Obamacare vs. the Court of Public Opinion?

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First off, congratulations to the President for getting his compromise extension of the Bush Tax Cuts, Unemployment and the other assorted issues embodied in that bill.  Those Don’t Ask Don’t Tell revisions, our bet; are going to take some time to filter out.  The Marines are not exactly jumping up and down requesting Rainbow Camouflage rucksacks just yet.  Will the START Treaty become part of the Lame Duck Triumvirate?  It really is a non-starter (no pun intended) and will probably pass by a narrow margin.  If the Russians like it – how bad can it be?

OK, let’s get to the real problem issue:  Obamacare Implementation.  A recent single Judge Court decision has questioned the Constitutionality of the so-called ObamaCare requirement – “that everyone buy or obtain Health Insurance”.  We guess we could have called for a law that said that “Everyone should buy an American made car too!” as well.  But then, most of American made cars are being made somewhere else!  The point in question is one about requiring any citizen to buy anything!  Many point to the Car Insurance analogy as a similar requirement.  Not exactly a good one by the way, when you consider that in addition, you need to buy a car, buy a license and pay for continuing upkeep after the purchase.  In the bad old days, Californians could just post a $10,000 dollar bond and not even have Car Insurance.  Who knows, maybe you still can do that?  Someone bright should let us know.  In the meantime, ObamaCare has other Judges looking at the Constitutionality issue and Courts of Appeals and perhaps the Supreme Court will be following up in the next couple of years.

The answer to ObamaCare, is certainly not designing a system that gives Insurance Companies Billions and Billions of dollars and then still stand ready to restrict access to healthcare providers, doctors, new medical technology and prescription brand drugs – rationing.  There are many that say that we should keep our present system and just tweak it a bit.  A “substantial tweaking” has been in the cards for quite a while.  The HMO diaster accelerated the profits of corporate Insurers and limited the actual healthcare that could be provided.  The evil “Pre-Existing Condition” issue has been a nightmare.  “Oh you took an aspirin when you were five years old when you had a virus fever!”  “Oops, that’s a Pre-Existing Condition” and we can’t give you Insurance – sorry!”  That kind of General and Accounting whiplash…..had to go…no doubt.  There is a simple answer however, place all “Pre-Existing Condition Designees” into an “Assigned Risk Pool”, much like what Car Insurance had to do when State Governments required Car Insurance for everyone, but no one would take them.  The annual premiums were regulated by the State – so that even the Assigned Risk Pool designees – were not ripped off.  Spreading the risk equally to various Insurers is the key to this concept.

The fundamentals of Health Insurance do need some tweaking:  Let’s start with establishing Regional Payment Structures for Doctors and Hospitals, Transportability of Insurance Coverage for ONE Year when moving from one area of the country to another.  When you move to a new State, you should be provided with six or more Insurer choices to choose from that can create the adjusted payment schedule – in many cases your own original Insurer will have coverage in your new state and simply self-adjust the payment structure. This is not rocket science or nano-technology….this is how much your local doctor or hospital is going to be paid when you move somewhere else.  There doesn’t need to be more than six designated regional payment areas in the United States for healthcare either – just do it!

What if you are under 26 and have no current medical issues or history of medical issues?  How about a basic Public Liability  and Public Damage minimum annual payment required and provided by any employer.  If the employer can’t afford that coverage – it should be optional that the employee pay that annual payment for any local Urgent Care provider that can handle non life threatening bumps and hurties!  Requiring Annual Physicals for those under 26 without health issues is not necessary.  If someone has had a serious problem under 26 – then perhaps Annual Physicals would be a good idea….but not for all.

The Single Payer Issue, Medicare, Medicaid and Government Mandated Health Insurance all have that familiar smell of the British Nationa Healthcare Service which literally no one in the British Isles has much good to say about – other than it comes out of their taxes and they never pay directly – so they really don’t know what the low level of service, the rationing, the long waits for surgeries, the long waits to see specialists and the rest…..reminds us vividly that the NHS is just a giant HMO!  Not what might be a good answer for the United States.  They don’t even talk about Drugs Advertised on TV….because Pharmacies  never want give  patients the real brand that works – initially.  By the way, the prices charged  in ObamCare are based on Generic – not Brand drugs.  If you want the real drug – expect substantial sticker shock.  The reality is that Big Phrama does not want to cure anyone, they just want people hooked on “their” therapy……which you must continue to take and buy.  It is the prime reason Drug Companies pedal their “samples” to every Doctor they see.  Dispensing the prescriptions yeilds Doctors additional samples and perhaps more.  Why would Big Pharma want to produce something that actually cures the ailment?  Make those patients take that stuff until they run out of cash….like everyone else.   You wonder why many elderly find themselves paying $500 to $1000 dollars of month just for their prescription drugs.

Let’s get back to why ObamaCare is a problem.  ObamaCare requires you have a level of coverage which will include preventative care.  Sounds good on the surface, but one that should never be a required element.  Choices in Healthcare providers is the big issue, which it is doubtful in this country that there can ever be a viable solution.  In this day and age, the first thing most people do is check Google when they have something wrong with themselves.  The reason?  It might take a couple of weeks to see a doctor – if you have a problem.  This is the beginning of Self-Medication by Computer!  Dr. RX or whatever will give you some – if possible erronenous advice about your problem immediately!  The list then grows:  Accupuncture, Accupressure, Natural Organic Remedies, Faith Healers, Aroma Therapy, Crystal Therapy, African or Native Indian Witch Doctors, Buddist Monks, Tai-Chi, Laying of Hands, Christian Sciences, Scientology, Shoalin Preists, Self Medication using old out of date drugs,  Medical Marijuana, Peruvian Mushrooms,  East Indian Shamans and even Dr. Frankenstein.

The reality is simple:  The StarTrek Tri-Corder is currently not available or Dr. “Bones” who made the correct diagnosis.  The Government is up for TAX-SPEND and TAX some more.  If some special interest people can grease their back pockets in the process – so much the better.  Drug Companies are going to continue to produce drugs which require more of their products – not the quick cure we need.  ObamaCare, no matter how well laid out…..will fail because too many people want to be paid for doing nothing.  Keeping Employers in the game is an absolute requirement.  The Default….should be for only those at the bottom of the scale – as has been the method since the last great depression.  Tweaking needs to be made and tax write-offs for Doctors is a must – if they serve as General Practictioners and are not Incorporated!  Breaking th0se technical cycles of greed in the Medical World will be a challenge!  Beware of any Public/Private Partnerships here!

President Obama – Congratulations on your recent legislative victories.   Make those necessary changes to ObamaCare now –  making coverage for unrationed Healthcare for every American another one!  “Think Tweak!”