Following last night's 3rd and thankfully last presidential debate I am taking a grim view on the possibility for real reform in our health system.
The reality here is that we have two candidates with diametrically opposed views on health care reform.
Senator McCain advocates that our health non system challenges are limited to the premiums and availablility of health care coverage.. This does not speak to all the other areas in health care that need reform. His proposal will be a battle of the payers, and the employers and a new book of IRS tax codes. Insurers have no real interest in providing more payments for more patients, nor hospitalizations. His proposal is not well thought out, and fails to address most of the fundamental challenges for patients and providers alike.
Senator Obama takes the short path....to universal payor. Although he has not mentioned it lately and backed off when pressed at the debate, his other statements are otherwise. Senator Obama also wants to use the tax codes ( but in a different manner)
Joe the plumber might as well be you the citizen, lawyer, doctor, small business man or even a large integrated health system.
Senator Obama wants to take some of your income and give it to the "guy behind you". Senator Obama wants to make life easy for you by giving your decision making and accounting to the U.S. government to decide who should give what and who should take what.
When pressed about mandatory mandates Senator Obama was asked how much a fine would be for the employer or employee who did not provide health insurance. He fumbled a bit and mentioned that was only for the 'rich' ,those businesses that had income greater than 250,000.
Some expert economists point out that even many medium and large enterprises, such as General Motors are having problems paying the rent. This type of health reform will bankrupt some large enterprises as well.
Neither Mr. McCain nor Mr. Obama have much real world experience in running a business, making payroll or having employees they are responsible for.
I doubt if McCain or Obama are able to add and subtract numbers with less than nine zeroes...That is apparent since Obama sees the divide at 250,000 dollars. If you are above that figure..you are rich, if you are below that, then you are eligible for whatever grandiose federal programs he imagines.
It seems that Obama actually overtly and covertly sees our country still in terms of class warfare facing both sides off against one another.
My fundamental analysis is that tax codes should not be the determining factor how we finance and deliver health care. The fundamental flaws must be dealt with by providers and patients.
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