Flawed health care better than options

By Sandy Heth

----

November's election screamed: JOBS! JOBS! Politicians heard: “JOBS! JOBS!”

Post-November, politicians screamed: BUDGET! BUDGET!

Budget cuts decimate the middle class by eliminating jobs with benefits. Health care benefits evaporate.

Democrats passed health care reform, mandating Americans purchase a plan. Opportunistically, Republicans seized upon the Constitution's Commerce Clause to tank health care. These same politicians didn't use the Commerce Clause against President Bush's Schedule D drug program, mandating that Medicare recipients purchase Schedule D or suffer penalties.

Government-mandated participation is not illegal. It's “personal responsibility,” an extolled Republican mantra; Americans should insure their bodies as they insure their cars; states mandate that, too.

Everybody wants insurance for reduced cost or free: that's why Americans must support current health care legislation. Millions will be able to afford a policy from an insurance company exchange, and companies will be regulated.

Also, this law addresses inequities for the underemployed or unemployed who can't afford insurance. Insurance subsidies for 1 million people are considerably cheaper than charitable care for

1 million people with catastrophic illnesses such as cancer or heart bypass. Without this law, uninsured numbers will grow. We all pay for that.

Charitable care is dwindling. Hospitals are mandated to set aside a percentage of profits for charity cases, but as politicians shove families into unemployment without health care, patient numbers at emergency rooms balloon.

Hospitals everywhere face this dilemma. In 2008, Dubuque's two hospitals provided $11 million for charity, Medicaid, Medicare's shortfall, and bad debt. Some of that debt is “blue sky,” inflated costs charged to providers by hospitals seeking greater compensation.

Hospitals attempt to cover losses by raising fees. We all pay that

$11 million.

In budget's name, many state governors are attempting to offload health care costs. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad seeks to increase premiums for public workers. Ohio's Gov. John Kasich created a health transformation office, targeting Medicaid. He hired a private health care consultant ($120,000) to shape the “fragmented and costly” Medicaid program. (Plain Dealer, Jan. 14).

Then there is Scott Walker, Wisconsin's henchman who sledgehammered unions, pension plans, and health care costs.

These governors call it your “personal responsibility” to pay greater health care percentage. Their mantra should be: Insure your body! Save your life!

Now comes mounting military health care debt. Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants rate increases for Tricare, Pentagon's health care for all things military including retires in new, non-military careers (Washington Post, March 16) Despite Gate's effort, Tricare premiums haven't increased in 16 years; it's free to active servicemen and retirees over 65 (including my husband). Tricare costs $52.5 billion, 10 percent of the defense budget. Yes, we all pay for that.

Private corporations at will can increase employee heath care premiums. Some corporations have abandoned health care, easily accomplished by downsizing and outsourcing.

We should be frightened into buying health care while a viable health care act regulates companies, protects our investment, stops pre-existing condition prohibitions and stops our being dumped at a company's discretion. A flawed plan is better.

Sandy Heth, of Dubuque, is an author and freelance writer who was mentored by James A. McPherson of the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop while earning her UI degree. Comments: dbqheth66@aol.com