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Dishonest Campaign Rhetoric on The HealthCare Crisis
The Rhetoric:
Can anyone explain what Mitt Romney, is talking about when he says that President Obama doesn't understand Healthcare? When I listen to Mitt, speak - I often wonder to whom is he speaking?
The extreme politicization of the healthcare emergency in this country, is one of the primary causes for the gross misunderstanding the majority of Americans have about the real underlying factors that have created the emergency. Politicians, prey on that ignorance and then literally lie their way through campaigns in order to rack-up delegates. In the meantime, the United States economy continues to suffer under the most inefficient and ineffective healthcare system, of all the wealthiest nations on earth. The United States of America, is the ONLY country (among the wealthiest countries in the world) that spends the most on healthcare, while failing miserably to insure its Citizenry. The fact that we do not cover all of our Citizens, is an abomination and antithetical to common sense, decency, civility and morality.
We can do better.
The Problem:
I've seen and read most of the threads that attempt to discuss this matter. Most all of them approach the issue from a purely partisan and/or political point of view. Yet, I have not seen many threads that discuss the real issues behind the continued failure of our nation's healthcare system. People have decided to take the matter all the way to the United States Supreme Court. But, why? Why put such a matter in the court system, when there were plenty of opportunities to hash-out a fair system, within the four walls of the United States Congress. This issue is NOT going to be resolved in the court room. This issue, like it or not, will be resolved in the Congress.
We can pretend that we can afford to continue spending a projected 1/3 of our national GDP on a broken healthcare system, or we can get about the business of rescuing this country from permanent economic disaster, by reducing our aggregate costs to the insured, engaging more people in the system, thereby increasing real competition among providers and taking preventative care and treatment seriously. None of which we do very effectively today, and our completely out of control costs demonstrate that fact. How many American Citizens have taken the time to truly educate themselves about the real reasons behind our healthcare crisis? Precious few. Yet, these very same people, election cycle after election cycle, will allow themselves to be the target of pandering by politicians who lie to them about the matter at every turn.
Potential Solutions:
You might not like the Nordic approach to providing healthcare for its Citizens, but can you intelligently argue that it does not work?
How about the U.K./British model? Do they pay more per capita to provide healthcare? Yes, they do. Is everyone (and I mean everyone) covered under their system? Yes, they are. Do they get more bang for the buck (increase coverage levels at reduced [overall] rates)? Yes, they do. Do they have real choice? Yes, they do? Are they one of the world's largest economies? Yes, they are. So, what the heck is wrong with us? Why can't we get American Citizens covered, like they do in England? Why do we have so many uninsured and under-insured, working American Citizens? I'm not talking about those without jobs, without income and without any visibility on the horizon for healthcare. I'm talking about working Americans, whether part-time or full-time.
Our national GDP is projected to reach $14 trillion not too far from now. Our national healthcare expenditures (public and private sector costs) in 2010, were $2.6 trillion (18% of GDP). We are rapidly approaching 33% GDP, and some estimate that the current course the United States of America finds itself on, will result in our nation spending upwards of 50% GDP on healthcare. That's projected to be more than $7 trillion.
This is unacceptable by any and every definition of the word. No human being, dead or alive, could or can, justify such an overwhelmingly extreme ratio of wealth transference, for the sole purpose of providing healthcare coverage. We rank dead last among the wealthiest nations on earth, in terms of providing adequate care at an effective cost to our Citizens. We spend more than any other developed (wealthy) nation on earth per capita, and we yield one of the lowest effective target scores for resultant benefits to the patient on a YoY basis. We are literally driving our economy over a cliff, YoY - while politicians in Congress continue to play to the healthcare lobbies. All the while, the typical (average) U.S. Citizen, simply does not understand how the current system works and/or WHY that system is failing to produce adequate results.
We have a broken healthcare super-structure and all some people can manage to do, is "Just Say No" to correcting the problem, and throwing the entire matter through the Supreme Court, as if that is somehow the proper way to engage and resolve the matter in a civilized fashion. The current system does not work for the The People, and it has only worked successfully for the Insurance Companies, their congressional lobbyists and the Congressional representatives who benefit each election cycle, from the support that those lobbyists and insurance companies provide.
This country needs a brand new system of healthcare - not a rehashing, or remaking of the current system. One that covers everyone, reduces overall costs, increases overall competition, provides genuine options and choices to the insured, and that won't continually break new records as a ratio of national GDP. It is a complex problem to solve, but it is NOT an insoluble problem and it does have a solution.
The Current Path:
Some people might not like the current President, but make no mistake about it - this President has been handed broken down Chevy, and tasked with the responsibility of turning it into a Motor City revolution. He's been handed the worst economic depression since 1929/1932, the absolute worst drain on American jobs, since the Great Depression, the highest increase and fastest rising fuel prices since the OPEC lead oil compression of the 1970's, and he's had to effectively develop a plan to handle two (2) concurrent wars. Yet somehow, this President was able to focus the country on the single most important economic drain on our economy: HealthCare.
The current path towards a final solution may not be perfect (indeed it is not), but at least such a path does now exist, where it absolutely did not before and this President deserves the full recognition for that achievement. He got the ball rolling at a national level for the first time in U.S. History. Many Presidents have tried - all have failed. You cannot continue to grow our economy, while spending 17-33 percent of GDP on healthcare.
When this President attempted to work with Republicans on the sum and substance of the problem, he was summarily rejected by both Republican leaders in the House and Senate. He was constantly belittled, for even contemplating a solution to such a complex problem, and that ridicule came primarily from Republicans in the House, as if they had no concept or clue about the hugely important long-range economic impact that our current failed system would have on our dive bombing economy, in a post-2008 world.
We Have Choices. The Door is Open:
Single Payer is an option and what the President has done, makes the discussion of Single Payer, even more realistic to those who genuinely understand what Single "Payor," truly means. The President never intended to put forth the be-all-end-all to our healthcare woes, because he knew the complexity of the problem would extend from State-to-State. However, he got a fundamental framework for change implemented, leaving the delivery mechanisms left for the States to decide. Will Single Payer emerge as the final solution? I certainly hope so, because it is the most realistic method for lowering costs and providing coverage for all U.S. Citizens.
We need to look at the various Nordic solutions and implementations in European countries, without constantly throwing-up useless rhetoric about subjects that were force-fed through our television screens regarding how these systems work. That means everybody has to do their homework. We have the choice of picking apart the best elements of these systems and then tailoring solutions to meet our nation's specific needs. This link is an outstanding overview to study: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/98417/E93429.pdf.
Educate yourself, so that when a politician tells you that Socialized Medicine, means a "government take-over" of healthcare, or that "death panels" will determine whether or not your Grandmother lives or dies, or that the cost of your medications will go through the roof, if implemented, you can look that same politician in the eye and KNOW (not guess) that they are flat out lying to you - and that such a politician takes you for an absolute fool.
The choice belongs to the American People. This President has been highly successful in opening the door of change on our healthcare crisis, but he cannot complete the task by himself. If you fail to educate yourself, and continue to be pushed around by the empty rhetoric of those wishing to maintain the status quo, then you will have no one to blame but yourselves - not this President, and not ANY President who comes down the pipeline in the future. The door is now open for change - that's been done for you by this President. However, YOU must decide to walk through that door and participate on the construction of the kind of healthcare system that you want for yourself and for your family.
We can sit here and continue to play games with this issue, folks. We can play around the political hot buttons and engage in useless rhetoric and campaign sloganeering, as we dance to avoid the real discussion about the real nexus between where we are today economically, how we got here, and were we will end up economically if we don't solve this problem RIGHT NOW. But, that will only guarantee that we end up in a worse condition economically, than we find ourselves today.
My suggestion is that everyone get on-board the Solution Finding Train, and off-board the Finger Pointing Train. You START that process by educating yourself about the subject matter. There are systems around this world that DO work. We are no less capable of designing, building and maintaining a system of our own, that works for the American People.
The door is now wide open for change and the choices are ours to make. Get educated, get involved and by all means get out of the business of politicizing this very serious health and economic crisis now facing this country.
The Rhetoric:
Can anyone explain what Mitt Romney, is talking about when he says that President Obama doesn't understand Healthcare? When I listen to Mitt, speak - I often wonder to whom is he speaking?
The extreme politicization of the healthcare emergency in this country, is one of the primary causes for the gross misunderstanding the majority of Americans have about the real underlying factors that have created the emergency. Politicians, prey on that ignorance and then literally lie their way through campaigns in order to rack-up delegates. In the meantime, the United States economy continues to suffer under the most inefficient and ineffective healthcare system, of all the wealthiest nations on earth. The United States of America, is the ONLY country (among the wealthiest countries in the world) that spends the most on healthcare, while failing miserably to insure its Citizenry. The fact that we do not cover all of our Citizens, is an abomination and antithetical to common sense, decency, civility and morality.
We can do better.
The Problem:
I've seen and read most of the threads that attempt to discuss this matter. Most all of them approach the issue from a purely partisan and/or political point of view. Yet, I have not seen many threads that discuss the real issues behind the continued failure of our nation's healthcare system. People have decided to take the matter all the way to the United States Supreme Court. But, why? Why put such a matter in the court system, when there were plenty of opportunities to hash-out a fair system, within the four walls of the United States Congress. This issue is NOT going to be resolved in the court room. This issue, like it or not, will be resolved in the Congress.
We can pretend that we can afford to continue spending a projected 1/3 of our national GDP on a broken healthcare system, or we can get about the business of rescuing this country from permanent economic disaster, by reducing our aggregate costs to the insured, engaging more people in the system, thereby increasing real competition among providers and taking preventative care and treatment seriously. None of which we do very effectively today, and our completely out of control costs demonstrate that fact. How many American Citizens have taken the time to truly educate themselves about the real reasons behind our healthcare crisis? Precious few. Yet, these very same people, election cycle after election cycle, will allow themselves to be the target of pandering by politicians who lie to them about the matter at every turn.
Potential Solutions:
You might not like the Nordic approach to providing healthcare for its Citizens, but can you intelligently argue that it does not work?
How about the U.K./British model? Do they pay more per capita to provide healthcare? Yes, they do. Is everyone (and I mean everyone) covered under their system? Yes, they are. Do they get more bang for the buck (increase coverage levels at reduced [overall] rates)? Yes, they do. Do they have real choice? Yes, they do? Are they one of the world's largest economies? Yes, they are. So, what the heck is wrong with us? Why can't we get American Citizens covered, like they do in England? Why do we have so many uninsured and under-insured, working American Citizens? I'm not talking about those without jobs, without income and without any visibility on the horizon for healthcare. I'm talking about working Americans, whether part-time or full-time.
Our national GDP is projected to reach $14 trillion not too far from now. Our national healthcare expenditures (public and private sector costs) in 2010, were $2.6 trillion (18% of GDP). We are rapidly approaching 33% GDP, and some estimate that the current course the United States of America finds itself on, will result in our nation spending upwards of 50% GDP on healthcare. That's projected to be more than $7 trillion.
This is unacceptable by any and every definition of the word. No human being, dead or alive, could or can, justify such an overwhelmingly extreme ratio of wealth transference, for the sole purpose of providing healthcare coverage. We rank dead last among the wealthiest nations on earth, in terms of providing adequate care at an effective cost to our Citizens. We spend more than any other developed (wealthy) nation on earth per capita, and we yield one of the lowest effective target scores for resultant benefits to the patient on a YoY basis. We are literally driving our economy over a cliff, YoY - while politicians in Congress continue to play to the healthcare lobbies. All the while, the typical (average) U.S. Citizen, simply does not understand how the current system works and/or WHY that system is failing to produce adequate results.
We have a broken healthcare super-structure and all some people can manage to do, is "Just Say No" to correcting the problem, and throwing the entire matter through the Supreme Court, as if that is somehow the proper way to engage and resolve the matter in a civilized fashion. The current system does not work for the The People, and it has only worked successfully for the Insurance Companies, their congressional lobbyists and the Congressional representatives who benefit each election cycle, from the support that those lobbyists and insurance companies provide.
This country needs a brand new system of healthcare - not a rehashing, or remaking of the current system. One that covers everyone, reduces overall costs, increases overall competition, provides genuine options and choices to the insured, and that won't continually break new records as a ratio of national GDP. It is a complex problem to solve, but it is NOT an insoluble problem and it does have a solution.
The Current Path:
Some people might not like the current President, but make no mistake about it - this President has been handed broken down Chevy, and tasked with the responsibility of turning it into a Motor City revolution. He's been handed the worst economic depression since 1929/1932, the absolute worst drain on American jobs, since the Great Depression, the highest increase and fastest rising fuel prices since the OPEC lead oil compression of the 1970's, and he's had to effectively develop a plan to handle two (2) concurrent wars. Yet somehow, this President was able to focus the country on the single most important economic drain on our economy: HealthCare.
The current path towards a final solution may not be perfect (indeed it is not), but at least such a path does now exist, where it absolutely did not before and this President deserves the full recognition for that achievement. He got the ball rolling at a national level for the first time in U.S. History. Many Presidents have tried - all have failed. You cannot continue to grow our economy, while spending 17-33 percent of GDP on healthcare.
When this President attempted to work with Republicans on the sum and substance of the problem, he was summarily rejected by both Republican leaders in the House and Senate. He was constantly belittled, for even contemplating a solution to such a complex problem, and that ridicule came primarily from Republicans in the House, as if they had no concept or clue about the hugely important long-range economic impact that our current failed system would have on our dive bombing economy, in a post-2008 world.
We Have Choices. The Door is Open:
Single Payer is an option and what the President has done, makes the discussion of Single Payer, even more realistic to those who genuinely understand what Single "Payor," truly means. The President never intended to put forth the be-all-end-all to our healthcare woes, because he knew the complexity of the problem would extend from State-to-State. However, he got a fundamental framework for change implemented, leaving the delivery mechanisms left for the States to decide. Will Single Payer emerge as the final solution? I certainly hope so, because it is the most realistic method for lowering costs and providing coverage for all U.S. Citizens.
We need to look at the various Nordic solutions and implementations in European countries, without constantly throwing-up useless rhetoric about subjects that were force-fed through our television screens regarding how these systems work. That means everybody has to do their homework. We have the choice of picking apart the best elements of these systems and then tailoring solutions to meet our nation's specific needs. This link is an outstanding overview to study: http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/98417/E93429.pdf.
Educate yourself, so that when a politician tells you that Socialized Medicine, means a "government take-over" of healthcare, or that "death panels" will determine whether or not your Grandmother lives or dies, or that the cost of your medications will go through the roof, if implemented, you can look that same politician in the eye and KNOW (not guess) that they are flat out lying to you - and that such a politician takes you for an absolute fool.
The choice belongs to the American People. This President has been highly successful in opening the door of change on our healthcare crisis, but he cannot complete the task by himself. If you fail to educate yourself, and continue to be pushed around by the empty rhetoric of those wishing to maintain the status quo, then you will have no one to blame but yourselves - not this President, and not ANY President who comes down the pipeline in the future. The door is now open for change - that's been done for you by this President. However, YOU must decide to walk through that door and participate on the construction of the kind of healthcare system that you want for yourself and for your family.
We can sit here and continue to play games with this issue, folks. We can play around the political hot buttons and engage in useless rhetoric and campaign sloganeering, as we dance to avoid the real discussion about the real nexus between where we are today economically, how we got here, and were we will end up economically if we don't solve this problem RIGHT NOW. But, that will only guarantee that we end up in a worse condition economically, than we find ourselves today.
My suggestion is that everyone get on-board the Solution Finding Train, and off-board the Finger Pointing Train. You START that process by educating yourself about the subject matter. There are systems around this world that DO work. We are no less capable of designing, building and maintaining a system of our own, that works for the American People.
The door is now wide open for change and the choices are ours to make. Get educated, get involved and by all means get out of the business of politicizing this very serious health and economic crisis now facing this country.
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