It’s NOT such a Wonderful Life!
Health Care Deformed
Health care reform is an explosive issue in our society. Many health care and insurance industry leaders say an overhaul of our nations system is long overdue. Politicians debate over specific policies they believe would best accomplish this endeavor as their political interests are protected. While the debate focuses on how to best reform the U.S. system of health care, few argue that it needs to be done at all. What all sides are failing to realize is that our government has a history of failed and misrepresented government programs. Furthermore the current proposed health care reform measures and the constitutionality of government run health care should also seriously be considered. Health care is too personal and important an issue to be entrusted to government.
First of all the Untied States government has a long history of failed regulation. Most recently our country was plunged into a recession due to under regulation of the banking industry. In order to purge us from this recession the United States congress voted to give a corporate bailout to large companies and other banking institutions, with very little oversight. In short, our government sought to fix a problem caused by under regulation with 3.5 trillion of citizen dollars and more under regulation. Some citizens and our government deem the corporate stimulus package a success. However, when asked how the government could afford the bailout money the president of the United States said that the Federal Reserve could just print out the money. In actuality, whenever the Federal Reserve loans the United States government money it is loaned with interest. Our government officials stated that the cost of the corporate stimulus was not a tax; however the price of consumer goods and services increased while corporations cut wages and continued to down size their employees. This act was indeed equivalent to new taxes. It does seem ironic that the very taxpayers who are enduring foreclosure are paying the companies who are doing the foreclosing. On my city block alone there are two families who have had their houses foreclosed on. Does new taxes by increased inflation during a recession sound like a good idea? In the above case of the corporate bailouts, the largest corporations were the ones to benefit while the American people continue to grow unemployed. Likewise in the case of health care reform, the largest corporations will also be the ones to benefit the most.
Now that we have considered the recent history of a questionable government program we should review proposed health care reform bill measures. Health care reform is favored by most if not all major health insurers and institutions. The reason for their support is because they were promised by the authors of the health reform bill, that they would actually make more money from a more insured populous. While the largest industry in the U.S. economy is promised increased profits, the American people are promised a more affordable health care. It behooves us all to become informed citizens and discover who benefits from government programs ourselves, while not taking what our government and media tells us for fact. For example one common blurb from the main stream media and political aficionados is that the government sponsored plan would be a great competition to the corporate plans, thus driving down insurance costs. This sounds like a reasonable statement; however on page 72 the proposed health care bill states that all private health care plans must conform to government rules to participate in a health care exchange. This is not so alarming until you read page 84 which states that all private health insurance plans must participate with the health care exchange. This constitutes government control of not only the government plan but even the private insurers. Page 124 and 127 give us an even deeper understanding of the big picture as no company will be allowed to sue the government for price fixing, (having a monopoly), and that the government will set all wages. This does not sound like competition it sounds like a complete governmental takeover of the health care industry. Would the American people benefit from reduced heath care costs? Page 58 and 59 of the proposed health care plan state that every individual will be issued a government health I.D. card, and that the U.S. government will have direct real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic fund transfers. Not only does this plan attempt to take over the entire health care industry but to have improper jurisdiction over the personal lives of every citizen.
Moreover, this brings us to the question of the constitutionality of proposed health care reform. Governmental health care reform falls under the jurisdiction of the 9th and 10th amendments of the U.S. Constitution. The 9th amendment states,” The enumeration in the constitution, of certain rights, shall not be considered to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” The 10th amendment states, “The powers not delegated to the United States nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved for the states respectively or to the people.” These amendments to our country’s most sacred defender of personal liberty, limit congress’ power to only those given in the constitution. The Constitution of the United States does not give the congress any such power as to the regulation of health care. Some have argued that the 14th amendment grants such power in the right to regulate interstate commerce; however this is an ineffective argument, as health care is of a non commercial and personal choice.
Finally, after an examination of the recent history of the United States government’s corporate regulation, proposed health care reform bill measures, and their constitutionality; we must seriously consider if health care reform is worth the further degradation of our economic civil liberties. While I am extremely concerned about the costs associated with our modern health care system; I am also concerned with the 635 billion dollars over 10 year price tag. However, I am most concerned about the Federal Government having complete jurisdiction over my private funds, and to even mandate those who do not have insurance to pay a penalty, (more taxes). After considering all these issues I am of the firm opinion that a citizen’s need for personal medical care is too important to be trusted to our government, and government interference is in fact unconstitutional.
Jerry Adams