Obama plan doesn’t cure health care (July 16)
By Chuck Doud
The Madera Tribune
The United States already has the most expensive health care system in the world. Americans aren’t unhappy with the quality of the care. What they hate is how quickly costs rise, and how those who pay for health care often subsidize those who don’t.
It doesn’t sound like the health plan for which President Obama is thumping the tubs will change any of that Obama wants to make sure everyone has health coverage, and that is a worthy goal, but we need to remember something about our costly health care system: It already covers most people.
People 65 and over are covered by Medicare, which is financed by a mandatory employment tax, paid by both employers and workers.
Medicaid covers vast numbers of poor people who for whatever reason have no other coverage. That is again paid for by taxes.
Private insurance covers many who work or own businesses. In some cases, the employers pay all costs for coverage, but that practice is dwindling. In most cases, costs are shared between the employee and the employer.
Then, there are laws which require hospitals to treat virtually anybody who comes through the door into the emergency room, whether the patient can pay or not. The cost of that care is born by the public, usually through state payments, and through subsidization by regular paying customers. Hospital rates are usually padded to help the hospital absorb the cost of treating indigents whose care isn’t otherwise paid.
And something else: Doctors and hospitals pay atrocious insurance fees for malpractice and pass those costs on to their patients, or their patients’ insurance companies. Obama’s plan does nothing to limit punitive jury awards, which contribute to the high malpractice insurance costs.
People won’t want to pay any more — they would like to see more for the money they already pay.
