This week President Bush discussed what I believe is the number one issue on people’s minds after the war: health care. Well, not health care per se, but PAYING for health care…
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. For many Americans, the new year began with a resolution to live a better and healthier life. Whatever goals you have set for yourself this year, one goal we can all share is reforming our Nation’s health care system..Americans are fortunate to have the best health care system in the world. The government has an important role to play in our system. We have an obligation to provide care for the most vulnerable members of our society — the elderly, the disabled, and poor children and their parents. We are meeting this responsibility through Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. We must strengthen these vital programs so that they are around when future generations need them.
Of course where it gets dicey is how one defines "poor". I know many healthy, working individuals who have no health insurance because they choose not to– "It’s too expensive," they say, as they run into the liquor store for a $40 bottle of spirits, followed by a trip to the store for a $35 carton of smokes. But I digress. President Bush continues:
For all other Americans, private health insurance is the best way to meet their needs. But rising health care costs are making insurance too expensive for millions of our citizens. Health care costs are growing more than two times faster than wages, and this is making it harder for working families to buy insurance on their own. Rising costs are also making it harder for small businesses to offer health coverage to their employees. Our challenge is clear: We must address these rising costs, so that more Americans can afford basic health insurance. And we need to do it without creating a new Federal entitlement program or raising taxes.
Amen! Of course, someone needs to clue the President in on one contributing factor to rising costs, especially in the Southern states: providing medical care to illegal aliens. Fixing that problem would help too, but that’s a whole other topic for a separate post…
Our Nation is making progress toward this goal. We created Health Savings Accounts, which empower patients and can reduce the cost of coverage. We are working to pass Association Health Plans, so that small businesses can insure their workers at the favorable discounts that big businesses get. We must pass medical liability reform, so we can stop the junk lawsuits that drive costs through the roof and good doctors out of practice. We’ve taken important steps to increase transparency in health care pricing, and give patients more information about the quality of their doctors and hospitals.
"Medical liability reform?" Not with Dems in control. Who loves lawsuits and big jury awards more than Democrats? Many of their constituents earn their living by suing "rich" people. I think the President will be sucking swamp water on that one.
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The next point he made in his radio speech is something, however, that will undoubtably be popular with many Americans of all political stripes:
One of the most promising ways to make private health insurance more affordable is by reforming the Federal tax code. Today, the tax code unfairly penalizes people who do not get health insurance through their job. It unwisely encourages workers to choose overly expensive, gold-plated plans. The result is that insurance premiums rise, and many Americans cannot afford the coverage they need.
This is an idea that has been kicked around for many years. The question I have for President Bush is, "Why did you wait so long to suggest this?" People that I know have been pulling for such a notion for years. Why is he proposing it to a Democrat Congress, after having wasted 6-years of his term in concert with GOP control? Oh well. Better late than never. Bush goes on…
We need to fix these problems, and one way to do so is to treat health insurance more like home ownership. The current tax code encourages home ownership by allowing you to deduct the interest on your mortgage from your taxes. We can reform the tax code, so that it provides a similar incentive for you to buy health insurance. So in my State of the Union Address next Tuesday, I will propose a tax reform designed to help make basic private health insurance more affordable — whether you get it through your job or on your own.
It’s too bad that with all the earth shattering events since 9-11, Bush didn’t have more success in pushing his so-called "ownership society" throughout more areas of ordinary peoples’ lives. Whether social security accounts, HSA’s, or this latest plan. Nothing is a better antidote for the socialism that is overtaking our society as a whole.
As we reform the Federal tax code, we will also support the innovative measures that states are taking to address the problem of the uninsured. Governors across the Nation have put forward plans to make basic private health insurance more accessible for their citizens. When I go before Congress next week, I will announce a new effort — led by Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt — to help governors reduce the number of people in their states without private health insurance..All of these changes are based on a clear principle: Health insurance should be available, it should be affordable, and it should put you and your doctor in charge of your medical decisions. I look forward to working with Congress to pass the initiatives that I lay out next week, so we can help millions more Americans enjoy better care, new choices, and healthier lives..Thank you for listening.
Good luck Mr. President. I think the only plan Congress has for the next two years is to hang you out to dry– both Democrats and Republicans.
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The six years of a complete lack of articulation and "selling" of his policies and ideas has led to this point— When President Bush speaks, the answer is, "Did you hear something?" It’s too bad. But it’s too late. For me, I’m anxious to see what plan Newt Gingrich will bring to the table. Otherwise…