Thursday, December 24, 2009

The Health Care Bill and a Thought

We now have the Christmas Eve Cecil B DeMille event of the passing of health care in the Senate. There is the high drama of ever DeMille film with the exception of the elephants. The problem I still have is a logical one.

Let me lay out some facts:

1. Let us assume for simplicity that health care costs us $2.5 trillion in 2010. Close so one should not quibble.

2. Let us look at the laws and note that anyone going to an emergency room must not be denied service, expensive as it may be.

3. ER service is very expensive, so if they went to a local physician then it should cost less.

4. We are now requiring all to have health care, and to some degree pay for it. That means that more money comes into the system to get cheaper care, going to a local physician, and also having the patient pay something for it. Somehow this means that the costs are lower and the inflow of funds from the patient are higher.

5. Thus why do we need to spend a single penny more than what we are now spending, in fact it should be less. So if this logic holds any water. just using the facts, then where is the money going?

Good question. Think about it. Then look at Nebraska, Florida, Michigan and the list goes on. The only sensible step was Bernie Sanders and Public Health Clinics, a low cost proven way to deliver health care. It's a shame, they are destroying one of the prime engines of economic growth for the 21st century. Wonder what the history books will say a hundred years from now?