Okay Citizens of the World, and the astute and quick to respond TucsonCitizen.com bloggers and commenters, I anticipate that I will be nabbed here for being “partisan”, as some of our fans see it everywhere to the point where I think that during a Monday Night Football match they would want the game to be stopped because the opponent does not agree with them, and are therefore ‘partisan!’ Whatever.
Here is my educated and small world take on Health Care, colored with 34 years industry experience. VA System, St.Marys and UMC Mental Health, while in Nursing School, and as a Veterans Benefits Counselor.
This is small stuff folks so be gentle now, the summer of aberration is over.
All the flap about the Government destroying free market enterprise does not pan out. Most all Health Care markets are a near monopoly pre-determined by the giant HMO”s who pretty much decide who will take a certain market and leave another alone. Retired health care professionals will testify to this gimmick. It is very much like the old Mob families. Except the mob was managed better.
But here’s the thing. The VA Home Loan program, which I know intimately, has been sitting side by side with FHA el al, since the 1940’s. Has it dented, damaged or demeaned the competition in the home loan industry? No, not one iota. In fact it has bolstered the entire competitive nature of the home loan industry, and regulated itself so as to not have the internal fraud, and disgusting greed and malice that we have seen this past 5 years.
I beseech you, who do you want as your trustworthy Uncle in this scenario, Uncle Sam, or Uncle Guido? The argument of the Government,(which is still us, last time I woke) destroying Capitalism in America is pure nonsense. Even the icon, Reagan knew this well as he vociferously defended deficit spending. Without the Government intervening, Capitalism is but a paper dream, especially now.
And last, from my small world, I just want this one on the record, as my bookie told me to!
In the next few weeks or so, we are going to witness the VA Health Care system come off the bench and enter the health care game as a ringer. They are going to make some 3 point shots from, “downtown” as the sportscasters say, and blow partisanship right out of the saddle.
Not unlike Ted Kennedy’s Title lX Legislation for gender equity in sports that passed 35 years ago, no Donkey or Elephant will ever squawk about their daughter getting an athletic scholarship for a College sport that heretofore they never would have been awarded. My cousin Christine Caliway got one for the UofA Basketball team. This never would have happened without that fine bi-partisan legislation. Something tells me this debate is similar. If 24/7 Cable television took a 30 day break like Congress does, it may happen faster.
So, stay tuned, I say the VA is coming to a theater near you.
Actually the VA mortgage program shows government restraint. The VA program simply guaranteed the 20 per cent that the veteran wasn’t able to produce. Mortgages were still based on the fiscal conservative view of the borrower coming up with a down payment. The interesting fact was the government allowed the free market to continue by allowing civilian mortgage companies to qualify and fill out the paperwork. The money came from investors just as all mortgages, the only difference was the missing down payment was guaranteed by Uncle Sam. It was a niche program designed to aid those who had given up the big bucks of civilian life for the service of their country and the resulting lower wage. A deserved perk in my estimation.
To equate the VA mortgage program to the possibility of Uncle Sam controling healthcare, is truely apples and oranges. I would be the first to agree our system of healthcare needs revision. Without tort reform, and the ability to buy beyond state borders we will be saddled with a system run by bueracrats. Bueracrats don’t understand the meaning of the word innovation. For them if costs overrun revenues they only know to cut services.
Ultimately I believe in the innovation and spirit of the American people. There are ideas out ther that we have’t heard because people haven’t thought of them yet. Let’s keep a free market and keep the faith.
As for Tort reform, it has been documented that less than 3% of all Personal Injury claims are over one million dollars. So where is the beef? There is also a residual belief that the actuarial prognostications about Insurance losses are not from policies but from crummy real estate investments that went sour. Apples and pears.
The reform I am looking for is one that would reduce or even remove the need for hundreds of thousands of dollars being paid in premium per doctor.
Conservative ideology is solely based on resentment and finding a scapegoat.
Do these people really believe that our problems would be cured, or even significantly improved, if lawsuits and illegal aliens dissapeared from the face of the earth ?
Suddenly we would have universal healthcare ?
No they don’t – and they don’t really care – to them everything is all about finding a group to scapegoat so they don’t have to think about reforming themselves.
When I review the new voice in the discussion, I am extremely impressed. It is not often that I can be in the presence of one who can discern anothers intentions and pass judgement in such a cavilier attitude.
Honest debate, requires an understanding of not just one’s own opinion but also an understanding of your opponents position. Based on that understanding honest discourse will attempt to persuade with fact and opinion. But calling the other side “idiots” is not a winning move.
We can use a few more, “Cashgreen’s” on the national scene. So many are hell bent on division over discourse, and preeminence over propriety in dialogue. I am reminded of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s characterization of Thoreau. He said Henry, “was a genius but he could only feel himself in opposition”
Oppositional viewpoints sans the ability to maintain the dialogue are achieving what………?
Anyone who played sports knows that you may not think much of the Coach but that does not mean you walk off the field kickin’ dust and blathering.
Keep chimin’ in Cashgreen, I would like more of your ilk to contribute to this Post. Advocacy will never be achieved with endless gunfights at the OK Corral.