Health Care, American-style
So, after at least half a year of intense debate, political haggling and a spirited back-and-forth, we have the following ground-breaking legislation to transform the American health care system. In short, our legislators have determined that what we need is almost exactly that which we already have, but that we would like to pay much, much more for it.
Positives
- It will cover more people.
- It will be illegal to deny coverage for preƫxisting conditions.
Negatives
- It won’t be single-payer.
- It doesn’t provide universal coverage (dozens of millions will continue to have no insurance).
- There is no public option.
- There will be no expansion of Medicare.
- Negotiation for medicine prices will continue to be illegal.
- It will continue to be illegal to import medicines.
- The connection between employment and insurance is strengthened, rather than abolished.
- It makes it illegal to not purchase a product from a private corporation, regardless of the quality of the product.[1]
- More businesses than ever will be legally required to provide insurance.
- Some private individuals will be legally required to purchase insurance that they can’t pay for, even with assistance.
- There are no real provisions to clamp down on out-of-control spending and costs.
At $1 trillion over the next ten years, this turd is vastly overpriced[2] and hugely ineffective at actually providing medical care.[3] It is, however, extraordinarily effective at funneling public funds to those that matter the most, our lords and masters, the large private corporations of America[4]. These guys must be really happy with the health care bill, as it will give them much more public money with which they will presumably optimize the health care system on their own, as the free market dictates. Just remember that “optimized” to health-care providers means generating maximum profit, not proving maximum-quality or affordable care to the most people.[5]