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Mona Charen: Nurse Ratched Democrats
President Barack Obama and his party in Congress are attempting to dig this country so deep into debt that we may not be able to climb out. This is a strong and resilient country, but we wouldn’t be the first great nation to bankrupt ourselves.
Four months ago, while the Democrats were hatching their health-care behemoths, only policy wonks noticed a report issued by the Social Security and Medicare trustees. It showed that the combined unfunded liability of the two programs has now reached $107 trillion. That’s seven times the size of the U.S. economy, and it could go higher, as Medicare and Medicaid spending have consistently increased 2.5 percentage points faster than per capita GDP since 1970.
Just to pay for these programs — excluding everything else the government does — the federal government would have to collect one-third of the earnings of every American by 2054. That, or cut benefits.
This is a government-created vise. But like a neurotic who can never perceive the self-inflicted nature of his troubles, Democrats cannot or will not see that much of what is wrong with America’s health-care system is government-caused. The patient has a 104-degree fever and Dr. Democrat is prescribing heating pads. The bills under consideration in the House and Senate would cost taxpayers more than $3 trillion over the first 10 years of their existence. They will burden the entire U.S. economy with new and onerous taxes, stifle medical advances, diminish the quality of care, and even then will not cover all of the uninsured.
The Obama administration has howled its indignation at what it calls “lies” about “death panels” and other aspects of reform. Yet everything about the Democrats’ overhaul plans is grounded in distortions and misrepresentations.
Democrats and their foot soldiers in the media gave wide circulation to the Harvard study suggesting that a lack of health insurance causes 45,000 annual deaths. What they didn’t tell you was that the study was the work of Physicians for a National Health Program, an advocacy group for a single-payer system. The survey was flawed in many respects, but the authors themselves acknowledged the most salient: “Unmeasured characteristics (i.e., that individuals who place less value on health eschew both health insurance and healthy behaviors) might offer an alternative explanation for our findings.”
It’s simply not true that we are paying twice as much as any other industrialized nation and yet getting worse care. As this column and others have noted, the most common metrics used to compare U.S. health outcomes with those of other countries are life expectancy and infant mortality. Both are fatuous comparisons. The United States has a high murder rate, for example, which influences life expectancy statistics, not to mention an obesity epidemic. We also have more teenagers giving birth. And we count infant deaths differently from many other countries, including even the most severely premature babies in our statistics.
When you compare survival rates after a cancer diagnosis — a much better gauge of health-care quality — the United States leads the world.
Are we spending too much on health care? Well, that much is true. But again, Democrats refuse to see that government incentives contributed to the problem. Making health insurance plans deductible for employers but not for individuals has encouraged a “third-party payer” system that insulates people from the cost of their care. Surprise! This leads to overconsumption.
By encouraging a free-for-all liability system (half of all doctors are sued at least once) that enriches their chief donors, the trial lawyers, the Democrats have added billions to the cost of medical care by forcing doctors to practice defensive medicine.
Further, governments have jacked up the price of medical insurance by piling mandates on insurance companies, forcing them to cover everything from psychotherapy to IVF. Some states permit companies to sell basic catastrophic coverage, and it’s quite affordable. If the government permitted interstate sales of health insurance, nearly everyone would be able to find affordable plans. But rather than consider a reform that would bring health insurance rates down, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi prefers to demonize insurance companies as “villains,” while President Obama rails at them for “holding us hostage.”
Having misdiagnosed what ails us, the Nurse Ratched Democrats are now poised to administer their remedy. To fix an overly bureaucratic, regulated and entitlement-heavy system, the Democrats are delivering much, much more of the same. If we were facing a likely fiscal train wreck before Obama took office, we are facing a certainty now.
— Mona Charen writes for Creators Syndicate. Click here for more information or to contact her.
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» on 11.24.09 @ 07:55 PM
The email everyone is talking about:
http://www.760kfmb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11537309
» on 11.25.09 @ 06:58 AM
I have to agree with, “we were facing a fiscal train wreck before Obama took office”.
And who is responsible for that? Clinton? Carter? Kennedy? FDR?
The biggest spender up to his time was Reagan. Then there was G.W.B.
» on 11.25.09 @ 07:55 AM
Why is it that so many conservatives can’t remember who got us into this mess? Answer: President Bush. They find it easy to criticize President Obama, though, don’t they!
» on 11.25.09 @ 11:05 AM
Forget the politics and who did what first to whom. Here is a link (candicemiller.house.gov/pdf/hr3200.pdf)to the current health bill.
Read it and weap. the follwoing are a few highlights that everyone should be worried about.
Page 29 lines 3-8 in the HC bill: HEALTH CARE IS RATIONED. “Health Care Annual Limitation.”
Page 30 Sec 123 of HC bill: THERE WILL BE A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE called a “Health Benefits Advisory Committee” that decides which treatments/benefits a patient receives.
Page 43 Lines 5 - 12 of HC Bill: The Health Choices Commissioner will will reserve the right to AUDIT you as an individual and as an employer – and we the citizens pay for it.
Page 50 Section 152 in HC bill: HC will be provided to ALL non-US citizens, illegal or otherwise.
Pages 57 to 59 HC Bill: All health care administration goes online electronically. Good-bye privacy.
Page 59 HC Bill lines 21-24: Government will have direct access to your bank accounts for elective funds transfer.
Page 76 A – F: Government AUTOMATICALLY enrolls all Medicaid, Medicare, and ARMED FORCES persons into this government health insurance – your rights for privacy in health and finances are gone if you are poor, a senior, or gave up your life to serve in the Armed Forces.
Page 84 Sec 203 HC bill: Government determines ALL benefit packages for health care plans in the ‘Exchange.’
Page 85 Line 7 HC Bill: Specifications of benefit levels for plans — government will determining (rationing) your health care: “The [Health Care] Commissioner shall specify the benefits to be made…”
Page 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill: Government mandates linguistic appropriate services. (Translation services for illegal aliens.)
Page 95-96 HC Bill Lines 8-18: The Government allowed to use groups called “outreach activities” (i.e. ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Govt HC plan) See bottom of page 95, top of page 96.
Page 100 Line 22 HC Bill: Newborns automatically enrolled in health care plan – and parents subject to audits for determination of payment (Page 42.)
Page 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill: Medicaid eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled. (No choice.)
Page 124 lines 24-25 HC: No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. (No “judicial review” against government monopoly.)
Page 127 Lines 17 - 24 HC Bill: Doctors/ American Medical Association – The government will tell YOU what salary you can make.
Page 136 Lines 7 – 15: Government will determine which income qualifies for plan and the amount of your government run insurance is paid by you on a sliding scale – YOU MUST REPORT ANY CHANGES IN INCOME TO THE GOVERNMENT EVERY SINGLE TIME-
Page 142 Section D 1, 2,: For ‘misrepresentation’ of income (regardless of purposeful or accidental) you will repay the government for your health care and/or faces fines and/or jail time. (That section seems to be purposefully vague and left wide open to interpretation but the threat is stated.)
Page 145 Line 15-17: Employers MUST offer employees the public option plan and pay for it. (NO choice!)
Page 126 Lines 22-25: Employers MUST pay for HC for part-time Employees AND their families. (Employees should not get excited about this as employers will be forced to reduce work force, benefits, and wages/salaries to cover such a huge expense.)
Page 149 Lines 16-24: ANY Employer with payroll 401k and above who does not provide public option will pay 8% penalty tax on all payroll! (See the last comment in parenthesis.)
Page 150 Lines 9-13: A business with payroll over $250K will pay 2-6% tax on all payroll to pay for this plan. GOOD-BYE SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS AMERICA.
Page 160 Lines 6 – 21: Auditing of employers to determine if they are meeting government expectations of enrollment.
Page 163 Section C: UNINTENTIONAL failure to meet government laws results in 10% of total amount paid for health care plan(s) as a whole or $500,000.00. (Yes, you read that right! If for some reason an employee is not covered, even accidentally, the employer is still badly penalized.)
Page 167 Lines 18-23: ANY individual who does not have acceptable health care which they PURCHASE – either government or private - will be taxed 2.5% of annual income.
Page 195 HC Bill: Officers and employees of government health care will have access to ALL citizens finances and personal records via the IRS (please see Page 59).
Page 202 HC Bill: Refers to paying for health care of “non-resident aliens.” (Yes, we are apparently paying for the world’s health care? Even non-citizens are eligible – and we are paying for it in our taxes for ourselves, children, and grandchildren, et al.)
Page 203 Line 13-18 HC: “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax.” It says that this tax will never be be eligible to become a tax credit to save you money.
Page 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill: Government will reduce physician services for Medicaid Seniors. (Low-income and the poor are affected.)
Page 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill: Doctors - It doesn’t matter what specialty you have trained yourself in — you will all be paid the same! (Just TRY to tell me that’s not Socialism!) “Service categories established shall apply without regard to the specialty of the physician furnishing the service.”
Page 253 Line 6-18: The government sets the value of a doctor’s time, profession, judgment, etc. (Literally– the value of humans.)
Page 265 Sec 1131: The government mandates and controls productivity for “private” HC industries.
Page 268 Sec 1141: The federal government regulates the rental and purchase of power driven wheelchairs.
Page 270 Sec 1144: Require ambulatory surgical centers (outpatient surgical centers) to submit to auditing or “cost reporting” meaning that even if you have private insurance, your care is still monitored by the federal government. Again, no privacy.
Page 272 SEC. 1145: “TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS” – Cancer patients – welcome to rationing! “Authorization of adjustment for cancer hospitals.” It states in lines 18 – 25 that the government reserves the right to REDUCE payments to hospitals specializing in cancer.
Page 280 Sec 1151: The government will penalize hospitals for whatever the government deems preventable (e.g., re-admissions). “REDUCING POTENTIALLY PREVENTABLE HOSPITAL READMISSIONS,” and, “The Secretary shall reduce the payments that would otherwise be made to such hospital under subsection 9d).”
Page 298 Lines 9-11: Doctors: If you treat a patient during initial admission that results in a re-admission — the government will penalize you or not pay for services.
Page 317 L 13-20: PROHIBITION on ownership/investment of a hospital. (The government tells physicians and health care professionals what they can and cannot invest in! Talk about Communism?!?)
Page 317-318 lines 21-25, 1-3: PROHIBITION on hospital expansion. (The government is mandating that hospitals cannot expand! Welcome to yet more rationing.)
Page 321 2-13: Hospitals have the opportunity to apply for exception BUT community input is required. (Can you say ACORN?)
Page 335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339: The government mandates establishment of two (2) outcome-based measures in order to pay MEDICARE health care bills. (RATIONING FOR SENIORS)
Page 341 Lines 3-9: The government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advance Plans, HMOs, etc. (Forcing people into the government rationed plan)
Page 355 Subtitle E: The government is ELIMINATING Medicare Coverage Gap. (UNBELIEVABLE.)
Page 379 Sec 1191: The government creates more bureaucracy via a “Tele-Health Advisory Committee.” (Can you say HC by phone?) This is medical care by TELEPHONE, folks. Think bargaining with your insurance company over the telephone for health care was bad? Now you are arguing with the government for benefits – via telephone!
Page 425 Lines 3-23: The government mandates “Advance-Care Planning Consultations every 5 years.” THIS CLAUSE IS ABOUT ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT YOU WILL BE RATIONED HEALTH CARE AS A SENIOR – THIS IS HORRIBLE…AND THE ‘CONSULTATIONS’ BECOME MORE FREQUENT: PAGE 428 LINES 17 – 25.
PAGE 430: The government dictates “use of antibiotics, artificially administered nutrition and hydration.”
Page 433 Lines 5 - 10: The government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. (And it’s mandatory!)
Page 433 Lines 15-25, 426 Lines 1-3: The government provides an “approved” list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death. (Also called ‘assisted suicide.’) FIVE YEAR MANDATORY “LIFE COUNSELING” SESSIONS MANDATORY BEGINNING AT AGE 62 TO TEACH YOU WHAT NOT TO EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT TO PAY FOR AS YOU AGE.
Page 433 Lines 15-24: The government mandates a program for orders on “end-of-life.” (The government has a say in how your life ends!)
Page 438 Lines 4-14: Medicare recipients subject to “shared decision making”: In other words, You AND the government will decide what is right for your health care…not just you.
Page 442 Lines 4 - 20: “Patient Decision Aids” which is for patients and doctors to decide WHICH treatment options are acceptable to the government – RATIONING, RATIONING, RATIONING.
Page 443 Lines 10 - 25: “Accountable Care Organization Pilot Program.” This is a program that pays incentives to doctors to NOT treat patients!
Page 429 Lines 13-25: The government will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order.
Page 430 Lines 11-15: The government will decide what level of treatment you will have at end-of-life.
Page 470: Community-Based Home Medical Services = Non-Profit Organizations. (Hello? ACORN Medical Services here!?!)
Page 482: Increased reimbursement for midwives. (Hello! Can anyone say, “Medieval Times?” Obstetricians are no longer valued? The government wants anyone to deliver a baby?)
Page 489 Sec 1308: The government will cover marriage and family therapy. (Which means Govt will insert itself into your marriage even.)
Page 494-498: Govt will cover Mental Health Services including defining, creating, and rationing those services.
Page 588 Section 1421 Nursing Homes Face Auditing and Penalties
Page 627 Lines 8 - 16: The rules for payment for “national health care” are subject to change ANNUALLY.
Page 634 Lines 15 to 21: PHYSICIANS AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES FINANCES WILL BE AUDITED BY GOVERNMENT. Why would ANY physician want to practice medicine any longer? Why would ANY pharmaceutical company have incentive to continue to create medicines to prevent and cure illnesses?
Page 685: INCREASED FUNDING TO FIGHT WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE. This is a huge senseless issue that we would not need if this program were not enacted. This single issue involved endless amounts of taxpayer dollars.
Page 718 Section 1637: Your physician is NOT ALLOWED to order medical equipment or home health services for you unless he or she is part of the government run program. In other words, the physician MUST be a part of government health care in order to give their patients the items essential to live. THIS IS NOT A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM – THIS IS FORCED PARTICIPATION WHERE THE GOVERNMENT IS ALLOWED INTO PATIENT-PHYSICIAN PRIVACY.
Page 734 Lines 7 to 9: States that privacy is no longer a right – government has constant access to audit you or your health care provider “to prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.”
Page 769 Section 1714: Government pays for family planning.
Page 788 Section 1741: Even pharmacists will be overseen by the government.
Page 830 Section 4376: If employers self-insure they are FINED! Of course, it is called a FEE. THIS IS FORCED PARTICIPATION IN THE GOVERNMENT RUN HEALTH CARE. THIS IS HEINOUS.
Page 1000 Lines 9 – 25: All medical devices including “implantable, life-supporting, or life-sustaining.” will be REGISTERED via type, model, and serial number. In other words, the government tracks which implanted devices you are using. WHY?
» on 11.25.09 @ 11:30 AM
Mona’s severe lack of understanding regarding healthcare policy is disturbing. Finding an affordable “plan” has nothing to do with healthcare. “Affordable” simply means costs are shifted onto you and away from the insurer. Private insurers are not in business to provide healthcare. Every dollar they receive gets whittled down to 80% for paying out to actual healthcare providers (who then have to waste another 10% administratively dealing with the insurers). Of this 20 cents, they call 5 cents their profit. Since the 80 cents was really just held in trust, they are making effectively a 25% profit. Not too shabby. It’s no wonder that Wall St. does not want to see this very profitable business affected in any way.
» on 11.25.09 @ 11:32 AM
Thank you Noozhawk, this is excellent…
» on 11.25.09 @ 11:55 AM
Where were you when Bush created this mess?
» on 11.25.09 @ 12:24 PM
Charen makes a few good points. A few bobbing in a sea of misperception.
The broken economy, the catastrophic deficits, all came from her bosom political
buddies, Rove-Cheney-Bush-Greenspan.
During most of the excesses of the Hastert-Frist earmark crazy Republican Congresses of those dark times, Charen ducked down, very quiet, and said nothing.
When those folks and CMH hero Don Rumsfeld decided to wage two foreign wars off- Budget, so the actual costs wouldn’t show up, Charen did nothing.
When their conscious hands-OFF approach to financial oversight and regulation led
directly to the most catastrophic financial collapse since the Great Depression, she
said and did almost nothing.
But now, she’s worried that Health Care Reform might be “too expensive”? Gimme a
break.
Life being what it is, someday Charen herself (or someone she loves) will become very sick. Will she/they have access to care? Will she/they be ruined by trying to
recover?
At that moment, near the end of someone’s life on earth, she may look back at her scorn for the President’s trying to improve America’s medical system and rue the
day she wrote this column.
» on 11.27.09 @ 11:37 AM
Wow Jimmy! Someone who actually read the damned thing! The left does not care Jim; they want this so bad it hurts them. They don’t care what it does to the economy our country or any individual. They just have to have it because it IS the only thing they have. Without this massive boondoggle what does the left contribute to all other important issues of the day? Appeasement, apology, elitism, snobbery, what? Most of the left never debates the actual bill but instead just whines that it’s the other sides fault. “Oh Bush started it” they scream. No Lyndon Johnson did you idiot. Nixon continued it Ford tripped over it, Jimmy embraced it and went over the cliff with it. Reagan tried to pull it back, GHWB let it slip again and Clinton tried to ignore it, while GW didn’t have a clue what it was. And your man, the messiah? He not only embraced it like Carter but embellished it like no other human in history. What is IT? It is our economic slide into a negative wealth generating service economy. Yes there are profitable service economies, in very small countries where the services globally swamp their small population. We are a nation of 300+ million and there is no other economy massive enough to sustain a 300 million strong service economy. Get it you Keynesian worshipping idiots out there?! Get back to work making things people need dammit or you will starve to death. The world does not need 300 million lawyers, doctors, bankers, accountants, salesmen, CEO’s, politicians or any other profession not entirely related to producing energy or making stuff we need. To those of you, who feel slighted by this comment, don’t be. There is nothing wrong with being in a service job (I am), but you have to realize that your job can only consume wealth, it cannot make it. So if you enjoy being in a service job then you had better be sure to support those sectors of the economy that produce the wealth necessary to support you (like I do). Like your Dad told you “if you are not making money you are spending it”. We have not made what we spent for the last 50 years. Party’s over, puff balls now get back to work.
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