The LuLac Edition #2109, July 1st, 2012

"Health Care, Not Scare Care" logo. 

HEALTH CARE QUESTIONS 

Since the landmark decision on Health Care the other day, I’ve been thinking about a couple of basic questions Americans should be pondering. It is our version of 13 QUESTIONS/THE HEALTH CARE EDITION. 
1. What exactly is wrong with increasing the pool of eligible users in a system? Adding new people will give insurance companies the opportunity to serve more people. It will give people an option. When more people join into a dedicated pool, the resources grow because not all 30 million Americans are going to get sick at the same time. 
 2. Why are there some segments of the population fighting the chance of their fellow Americans to get insurance? It’s not as if they are going to get it for free. It’s a chance to get something at a fair price. 
 3. What is wrong with giving small businesses a tax subsidy in order to take the burden off their bottom line? There are 3 million small businesses out there that can get a subsidy. Only 170,000 applied for it since the law was signed by the President. The ultimate solution should be to get employers out of the health care business altogether. It can be done but it won’t happen in our lifetime. Too much change for some people. 
4. Can someone explain to me why Mitt Romney would want to stop preventative mammograms for women and health screenings for young children? He says he is going to favor eliminating the pre existing condition clause and letting young adults stay on their parent’s health care plans until they are 26. Why? 
5. Why would anyone think that when more people join the ranks of the insured, that there will be a burden on the system? When McDonalds started selling their burgers, did they stop at a million because they thought their business infrastructure would collapse? Health Care is a business. The more people you have using it, buying it, even if it is subsidized by the government, isn’t that growth? 
6. And speaking of subsidies, why do we subsidize the oil companies to develop more ways to gauge us at the pump but then turn around and say that subsidizing a low income person’s health care is such a bad thing? What makes the oil companies any more deserving than an American living in this country? 
7. Why wouldn’t a person without health insurance jump at the chance to get it instead of paying a fine? With a fine you get penalized for doing nothing. With a premium payment, you at least get something for your money. Only an irresponsible person would not go for that deal. The Affordable Health Care Act is an opportunity for people to get insured.  
8. But what is an irresponsible person chose to remain that way? Why should the government take care of these bums anyway when others are playing by the rules? Well, right now we are paying for the person without health care. When they crack up their car and come in on life support, we pay now anyway. No one is thrown into the street. Health care facilities write off these bills and insurance holders pay for them. By exacting a fine, the government is protecting certain individuals not only from their own stupidity and selfishness but also from people who choose to do the right thing. Sometimes the irresponsibility of the few should not trump the needs of the majority. 
9. How can a Christian (I’m not a Christian, just a Roman Catholic) nation turn its back on its brethren when their very health is at stake? Are we just charitable on Sundays? Circumstances have denied some Americans the opportunity to get health care. Does the Christian nation write those people off? And how do those Christian Republicans who are such a force in their party justify not taking care of the least of their brethren, even when said brethren are willing to pay? 
10. How can a nation of commerce and entrepreneurship pass up this business opportunity? When Medicare came into existence in 1965, we were told insurance companies would buckle under the weight of the program. Innovative ways to make money emerged. Why are we as a country looking at those added 30 million as a burden instead of a new customer base? Have we forgotten how to sell? Have we forgotten how to be business people again? 
11. If this bill is going to destroy health care, then why are our area hospitals expanding? Entities in this area are increasing their level of service. That doesn’t seem to be like they are being shrinking violets because of the Affordable Care Act? 

12. Why do we keep on hearing that this is going to be free health care? HEALTH CARE IS NOT FREE FOR ANYONE!!!!!!  There might be a price break and a health exchange to keep the giant companies from overcharging but no is going to get it for free. Everyone will pay a premium, that premium will be used to pay other people’s claims. The insurers will make a profit doing that. Right now health care is free for the dead beats. Everybody else pays. 

13. Finally, in a nation that saved the world from tyranny in World War 2, that rebuilt its vanquished enemies with the Marshall plan, that conquered the heavens and landed a man on the moon, that invented more unique means of entertainment and communications than any other country, I have the most basic question begging for an answer: 

WHAT ARE WE SO AFRAID OF?