People spoke of history being made when the United States House of Representatives passed House Referendum 3962. U.S. President Barack Obama proclaimed, "This is their moment, this is our moment, to live up to the trust that the American people have placed in us. Even when it's hard, especially when it's hard, this is our moment to deliver."
This nearly 2,000-page bill does not guarantee universal access to health care services. It attempts to ensure that most, but not all, U.S. citizens will possess health insurance by 2013. It does this by raising taxes on the wealthy to fund a government insurance pool for the poor, and by expanding Medicaid. It also increases subsidies and consumer protections, though those don't kick in until 2013 in order to save money. Unfortunately it does nothing to address all the reasons that health care is so expensive.
It would take only a few sentences to achieve the goal of universal health insurance. That leaves quite a few pages to waste money. The arguments and rhetoric have been heated, but few people talk about the bill itself. There is little focus on what this bill does and how it fixes the health care system.
Instead, professionals write speeches that throw every rhetorical device known to man at the listener, because that is what they are paid to do. Liberals talk of the poor and defenseless, attacking conservatives as if they fantasize about uninsured citizens in the streets. Conservatives can't seem to string together a coherent paragraph on what alternate methods of reform would work, and have focused instead on attacking Democratic proposals.
Health care issues are many and complicated, but certainly not impossible to address. It is impossible to list all of these issues in this article. Luckily they have been covered by numerous other authors. One particularly relevant article is "How American Health Care Killed My Father." It details how the system is both inefficient and needlessly drives a wedge between the patient and health care services.
A major point in the article is that insurance is a horribly complex way to pay for any product. That is why it is usually purchased with the hope that one never uses it. You don't buy car insurance and try to get in an accident, yet health insurance is treated differently.
Imagine using insurance to pay for groceries. Everything would require forms and waiting periods for approval. Only certain products from certain grocers a certain number of times per year would be acceptable. A loaf of bread would cost $20 before the insurance company negotiated it down.
Price distortion, too much regulation and lack of market discipline are all problems with the American health care system.
H.R. 3962 will not destroy health care in this country. It is the equivalent of giving a government grocery subsidy, adding another layer of regulation on payment and then hoping for the best.
It will drive the price of health care up for those who are healthy, curb innovation, increase waiting times and lead to an overall lower quality in care while doing nothing to address actual issues.
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