Snake Oil Obama

Barack Obama delivered his snake oil health scare plan to the University of Iowa Hospitals yesterday. It was long on baloney but short on specific details.

Nicholas Johnson says:

If you're hoping for "universal, single-payer" healthcare (as I lean toward) -- as is provided to the citizens of virtually every other industrialized nation -- this ain't it.

You know, I hope that some day the United States will have a "universal, single payer" health care system.

The "universal" should be cash money backed with a catastrophic insurance policy and the "single payer" is you.

The days where employers are paying 70% to 90% of an employee's $10,000+ health insurance plan will eventually end.

So will the idea that insurance should cover every little thing under the sun or that "co-pays" should be small amounts.

Why does a Tylenol cost $10 in a hospital? Johnson & Johnson doesn't make any more money selling that Tylenol to a hospital as it does through the local drug store.

Why, in bigger towns and cities, do major medical groups consolidate so many doctors in a brand-spanking new building complete with flat screen LCD TVs all over the place?

Have you ever gone in the back room and seen how complex the billing systems are?

Ever spent a lot of time on the phone getting some insurance billing thing fixed?

We need to be getting back to the days where a family can buy a cheap catastrophic coverage plan, but fund regular ongoing expenses out of a Health Savings Account (HSA).

Insurance was made to protect people from excessive financial liabilities, but it has been abused by individuals, health care providers, and the government.

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. So you can give everybody "universal" coverage, but you can't make them go to the doctor. There's always going to be a segment of society that won't go for regular checkups, much less lead a healthier lifestyle. What is Barack Obama going to do about that?

Why the hell should "rich people" pick up the burden of stupid people? Now the poor can drink and smoke all they want, but Daddy Warbucks and the taxpayers will pick up the tab when a new liver transplant or years of chemotherapy are needed.

People should be able to go to the doctor and pay cash for the doctor's services. Shouldn't there should be a discount for people paying in cash. Wouldn't that be easier?

Oh, no. The "government" should just pick up the tab. Why bother with shopping around for health care? The centralized politburo should dictate all prices on this and that and everything. That's MUCH more efficient, isn't it?

Ha ha ha ha ha! Suckers!!!!!!!!!