Now for those who say that conservatives and Republicans don’t have a plan for how to get healthcare reform are just wrong. I recently wrote a piece called Generational Healthcare and a conservative commented on it with the following statement:
"This is what we must do and why the generational divide on healthcare will not and should not stop us as a nation getting a good healthcare bill passed that contains CPR-Coverage, Prevention, Reform as well as includes health insurance stability, affordability, quality, and patient choice."
Thoughtful post -- I appreciate it. As a conservative who opposes much of the Obama plan, I'd like to offer my rationale.
First, I don't disagree with you that much opposition is generational; however, while many of us don't agree with Joe Wilson's demeanor, we are afraid we're being lied to -- and that rather than the end game being health care for all, it's government control.
Here's why. The Obama administration argues that the primary problem in health care is the high cost of care. Many things -- other than the actual technology and labor -- are involved in that high cost, including:
1. Third-party payment (People are removed from the actual cost of care)
2. Malpractice insurance (Almost unlimited punitive damages make malpractice insurance one of the biggest costs to doctors)
3. Reaction instead of Prevention
4. High numbers of uninsured visitors to emergency rooms.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but there are several solutions that would have immediate impact on health care without the dangers of nationalization.
1. Reduce the threshold for medical savings accounts, and make IRS reporting easier so that insurance for routine medical costs would be taken care of.
2. Block grant money to states for catastrophic coverage for those who cannot afford it.
3. Offer tax incentives to people who buy their own medical insurance comparable to the incentives their employer receives.
4. Enact tort reform that leaves actual damages intact but limits punitive damages. Cases of intentional error should be in the criminal courts, not civil courts.
5. Offer some legal protection to physicians who offer their services free in urban areas. Some free or low-cost clinics are having to close -- even though they charge nothing -- because their donations cannot cover the cost of malpractice insurance.
Obama has been unwilling to consider these solutions, which causes many of us to think he isn't concerned with the actual problem as much as he is devoted to his solution.
Now when I read this, I quickly began to see some things that I agree can lead to CPR-Coverage, Prevention, Reform that includes health insurance stability, affordability, quality, and patient choice. Nonetheless I do believe that there needs to be some tort reform to stop ambulance chasing attorneys and trail lawyers from suing doctors and medical officials so easily. Now many Democrats and liberals are against this and you could see that when President Obama mentioned it in his speech by the facial expression of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and how the Democrats in Congress didn’t cheer this idea. Nonetheless no matter how anyone looks at it, tort reform would help decrease healthcare cost because than more doctors would look for preventative measures or measures that save lives rather than just opting to do the status quo to patients in order to avoid getting sued later.
I also agree with the conservative’s opinion that blocking grant money to states for catastrophic coverage for those who can’t afford it sounds like a good idea that needs to be included in a healthcare reform bill. Also I agree with the idea that there needs to be some legal protection or government grant dollars going to physicians who offer their services free in urban areas. Some free or low-cost clinics are having to close—even though they charge nothing—because their donations cannot cover the cost of malpractice insurance. The Obama administration should contact Dr. Herbert Smitherman who is a physician for the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) and was someone who both Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm and U.S. Congressman John Conyers wanted to be the next U.S. Surgeon General. Plus Dr. Smitherman is my dad’s doctor and he knows exactly how free or affordable health clinics have been hurt by a lack of donations for malpractice insurance.
Thus, I have to say that conservatives have ideas and the notion for people to say they don’t I have to disagree with. In fact, I got the idea for CPR from one of Senator Gregg’s op-ed pieces back in June or July. I believe that Republicans and Democrats, Liberals and Conservatives, and Independents and Moderates want some type of healthcare reform. As many of the political pundits and politicians have said for months, at least 70-80% of healthcare reform is agreed upon but it is the other 20-30% of significant details that need to be worked out. It is that 20-30% where tort reform and blocking of grant dollars need to be added. But the hugest problem holding up healthcare reform is how to pay for it and that is why perhaps taxes comes into questions because Democrats want to tax the wealthiest and gold standard healthcare coverage’s while Republicans wants tax incentives for small businesses and other Americans.
I am not sure how all of this will be paid for but the $900 billion price tag that Obama gives does not explain how the cost will be paid for without raising the taxes on more Americans particularly those making $250,000 or less in order to make sure it doesn’t add one cent to the deficit. Still, I do believe that healthcare reform is more of a generational debate but regardless of the debate, now is the time for action and grandstanding will not help the situation for millions of Americans needing some type of reform to happen this year. I pray that conservatives and liberals work together but if not than the Democrats need to just make it happen on their own like they did with the stimulus package and tons of other pieces of legislations that they have passed this year.
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