Healthcare…one man’s opinion

I was, at one time, of the same mind as the current “Tea Party” movement. I’m not of opposite mind now, just a little off-center, if you will. I think that it has become as militant and obstinate as Obama’s Change Coalition. When so many people with access to so much information rely solely on partisan news sources and diatribe-laden chain e-mails, it’s no wonder our nation is so divided right now.
There are many things about H.R.4872 that I like (and none of them involve the ridiculous politics that surround it). There are many things that I don’t like (including said politics). However, anyone that says that we don’t have a problem with the health care insurance industry is just plain misinformed, ignorant, or both.
Here’s what I like:

• No yearly or lifetime limit on benefits
• Offspring eligible until 26 on their parents’ plan
• Improved estimating and premium-determination via the Law of Large Numbers, including those with less health problems (i.e. healthy 20/30-somethings).
• Truly helps seniors by fixing some inherent and congressional-created problems with Medicare.
• Substantial and appropriate funding to fight health insurance fraud.

Here’s what I don’t like

• The piggy-backing of student loan reform.
• The executive order regarding abortion funding (I agree with it, but it’s reversible by the swipe of a pen by one individual with zero checks and balances).
• The reliance upon future congresses to enact certain items to help it reduce the deficit. This will not happen.
• The blatant disregard for pay-as-you-go in exchange for Robin Hooding the successful.

These aren’t exhaustive lists, but they hit the highlights. The first two “likes” are selfish.  One, my beautiful Aunt Maria is boxing brain cancer right now, and she’s beating the hell out of it. However, those treatments aren’t cheap. By eliminating the yearly/lifetime benefit caps, you take the handcuffs off of the doctors and let them find the best treatment for her without having to have a fundraiser every day. There is still a person cost, but there’s no wall.
Two, my brother is 21 years old and had to make a life decision this year based upon his inability to keep health insurance through my parents. This, I believe, will help him out tremendously.
As far as the dislikes go, here’s my take:
Student Loan reform should have been handled independently. It was rammed through with hardly any discussion and next to nobody realizes that the actions this past year federalize the three largest loans that an individual usually incurs:

• Home loans – the federal government backs a HUGE percentage of all mortgage securities now. Plus, we control a lot of the banks and the entire rating system.
• Car loans – two of the largest American auto manufactures now have their financing through the federally-overseen GMAC.
• Student Loans – by creating this uber lender, we have completed the trifecta of being owned by Uncle Sam

The executive order banning the use of federal funds for an abortion is a joke. How do you determine that? You won’t ever have an earmark that says “Abortion Funds.” However, there are going to be many programs that fund or support voluntary abortions of healthy fetuses getting federal money. Does this ban any money to any group that supports any facet of abortions? Absolutely not. A health-insurance company could direct private funds to abortion-related benefits and say that no federal funds go to this. It’s the same ploy used by the United Way. They say that you can direct “your” funds to a specific charity and by-pass a group like the Susan B. Komen Foundation (they do good work in some venues, but they are pro-choice). Everyone gets the same amount of money that they would; they just redirect the contributions from people that don’t earmark to the charities that received less earmarks.
I don’t think I have to say very much about building in dates for future congresses to do something. We all know it’s not going to happen. They know it’s not going to happen. But, when it doesn’t, each side can blame the other for the situation. I can’t believe that the Congressional Budget Office would release estimates based upon this kind of insanity.
I don’t make $250,000/year. I probably won’t ever make $250,000/year. So, this won’t cost me money. Right? Right? Wrong. Who invests in start ups? Who helps to fund new research? Who does this, this, this, this and this? The wealthy. I won’t go into the specifics, but rich people get very creative in ways to preserve their money. You can bet your ass that some money manager out there is going to have a shit-ton of clients when he figures out a way to shield them from this.
There’s so much left on this topic that it makes my headspin…but this is a start.
Oh…and Steve Driehaus? You are not who I thought you could be. Chabot 2010.