Five Common Fears About Health Reform
Written by: Kim Sawyer
The following information was published in the August 2009 Consumer Reports. I am posting it here on 7DayBuzz because there may be those who do not read or subscribe to Consumer Reports, but are 7DayBuzz readers. I feel this information needs to be made available as there is much opposition and distorted information being disseminated about President Obama’s Health Reform.
FEAR #1: Health reform will let faceless government bureaucrats come between you and your doctor.
FACT #1: Private health insurance already comes between you and your doctor. And because each company sets its own rules, it’s hard to imagine a more bureaucratic system. Some insurers decide which doctors you can see, which hospitals you can visit, and what drugs you can take and still be covered. And they may require copious paperwork before approving a treatment you and your doctor want. Health-care reform would standardize claim procedures to cut down on all of that. And it would protect you from other abuses, like being rejected for coverage or paying exorbitant premiums if you get sick.
FEAR #2: Health reform will take away the good coverage from your job.
FACT #2: If you’re satisfied with your job-based coverage, you would be able to keep it. Employers who don’t offer insurance would either start to provide it or contribute to a fund that helps employees buy it on their own. Some small businesses would be eligible for subsidies to offset the cost. And every policy would offer at least a standard, easy-to-understand, comprehensive set of benefits like those your congress person now enjoys.
FEAR #3: Comparing the relative effectiveness of treatments and drugs will lead to rationing.
FACT #3: This issue flared up because Congress recently approve more funding for “comparative-effectiveness research.” The term refers to studies to evaluate which drugs or treatments work best for different medical conditions and different patients. That’s one more piece of information – based on science, not drug-company advertising or sales reps pushing pills – to help your doctor and you decide what’s right. Consumers Union has long argued for better health-care information. For an example, go to ConsumerReportsHealth.org and click on Best Buy Drugs. You’ll find free advice based on comparative-effectiveness research into which drugs work best for some two dozen conditions, ranging from heartburn to hear disease. That’s not rationing. It’s just being smart. And ifyou suffer fromone of those conditions, you may find you could choose a better medicine with fewer side effects and save thousands of dollars a year.
FEAR #4: Health reform means a government takeover of medicine as in England and Canada.
FACT #4: The proposed health reform system would look nothing like those in England and Canada. Both of those countries finance health care out of general tax revenues. England goes even further by owning and operating most of the hospitals. The proposed health reform system would build on the current employer-based insurance while ensuring affordable comprehensive coverage for those who lack it.
FEAR #5: Health reform will be too costly; it will raise your taxes and could even bankrupt the country.
FACT #5: The real threat to your finances is the health system the U.S. has now. A recent study concluded that today’s $2.4 trillion annual health-care tab would jump to $4.4 trillion by 2018 if nothing is done to rein in expenses. It is believed that the proposed health care reform system is teh best hope for getting costs under control. It would cut down on waste, overhead, and price gouging, and reduce inapprorpriate care and preventable errors.
Now those of us who support health care reform understand that change is scary. And this new system would be a complete overhaul of something that we all of have gotten so used to. But, it needs to be done. It needs to be done.
Tags: consumers report, distorted information about health care reform, fears about health care reform, health care reform will bankrupt the country, opposition to health care reform, President Obama health care reform, republicans against health care reform
July 9th, 2009 at 1:07 am
Besides from the information from the article, posted above, I would invite everyone to go to JealousBrother and look at this rivalry. http://www.jealousbrother.com/rivalries/?rivalryID=403
This is really something we need to be educated on because it will impact us all. We also have to realize the power the government has. Information like this is collected and used in manners we aren’t necessarily aware of. We have to believe someone on this issue. It often seems like peopld disagree because of who is suggesting the plan instead of looking at the plan’s merits. This is something we need to shake. Basing an argument on proven data brings credibility and education to a conversation. On the other hand, emotional opinon (driven by politics) isn’t really going to put us in a better situation.
What if BHO told those who oppose him to come up with a better/different plan instead of always complaining?
July 9th, 2009 at 4:04 am
[...] Five Common Fears About Health Reform | 7daybuzz.com [...]
July 9th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Response to Fact #1
– Is there anyone out there that would actually prefer the government to get between you and your medical care opposed to the private sector? Our government has proved their incompetence, greed, and corruption time and time again over the years. It’s funny; the only paperwork I’ve ever had to fill out is the initial paperwork when going to a new doctor or clinic for the first time.
Response to Fact #2
– Consumer Reports is sounding a bit like Obama’s speech writers here. No one really knows what would happen if a government option becomes available so to declare this as a fact is very misleading. Common sense tells me that employers will opt for the cheaper government option as it makes more financial sense to cut the cost of employee benefits (which is one of their largest expenses). Something similar happened in Hawaii with children’s benefits, the parents took the kids off of their private insurance and opted for the state provided health care which nearly bankrupted the state. See my suggestion at the end of my response for more information.
Response to Fact #3
– Again, another shaky fact (If that’s what you want to call it). The author of this cannot prove that rationing will not take place just as he/she can’t prove the result a government option will have on the private insurance companies. Rationing does take place in the countries the author listed in their article. Is the US government any more competent than those governments? I’m not convinced. Our government has no business in health care, no business in the auto industry, and no business in banking. Look at Medicare and the VA programs; government ran and rationing takes place and Medicare will be facing its demise in the next five years.
Response to Fact #4
– “Both of those countries finance health care out of general tax revenues.” It’s funny I didn’t come across any mentioning of how Obama plans on paying for this reform. Strange how this author left that part out. Very very strange.
Response to Rhetoric #5
– Responding to a legitimate fear with rhetoric is pretty sad for such a major publication. At no point does he/she comment on where the money will come from to insure all of the uninsured. #5 is borderline insulting to a critical thinker like myself. How are they going to pay for it!!!!? If you have any common sense you know damn well they aren’t going to cut enough expenses to fund comprehensive insurance to the millions of uninsured.
My suggestion for Reform:
– There are many problems with the health care system but one of the problems believe it or not is competition. A majority of the insured Americans have employer based health coverage which is great, it’s a nice benefit for the employees who work for a living. The problem is that every employer I’ve worked for and I’m willing to bet most of the employers out there only offer one medical insurance provider. They offer different deductibles but it’s the same insurance company. No competition there.
So what am I getting at? I DON’T like government involvement period but I’d be willing to allow them to regulate one thing in regards to health care. For companies with more than 100 (number is flexible) employees; they have to provide at least three (preferably four) different insurance company options. Wow, suddenly you have competition. These companies will be forced to compete with one another with rates, deductibles, “in networks” and more to earn their portion of the market share. Think about it, if you have multiple Private insurance options that will create competition far beyond the insurance companies, it will extend to the providers, in network doctors, hospitals, and clinics. If you’re not happy with your insurance or in network options you can change insurance companies. This takes care of the competition and will reduce costs but we still need to address the uninsured which are the primary reason costs keep going up.
First, if you are able bodied and choose not to work then YOU DO NOT get coverage and YOU DO NOT get health care unless you can pay for it. Health Care is not a right and if you’re not willing to work I’m not willing to pay your way. Note: I did say Able Bodied.
Second, Illegal immigrants (With an emphasis on ILLEGAL) will receive service to stabilize their condition but will immediately be deported as soon as they’re healthy enough to do so. If the same person makes it back to the states (illegally) ALL services will be refused and they will be deported. We can no longer afford to educate and maintain the health of the millions of immigrants who are here illegally.
Lastly, the most difficult problem to solve. The uninsured individuals who do work but just can’t afford health insurance. The burden must be shared between the employer and the worker with SOME assistance from the government with vouchers for the worker and tax breaks for the employer. Taking it a step further, the government could offer tax breaks to insurance companies who discounted their insurance premiums for lower income workers. Of course this section would have to be extended and discussed in detail but there is one thing that needs to made very clear, Health Insurance IS NOT a God given right. I have never heard any sound argument claiming the contrary.
I started a rivalry for this very debate and should make for some very useful dialogue. (Hopefully)
http://www.jealousbrother.com/rivalries/?rivalryID=415
July 9th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
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