I have to give President Obama credit, he’s gotten everyone talking about the state of American health care. And that’s a good thing. Our health care system is very broken and it does need a lot of work.
However, I’m one of the many Americans who have doubts about the President’s plan. It all sounds way too much like a disingenuous line we might hear from a campaign, rather than a plan. It all sounds very romantic and pretty, but with precious few details about how the plan is going to be implemented. Basically, the super-privileged making policy for the rest of us and not considering the real world. Before I can ever think to consider this… I’d need some questions answered. Truthfully.
- How exactly is this going to be paid for? This isn’t going to be cheap. How exactly do you plan to cover all these people while still paying health care providers?
- Who decides who gets what? I’ve heard in several interviews statements like “[we] will have to buck up” and that we won’t be able to get tests and other procedures “a la carte.” But what about people like me who require specialized tests as a standard practice for the treatment of our medical condition? Every 120 days I have to undergo an HbA1c test to verify how well I’m controlling my blood glucose levels. Under the new health care reform, will I be able to get this? Should my mother have a heart attack am I going to be on the phone trying to convince some ill-informed bureaucrat that women can and do have heart attacks? Or is it going to be decided by my doctor?
- Require Health Care: Way to drive up costs more? Most of the states that require auto insurance enjoy some of the highest costs associated with it. Is the same going to happen once it’s required by law? Is having to pay for health care going to break working families? Unless we could get it for low cost, we’d be sunk having to pay yet another bill that we couldn’t get out of.
- Five Hour Waits! Art thou on the way? Suppose this plan passes… am I someday going to have to wait 5 hours if I’m forced to go to the Emergency room? Wait 6 months to 2 years to get a cancer screening? These are all realities in some countries with government-run health care.
I have to admit, I like the idea of coverage for everyone. I’ve been in the situation where I make too much for Medicaid, but too little to be able to afford health care. Right now, due to the economic conditions in Michigan, the Medicaid program only serves children and the disabled. Under the plan, we could probably get something. So I do appreciate the value. We aren’t looking for a handout. We’re not sitting around eating bon-bons and watching soap operas all day, wanting the state to support us. We’re looking for a chance.
However, until the disingenuous rhetoric dies down and we get some real details, I wouldn’t ever support this.
Tags: healthcare, Money, obama