The Health Care "Debate"

Recently, I've been following, with equal parts distaste, horror, and amusement, the town hall "debates" over the proposed heath care reform. I really think its shocking.

A couple observations

First off, I think the faux-opposition to health care reform is being extremely disingenuous, if not downright dangerous. I think maybe the best example of this is courtesy of ex-Gov. Sarah Palin. She writes...

The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s “death panel” so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.

First off, any literate person with a brain inside of their head, will realize that this is incorrect, dishonest, and not grounded in any basis of reality. Read the bills. Of course, the problem is that many of the "average Americans" appearing at these town halls have little need for logic. They simply need a claim to spew their vitriol at.

What really is most frightening is this. Health care reform is arguably the most important social legislation since the 1960's. It deserves to have a healthy debate. However, it has been reduced to ranting, on both sides, due to the debate's devolution into nonexistent talking points. In order to help this, let me quickly dispel many of the outlandish rumors.

Rumor #1 - Obama is setting up a death panel

Aaron's Logical Response #1 - See above. This is insane. If we're talking about "death panels," and some bureaucrat controlling health care, how do you interpret insurance prior authorizations? A bureaucrat is authorizing your doctor to perform a procedure or prescribe a certain medicine. That sounds a lot more like a "death panel" than a non-mandatory counseling session about end of life care.

Rumor #2 - Obama is socializing health care

Aaron's Logical Response #2 - Health care is already socialized. It's called Medicare and Medicaid, and millions of retired Americans utilize it. Furthermore, there's this notion that Congress is turning the US health system into a version of Britain's NHS. This also, is untrue and unfounded. None of the current bills under consideration contain anything like this, being a one-payor system. The public option being discussed would only be another plan within the existing free-market system.

Rumor #3 - Obama will take away my insurance plan

Aaron's Logical Response #3 - I don't know how many times the dude can say it, but if you like your current plan, it can be kept. However, insurance companies will have to comply with new federal standards which will prohibit them from denying coverage or charging higher premiums based on pre-existing conditions. What a terrible idea that is.

What I think is the true shame of this "debate," is the fact that lost in all the craziness, is the fact that approximately 50 million Americans remain uninsured. That's 50 million people uninsured, in the wealthiest country in the world, where supposedly, we hold life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as self-evident truths. And of course, if you watch cable news, or the town halls, they conveniently fail to adequately explore this plight. Oddly enough, it seems the loudest opponents of health care reform are those with nothing to lose either way - people with preexisting insurance. Now, I find it strange that people who already have coverage would be protesting against something that will in the end, help reduce their overall costs. It seems that ridiculous claims and fear-mongering will just do that to people.

Anyways, yes, 50 million uninsured people. People seem to be very concerned that now, taxpayers will be on the hook to pay for the public option. No one bothers to talk about how taxpayers are already subsidizing care for the uninsured. And as my nurse cousin-in-law pointed out to me tonight, the burden of caring for the uninsured is more costly than a hidden tax. He and my cousin (who, btw, recently gave birth to a baby boy), have already had to take a pay cut due to hospital expenses in caring for uninsured patients who cannot afford to pay their bills. The cost of caring for the uninsured also results in the closing of hospitals. Perversely, these hospitals are being forced to close for the simple act of caring for people.

Health care reform is not an option, it is a necessity. No one benefits from its devolution to comedy. So why are we doing this to ourselves? If I were a cynic, I would say the opposition is so vociferous for the simple reason that a defeat would deal a significant political blow to Pres. Obama and the Democratic majority. I suppose it makes sense, the Republican Party is in shambles, has lower approval ratings than the Democrats, and is faced with a competent and still reasonably well-liked president. It only makes sense politically to fervently oppose any Democratic initiative. Political sense maybe, but common sense? Is it actually reasonable to think that health care can continue as it is? I think not. Conveniently enough, aside from the aforementioned opposition, I haven't heard any Republican counter-proposal for health care reform, which leads me to infer that they have none. Which results in preservation of the status quo.

Let's do ourselves a favor, and demand an actual debate, not a masquerade filled with bullshit accusations, hyperbole, and misinformation. Furthermore, the central aspect of this debate should be those 50 million uninsured persons and the current unsustainable costs of health care. Anything less is a disservice.