In 2001, my wife Laura was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. Due to the life-threatening nature of her illness, (and because she worked at a physicians’ office and was familiar with the procedures and paperwork involved), she was able to qualify for Medicare.

Laura received excellent treatment and care under Medicare, and is fully recovered today. If we had been forced to rely solely on my private health insurance through my employer, many of her claims would have been denied and we would now be facing bankruptcy. Worse still, she may not have even survived, because much of the care she received through Medicare would most likely have been off limits to her. So in actuality, the much-maligned “government option” you are fighting to eradicate from the public discourse helped save her life.

Many stories do not have the happy ending ours did. In view of my own personal experience, I stand in opposition to organizations such as yours who make it their business to obstruct meaningful healthcare reform for those who need it most.

Describing the “public option” as a mechanism for improving competition is marketing, pure and simple. Government has:

Unlimited resources, pays no taxes, is often exempt from the rules it imposes on market players, has no incentive to improve its output, responds to the will of politicians, not customers and is ultimately backed by the police power of the state

The truth is the percentage of the “uninsured” has been about the same for years. Most work for small business owners that do not offer insurance or choose not to take an employer’s plan. We don’t hear our president talking about the value of HSAs as part of the solution in covering them yet we know that 30% of those who have enrolled in an individual or group consumer driven plan, were formerly uninsured.

Despite what we see in the AARP spots, people are not blocking ambulances, nor are they trying to stop health reform. Just THIS health reform concept. John, Greg, Linda, Ron, Devon, and others on this blog have been advocating health reform for many years. Where was Obama when President Bush was trying to pass his health reform which included equalizing the tax treatment of health insurance premiums?

I would recommend reading “How American Health Care Killed My Father” (The Atlantic Monthly) written by a Democrat who clearly identifies the problem with our current system and has come to the realization that consumer driven health care is the answer. If you are interested, you may read my letter to the editor here. http://www.hsabenefitsconsulting.com/blog

The Road to “Hellth” Reform

Health Reform or Hellth Reform? Health reform in Washington has never been about health or healthcare. It is about power. Controlling $2.5 trillion dollars gives politicians control over election results. The bill passed out of the Senate HELP Committee is loaded with new controlling councils, agencies, boards, departments and other entities all with the power to spread tax dollars around to cronies through “planning and establishment” grants. The word “grant” shows up 421 times in the bill.

We already have the largest national health care system in the world. The government controls 50 cents of every healthcare dollar spent in the United States. Federal programs of Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, VA health, and Tri-Care are responsible for half of the healthcare in the country. Yet, these government controlled programs exemplify out of control spending, waste, fraud, abuse, and the lack of modern technology that the president so confidently states that the federal bureaucracy will change once all healthcare is under their control.

The reason Congressional health reform proposals make little sense to the general public is that they inherently know that the federal government cannot solve the problems that are created by current government ineptitude. Many citizens are confused by the proposals because they believe that the political class is trying to improve health and healthcare for all. They are not.

If improving health and controlling healthcare costs was the goal, why would the president and Congress ignore the non-partisan study by the American Academy of Actuaries which identified an approach where “total savings generated could be as much as 12 percent to 20 percent” and future “trend rates (are) lower than traditional plans by approximately 3 percent to 5 percent.” Importantly, the Academy report also concludes that in these plans “recommended care for chronic conditions (are) at the same or higher level than traditional plan participants” and the “studies reported a higher incidence of physicians following evidence-based care protocols.”

The basis for these remarkable results is the use of consumer-directed health plans. Healthcare consumerism has been developing in the employer and personal insurance market for nearly a decade. The report is an unbiased view that shows amazing results. New generation plans are being developed and implemented by employers and purchased by individuals that show even higher levels of savings. Healthcare consumerism encourages personal responsibility with rewards and incentives for healthy choices and adherence to physician treatments. They are good for both the healthy and those suffering from chronic conditions. But consumerism is rejected by the proposed bills. The president speaks many of the words and uses the language of consumerism, but the Senate bill would make illegal rewards and incentives for those who take the initiative to control their blood pressure, lower cholesterol, stop smoking, or improve other health related standards.

Changing federal and state laws to support the growth of healthcare consumerism by promoting personal responsibility can lower the uninsured by 15 million without any government expenditures. If Obama and Congress have better ideas proven to control costs and improve quality of care they should start by changing the 50 percent of healthcare already under government control. Mr. President, show the country, employers, and voters how to successfully implement health reform before the 180 million with private health insurance who are moving towards healthcare consumerism suffer from your political Hellth Reform. We all know that the road to hell is paved with good intentions and that the devil is in the details.