A Thought on Health Care Reform

It's been a while since I posted here, but wanted to at least write down a few thoughts I've had on the reforming health care issue.

First, is the idea of mandatory insurance. I am vehemently opposed to this idea. Now we do have (in most if not all states) mandatory auto insurance, but that isn't really mandatory. It is only mandatory if you drive. There is an out. You can either not drive, or you can post a bond to cover any potential liability, if you have the means. Driving is not a right, but a privilege and with it comes responsibility. Health care, on the other hand, is and should always be considered a right for a civilized society. Like it or not, that is a truth for people of conscience. As we can not "opt out" of our health, mandatory insurance would infringe on our liberty.

Mandatory insurance is wrong on many fronts. Why should one industry be favored by a law for all citizens to finance it, while other industries do not? Not to mention the inequity of the burden it would pose. Why should tax dollars (because we all know even with reduced premiums most of America would not be able to shoulder the financial burden of health insurance without assistance from the government) finance the profits for any industry?

Don't get me wrong. While I am totally opposed to mandatory insurance, I am very much for publicly funded health care. (Ideally I'd like to see a single payer, universal health care program) I don't, however, feel that anyone should have to be MANDATED to participate in it. I do, though, think it should be supported by the public, with tax dollars. And in this regard I do think EVERYONE should participate in that funding on a graduated scale. Even if the scale starts at 1 dollar a year for the lowest income people and goes up according to income. And even if an individual personally chooses not to participate in the public health care option that would be provided (ie, they keep their private insurance).

I believe it is our duty to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to have access to health care. I may choose not to participate, but I think it would be very self centered to think that because I won't, no one else should either. Those who can afford private security, still have the right to police protection. If a renter's house catches fire, the fire department puts it out just as quickly as if it were a home owned by the occupant (even though the renters don't contribute directly to the funding for the fire department). It is the right thing to do. Access to health care for everyone is the right thing to do. I also have home schooled my children, but don't have any problem paying taxes to support a public school option for those who either can not or don't want to teach their children at home. It is in the public's best interest to have educated citizens, as much as it is in the public's best interest to have healthy citizens.

Primary Care Doctors

Todays topic: Shortage of Primary Care Doctors

How did this problem grow to be? My personal thought is that we need to look to the medical schools. Why would they allow the students to dictate the numbers in various fields of medicine? Should not the more specialized areas (ie, more lucrative) be something earned not by who is willing to simply invest a bit more upfront, but those who are the most talented in that area. A select group. Could there be a correlation between the increase in medical mistakes and the generic hodgepodge of medical specialists that grows out of the fact that making 100K/year is not enough income, so they want to specialize to make 250K+/year.

HUH????

Why has financial incentive driven the medical profession? Wasn't there some sort of oath of service associated with medicine, that has nothing, whatsoever, to do with financial gain? Are they truly intimating that people would not go into medicine unless they can be insanely wealthy? Perhaps those who have that particular motivation have no business in the medical field to begin with, and should instead go into finance?

Is it the financial ethic that has driven medicine these past 40 years, the main reason that the cost of healthcare has grown in epidemic proportions? I say there is definitely a ripple effect in action here and that the AMA better wake up and reintroduce ethics and use their influence to see that all doctors are trained to be primary care physicians and only those who have a true talent (in other words, compete for the specialized fields, based on those who demonstrate a true commitment, as well as, the skill and instinct to perform with excellence) should be allowed to take on specialties, and only as the demand requires it.