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.

Is Our Healthcare System Making You Sick

First we have to say, "what healthcare system?" Do we even have one at the moment, other than the hodgepodge of patchworks made up of various insurance and pharmaceutical companies? Not sure this is the MOST pressing issue of the day, unless of course you are sick and have to maneuver through the web of goo. As for me, me and mine are healthy and have no immediate concern, but I'm not so fool hearty to think that this will always be the case. And, with the current discussions regarding HR676 all the buzz, I figure I'd better figure out where I stand.

The first stop on my journey was actually the bill in California SB840. The following video shows how thoroughly the bill has been throughout, and the consequences of not having a good health care policy.

I found this bill very exciting, well, except for the fact that I don't live in California, nor do millions of other Americans. However, the federal government has a health care bill being currently discussed--HR676 co-authored by Dennis Kucinich.


Now this gets me thinking, which would be better, a state by state single payer system, or a national single payer system. Either way, profit HAS to be taken out of health care. Now profits, in general, are not necessarily a bad thing, but they have no place when it comes to dealing with health. I love the line in one of these videos where they equate it to ones house burning. We don't expect the individual homeowner to pay the fire department, we all pay so if we should be victim to a fire, we can receive the fire fighting services. Why has it been that health care has not been viewed in the same way?

So I decide to see where my state stands in this area. It appears we are going to have a general vote on whether or not to modify our constitution to include Health care is an essential safeguard of human life and dignity, and there is an obligation for the State to ensure that every resident is able to realize this fundamental right.

Okay, that's a start. I suppose this would lay the groundwork for future legislation.