My Take on Health Care Reform
On the day that health care reform legislation is passed, I got a statement from my Medicare Advantage insurance company detailing charges from a lab for some blood work my doctor ordered. The lab charged $587.00 for their services, my insurer's "Covered Benefit Amount" was $97.76. The message on the back of the statement confirms that I am "not respopnsible" for the difference of $489.03. I presume the lab is satisfied with the amount received.
If the lab had performed those same tests on my son, who is uninsured and cannot get health insurance, it would have sent him a bill for, and would have expected to be paid, $587.00.
Is there any question that something needed to be done? Is there any question that the health care system would have overwhelmed Medicare and Medicaid and employer funded health insurance in the near future? Is there any question that the medical provider/health insurance complex has proven unwilling or unable fix the system?
In the face of this, the Democrats have done what the Democrats do - devised a fix that expands the power of the Federal Government and costs a bunch of money that the government doesn't have have. And the Republicans have done what Republicans do - just say no on social issues and block any attempt to raise taxes.
We could have done so much better. The Democrats were begging for a bi-partisan bill. If the Republicans had simply taken a seat at the table, they could have demanded changes in how we deal with medical malpractice, on coverage for illegal aliens, on more acceptable language on abortion and they could have brought attention to any other issues they wanted addressed. And maybe, just maybe, working together, they could have figured out how to come up with the money to fund the reforms.
On balance, Im happy that something is being done to reform the health care system. I am not happy about how divided we are are as a nation and how unwilling we are to seek common ground.
If the lab had performed those same tests on my son, who is uninsured and cannot get health insurance, it would have sent him a bill for, and would have expected to be paid, $587.00.
Is there any question that something needed to be done? Is there any question that the health care system would have overwhelmed Medicare and Medicaid and employer funded health insurance in the near future? Is there any question that the medical provider/health insurance complex has proven unwilling or unable fix the system?
In the face of this, the Democrats have done what the Democrats do - devised a fix that expands the power of the Federal Government and costs a bunch of money that the government doesn't have have. And the Republicans have done what Republicans do - just say no on social issues and block any attempt to raise taxes.
We could have done so much better. The Democrats were begging for a bi-partisan bill. If the Republicans had simply taken a seat at the table, they could have demanded changes in how we deal with medical malpractice, on coverage for illegal aliens, on more acceptable language on abortion and they could have brought attention to any other issues they wanted addressed. And maybe, just maybe, working together, they could have figured out how to come up with the money to fund the reforms.
On balance, Im happy that something is being done to reform the health care system. I am not happy about how divided we are are as a nation and how unwilling we are to seek common ground.
posted by Crotchety Old Fart at 8:30 AM
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