Today in part 3 of our discussion we move to medicare and medicaid. These two medical insurance components were part of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society and War on Poverty in 1965. Progressives in America have always wanted the government to control the health care of Americans and this was a first big step in that direction.
Medicare, designed to cover all Americans upon reaching the age of 65, was thought at the time to be the best way to handle the critical needs of seniors and the increased medical services they need. After all, the overwhelming majority of health care costs for each of us occurs in the latter years of life. The program pays for a large portion of major medical care while the individual needs to purchase a cost effective supplement to keep individual cost minimal.
Unfortunately, due to cost overruns in the program which have been huge, the government has routinely been forced to routinely cut back on payments to doctors and hospitals and, with the advent of Obamacare, more and more practitioners are deciding to no longer accept it. This means for many of us that finding a primary care physician, and specialists when needed, is becoming a serious problem.
There is one big problem that could be solved and would help but no one in government seems to care: fraud. Huge outlays of dollars have been given for treatments not received and only the tip of the iceberg has ever been found. Sometimes the government just doesn't seem to care about policing their own systems, they would much rather try and police the individual instead.
And this brings us to medicare, the federal government mandated program which, unfortunately, is left up to the states to largely fund and many of our states today are either nearly bankrupt or headed in that direction. Obamacare rulings by the Supreme Court opened the door for states to seriously cut back on this program due to their lack of funds by opting out. The likelihood here is that needed services in this category, for those who can least afford care, will result in millions of Americans not able to receive care other than to flood the emergency rooms. In a nutshell, the promise of Obamacare will once again prove that the government doesn't have a clue what it is doing or talking about.
We could probably solve many of the problems created by this mushrooming usurpation of power by the feds, but it would take willpower and politicians with intestinal fortitude. A doctor-patient centered program, private in nature but with some governmental subsidy, could be used to lower costs (let the market determine) while also affording compassionate help to those truly in need.
I guess I'm dreaming on this one because it would require a federal government to support individual freedom and decision making and federalism, two features that the power hungry politicians don't like. Tort reform, thereby lowering doctor's malpractice insurance costs, would also help. We could follow the example of Texas.
As in the earlier parts to our discussion of saving America, we must either decide to do something or watch our Republic continue to crumble slowly, one brick at a time. What a shame. The nation that has always prided itself on having the best healthcare in the world is getting ready to slip into third world status. I'm sure my departed dad, a physician, rolls over in his grave each and every day.
Tomorrow, in our final part, we'll discuss the Obama administration's disdain for the Constitution and the Rule of Law. It will be a fitting finish because this is where something can be done if people will just demand it.
Until then, God bless you each and every one. Have a wonderful Tuesday.
Medicare, designed to cover all Americans upon reaching the age of 65, was thought at the time to be the best way to handle the critical needs of seniors and the increased medical services they need. After all, the overwhelming majority of health care costs for each of us occurs in the latter years of life. The program pays for a large portion of major medical care while the individual needs to purchase a cost effective supplement to keep individual cost minimal.
Unfortunately, due to cost overruns in the program which have been huge, the government has routinely been forced to routinely cut back on payments to doctors and hospitals and, with the advent of Obamacare, more and more practitioners are deciding to no longer accept it. This means for many of us that finding a primary care physician, and specialists when needed, is becoming a serious problem.
There is one big problem that could be solved and would help but no one in government seems to care: fraud. Huge outlays of dollars have been given for treatments not received and only the tip of the iceberg has ever been found. Sometimes the government just doesn't seem to care about policing their own systems, they would much rather try and police the individual instead.
And this brings us to medicare, the federal government mandated program which, unfortunately, is left up to the states to largely fund and many of our states today are either nearly bankrupt or headed in that direction. Obamacare rulings by the Supreme Court opened the door for states to seriously cut back on this program due to their lack of funds by opting out. The likelihood here is that needed services in this category, for those who can least afford care, will result in millions of Americans not able to receive care other than to flood the emergency rooms. In a nutshell, the promise of Obamacare will once again prove that the government doesn't have a clue what it is doing or talking about.
We could probably solve many of the problems created by this mushrooming usurpation of power by the feds, but it would take willpower and politicians with intestinal fortitude. A doctor-patient centered program, private in nature but with some governmental subsidy, could be used to lower costs (let the market determine) while also affording compassionate help to those truly in need.
I guess I'm dreaming on this one because it would require a federal government to support individual freedom and decision making and federalism, two features that the power hungry politicians don't like. Tort reform, thereby lowering doctor's malpractice insurance costs, would also help. We could follow the example of Texas.
As in the earlier parts to our discussion of saving America, we must either decide to do something or watch our Republic continue to crumble slowly, one brick at a time. What a shame. The nation that has always prided itself on having the best healthcare in the world is getting ready to slip into third world status. I'm sure my departed dad, a physician, rolls over in his grave each and every day.
Tomorrow, in our final part, we'll discuss the Obama administration's disdain for the Constitution and the Rule of Law. It will be a fitting finish because this is where something can be done if people will just demand it.
Until then, God bless you each and every one. Have a wonderful Tuesday.
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