This week’s letter comes from Wayne Bredtze who politely reminds us that something has been lost in all the screaming about a socialist take over of the health care industry. Now if we could just get rid of those pesky death panels. Thanks for the letter, Wayne, you can pick up your winner’s spoils: a bag of Strictly Organic Coffee at our office, 704 NW Georgia.
Why is it so bad that the government should provide health insurance for those who can’t afford it? The government provides college loans and grants for kids who otherwise could never afford to go. That move certainly didn’t drive the private sector out of the student loan business. The government has several agencies that help families get home loans, if they can’t afford to get one otherwise. That move certainly didn’t drive the private sector out of the mortgage business. There’s no evidence that providing a health insurance public option will make the insurance industry unprofitable.
Wayne Bredtze
This article appears in Sep 17-23, 2009.
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Excellent letter Wayne!!! You hit the nail on the head. And the well being of the American People is the business of the Government (though they sometimes forgt that): the profitability of the insurance industry is not.
Keep in mind that this system will also require all people to carry health insurance, they will have to buy it if they dont already have it and dont qualify for the free insurance. Personally I have no problem. Young adults, single in particular, will not carry health insurance on their own as long as they know they will be treated for free if they need it. They just roll the dice and deal with the fall out if they get unlucky. It is natural, I did it and have talked to many young adults (19-25) who do exactly that. It is not that they cannot afford a policy, its really not that bad at that age for just you if you have a decent job. They would just rather dispose of their money in other ways. So this way they have the option taken away and it is the same thing as if thier taxes were raised to cover social health care and then there it is. Interestingly every young adult I have said this do has no problem with that approach, they just wont do it left to their own devices. Fwiw, not much some days, I have been in health care for 15 years, in cancer.