Unicorns, Free Healthcare and other Mythological Creatures
Obama Care is going to reduce the deficit! Hooray! That's good, really good. Based on whose projections, I wonder? Based on a few folks who read the Congressional Budget Office's projections. Well, not exactly as written, mind you. But, if you cherry pick the data, heck, you can find it, for sure.
Here's the thing, less than nine million people currently are enrolled in Obama Care. No one knows just how many have actually paid for it, or used it, though. So, those numbers don't mean much. And, the numbers being used in a The Huffington Post article, for instance, are based on a projection of twenty five million, mostly lower income people signing up. Their insurance, no doubt, will cost less. For others, though, mostly middle class and working folk, with middling incomes, there costs will go up. In many instances, way up.
I know at least three middle class families who've already seen their costs more than double, with much higher deductibles and monthly payments. But, that is anecdotal. What is three families compared to millions, will be the argument. This argument will be more difficult to make when the number of people seeing substantial increases in their premiums runs into the the tens of millions, however.
So, here's the difference. Many of the new enrollments are by people who previously didn't have insurance. That much we know. Meaning; low income families who now have insurance, and that's obviously good. The others, they are people who had insurance, but now pay a lot more for less coverage, which the media has tried studiously to ignore.
In other words, this tiny personal sampling gives me a window into the way our new health insurance will almost certainly work. And, it should surprise no one. Here it is “Drum-roll please!” Some people will not only be be paying for their own healthcare, they'll be paying other people's healthcare, as well. That's why their costs are going up. And “Voila” with this, everyone will be covered. There's just one problem. There are nearly three hundred and ten million people yet to be covered, many of whom are not eligible for government subsidies. And, even if they were, those subsidies would be payed for by the taxpayers, not the government. Meaning you! Why? Because the government has no money of it's own. That's why! It's just a shell game. Move the money around the table until your head spins and you give up trying to figure where the money came from and went.
“What's wrong with lending a helping hand to those who are less fortunate?”
“Not a damn thing!”
I'm not arguing against offering a helping hand to those in need, far from it. But, when the government get's involved in price and wage controls, which is what's happening with Obama Care, that's another thing altogether. The government has already been doing this for decades, though, with Medicare and Medicaid. So, I guess you could ask “What's the big deal?”
Here's why. Since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, costs on healthcare in general have exploded, about thirty times, in fact, well beyond the rate of inflation. I mean WAY beyond! The reason is simple. Where the demand for goods and services is high, entrepreneurs flock in big numbers to find new ways to fill that demand. That's a lot of skill and intellectual power looking to solve a particular problem. They willingly do this, because the potential for profits can be very big. In other words, they do it for the same reason that people go to work everyday. To make money. And, by competing with one another to do things better and cheaper, it keeps prices low and innovation high.
When the government gets involved in setting prices, by comparison, there is a lot less competition and a lot less innovation. Basically, because the incentive to innovate has largely been removed by guaranteeing a base-line profit. The more government controls all these variables, the more static and the less creative industries become—and that's exactly what has happened over the last fifty years. For Americans, who are the prime innovators in medicine and technology around the world, that will mean fewer miracle drugs and life-saving procedures.
Insurance companies are a part of the problem too. Which, by the way, was also created by the government. I've written about this elsewhere, here's a link for anyone that might be interested. http://www.weeklysouthernarts.com/the-last-damned-healthcare-article-youll-ever-need.html
As far as deficits, which is the other part of Congressional Budget Office's non partisan projections. Deficits may be down for now, but they are projected to once again begin their upward climb in 2018 and continue doing so until at least 2025. But president Obama will be gone by then, his legacy safe, with a new president left to handle the mess, and an eager press looking to rewrite history for future generations. All, in an effort to protect their investment in a man who could not really govern without their constant protection and support.
This very unpleasant scenario is not carved in stone, though. But it might as well be, if people allow themselves to be duped. That is the stark reality. It was and is predictable. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Mark Magula
Here's the thing, less than nine million people currently are enrolled in Obama Care. No one knows just how many have actually paid for it, or used it, though. So, those numbers don't mean much. And, the numbers being used in a The Huffington Post article, for instance, are based on a projection of twenty five million, mostly lower income people signing up. Their insurance, no doubt, will cost less. For others, though, mostly middle class and working folk, with middling incomes, there costs will go up. In many instances, way up.
I know at least three middle class families who've already seen their costs more than double, with much higher deductibles and monthly payments. But, that is anecdotal. What is three families compared to millions, will be the argument. This argument will be more difficult to make when the number of people seeing substantial increases in their premiums runs into the the tens of millions, however.
So, here's the difference. Many of the new enrollments are by people who previously didn't have insurance. That much we know. Meaning; low income families who now have insurance, and that's obviously good. The others, they are people who had insurance, but now pay a lot more for less coverage, which the media has tried studiously to ignore.
In other words, this tiny personal sampling gives me a window into the way our new health insurance will almost certainly work. And, it should surprise no one. Here it is “Drum-roll please!” Some people will not only be be paying for their own healthcare, they'll be paying other people's healthcare, as well. That's why their costs are going up. And “Voila” with this, everyone will be covered. There's just one problem. There are nearly three hundred and ten million people yet to be covered, many of whom are not eligible for government subsidies. And, even if they were, those subsidies would be payed for by the taxpayers, not the government. Meaning you! Why? Because the government has no money of it's own. That's why! It's just a shell game. Move the money around the table until your head spins and you give up trying to figure where the money came from and went.
“What's wrong with lending a helping hand to those who are less fortunate?”
“Not a damn thing!”
I'm not arguing against offering a helping hand to those in need, far from it. But, when the government get's involved in price and wage controls, which is what's happening with Obama Care, that's another thing altogether. The government has already been doing this for decades, though, with Medicare and Medicaid. So, I guess you could ask “What's the big deal?”
Here's why. Since the creation of Medicare and Medicaid, costs on healthcare in general have exploded, about thirty times, in fact, well beyond the rate of inflation. I mean WAY beyond! The reason is simple. Where the demand for goods and services is high, entrepreneurs flock in big numbers to find new ways to fill that demand. That's a lot of skill and intellectual power looking to solve a particular problem. They willingly do this, because the potential for profits can be very big. In other words, they do it for the same reason that people go to work everyday. To make money. And, by competing with one another to do things better and cheaper, it keeps prices low and innovation high.
When the government gets involved in setting prices, by comparison, there is a lot less competition and a lot less innovation. Basically, because the incentive to innovate has largely been removed by guaranteeing a base-line profit. The more government controls all these variables, the more static and the less creative industries become—and that's exactly what has happened over the last fifty years. For Americans, who are the prime innovators in medicine and technology around the world, that will mean fewer miracle drugs and life-saving procedures.
Insurance companies are a part of the problem too. Which, by the way, was also created by the government. I've written about this elsewhere, here's a link for anyone that might be interested. http://www.weeklysouthernarts.com/the-last-damned-healthcare-article-youll-ever-need.html
As far as deficits, which is the other part of Congressional Budget Office's non partisan projections. Deficits may be down for now, but they are projected to once again begin their upward climb in 2018 and continue doing so until at least 2025. But president Obama will be gone by then, his legacy safe, with a new president left to handle the mess, and an eager press looking to rewrite history for future generations. All, in an effort to protect their investment in a man who could not really govern without their constant protection and support.
This very unpleasant scenario is not carved in stone, though. But it might as well be, if people allow themselves to be duped. That is the stark reality. It was and is predictable. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Mark Magula
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