make health care more accessible, not more beaurocratic.
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Wisconsin is a Socialist paradise… doesn’t surprise me at all.
As for the soapbox on HC reform… I’m there with you!