Tuesday, August 01, 2006
IBD argues against Kerry health care plan
[Editorial, "Asking For A Crisis," Investor's Business Daily, 31 July 2006.]
John Kerry's health care plan went over about as well as a lead balloon in the last Presidential election, but he's decided to give it another shot for old time's sake:
Sen. John Kerry introduced his universal medical insurance plan Monday. Haven't we been down this dead-end road before?
Of course we have — in 1994, when Hillary Clinton, then the first lady, now the junior senator from New York, came out with her plan to nationalize the health care industry in America.
Actually, we've been down this road to nowhere twice before. In 2004, Kerry campaigned on a universal health care scheme.
In both instances, the public — and in 1994 Congress — rejected the universal health care proposals.
Somehow Kerry has convinced himself that "every day since Election Day," when he lost to President Bush in 2004, "the health care crisis has grown steadily worse."
Yet, as we have noted on this page before, there is no crisis.
To say there is one is to resort to a cheap scare tactic. The only crises are those at the individual and family levels when someone without insurance becomes gravely ill. Sickness and injury can be tragic, but making a federal case out of misfortune is not one of Washington's duties.
Want a real crisis?
Absolve people of their duty through a universal third-party payer — the government — and watch a problem erupt. With little or no money coming out of their pockets, people will overuse the system, sending costs even higher through increased demand. The strain placed on medical professionals will make waiting times unbearable. With no mechanism for self-rationing in place — such as personal responsibility or cost — the government will ration care.
[Matthew Hisrich, "A better alternative to Kerry plan already exists," The Topeka Capital-Journal, 8 August 2004.
Matthew Hisrich, "No crisis ahead for uninsured," Letter to the Editor, The Wichita Eagle, 30 June 2004.]
John Kerry's health care plan went over about as well as a lead balloon in the last Presidential election, but he's decided to give it another shot for old time's sake:
Sen. John Kerry introduced his universal medical insurance plan Monday. Haven't we been down this dead-end road before?
Of course we have — in 1994, when Hillary Clinton, then the first lady, now the junior senator from New York, came out with her plan to nationalize the health care industry in America.
Actually, we've been down this road to nowhere twice before. In 2004, Kerry campaigned on a universal health care scheme.
In both instances, the public — and in 1994 Congress — rejected the universal health care proposals.
Somehow Kerry has convinced himself that "every day since Election Day," when he lost to President Bush in 2004, "the health care crisis has grown steadily worse."
Yet, as we have noted on this page before, there is no crisis.
To say there is one is to resort to a cheap scare tactic. The only crises are those at the individual and family levels when someone without insurance becomes gravely ill. Sickness and injury can be tragic, but making a federal case out of misfortune is not one of Washington's duties.
Want a real crisis?
Absolve people of their duty through a universal third-party payer — the government — and watch a problem erupt. With little or no money coming out of their pockets, people will overuse the system, sending costs even higher through increased demand. The strain placed on medical professionals will make waiting times unbearable. With no mechanism for self-rationing in place — such as personal responsibility or cost — the government will ration care.
[Matthew Hisrich, "A better alternative to Kerry plan already exists," The Topeka Capital-Journal, 8 August 2004.
Matthew Hisrich, "No crisis ahead for uninsured," Letter to the Editor, The Wichita Eagle, 30 June 2004.]
Comments:
Post a Comment
