The Conservative Case for Universal Healthcare

I don't see this working here. I have lived in Germany for quite a while and seen first hand how their system works. It's fairly simple, you have those covered by the federal plan that doctors must accept and those with private insurance. Here is why I don't think it will work. In Germany, those covered by the federal insurance are seen by the doctor when they are not seeing their paying (private insurance) patients. So the masses sit in folding chairs in a huge waiting room for the opportunity to be seen while those with private insurance are ushered into a private waiting room, which reminded me of an airport rewards club.. There were TVs, refreshments and comfortable seats. I will also say that the legendary German efficiency was working as well, my appointment was 1300 and at 1300 I was in front of the doctor.

Why wont this work here you ask... Too many snowflakes and entitled are going to demand the first class treatment that the paying customers are getting, of course expecting someone else to foot the bill.

Of course one could argue for a true federalized system, where all doctors and hospitals are owned and run by the Government, Hmmm don't we have some of that now, called the VA? How's that working?

A point of view based on a fallacy is like a house built on sand. No matter how well built, the house will fail when the sand fails. "...socializing healthcare is the only demonstrably effective way to control costs and cover everyone." I was working at Social Security when Medicare was being debated and legislated, and those of us who took the time to look at the plan knew one thing for certain: Medicare was going to raise the cost of healthcare for everyone. And it did. Don't believe me? Let's take a look at how Medicare "works". When the doctor charges me $100 for a visit/procedure/whatever, the bill is sent to Medicare where it is determined that the service provided is actually worth $20 of which they will pay just $8. You notify me that I may be billed for the balance $12 (not $80 because the doctor has agreed to accept the Medicare determination otherwise he isn't qualified to practice on Medicare patients). So, I have purchased a Medicare Supplemental Plan from a private insurer who will pay the balance owed ($12 not $80). So, who pays the $80? Non-Medicare patients pay it. Doctors and hospitals recoup their costs by billing non-Medicare patients higher for the same services. Now, here comes the really interesting part. The Major Medical portion of Medicare is "free" (to me - workers pay for it with higher taxes just as I paid for others when I was working). I pay a monthly premium for the other parts of Medicare plus I pay monthly premiums for my Medicare Supplemental plans. Pay attention here: The monthly premiums I pay to the govt and private insurers is about the same that I was paying for a private health insurance plan before I retired. Under that plan, if the doctor billed $100, he was paid $100. How can that be? You figure it out...

Still, the high cost of healthcare and the govt's inefficiency is not the biggest problem. Under single payer healthcare systems, guess who makes your healthcare decisions. Will you be treated or sent home with pain meds and told to die and stop being a burden on society? A bureaucrat. My father also worked at Social Security and his job was to place his judgment above doctors who attended you to determine if you were disabled and entitled to receive benefits. Yes, I've seen the system at work and there is no way that this Conservative will ever dance around a single payer system singing its praises. Nope, no way, no how...

MAJ James Woods Definitely Queuing that up for Later. Sounds Like a Great Read!