I Oppose Obama's Healthcare Reform (and You Should Too) Because It Does Not Reform Healthcare

Most people think in binary - black and white; good or bad. "If you're not with me, you're against me." If you are against ObamaCare, you oppose healthcare reform. I am and I do not.

There is no question that healthcare is sick. The evidence (ignore all the selfishly motivated hype and spin) is overwhelming whether you look at financial data; quality of outcomes; errors and adverse impacts; efficiency, however measured; or shortages of personnel.

Health care is dragging us down both as individuals (who cannot get care) and as a nation (making us globally less competitive). People reason from that to conclude that, 'Anything is better than [doing] nothing. So, let's support ObamaCare.' The President, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi assure us it will "reform" healthcare: assuring access, improving quality, and reducing costs. Keep in mind the aphorism, "If it seems too good to be true, it is!" Or, if you are a science fiction aficionado, "Tanstaffl: There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch."

ObamaCare is a boondoggle, plain and simple. It is a political approach coupled with a self-proclaimed solution for a medical problem. It is snake oil, not evidence-based treatment.

Whether it expands insurance coverage or not (uncertain), ObamaCare will actually reduce access to care and explode the deficit to even more unmanageable heights. I oppose it for those reasons and because I want real healthcare reform: change that works for us, that will be affordable and sustainable, and that will get better and better over time. That is not ObamaCare.

Real, effective reform translates to a new system. Everyone concurs that the current system is broken beyond repair but our leaders try to 'fix' one small - admittedly important - part of the system: financing. This will not work for two reasons: his 'fix' won't fix, and every good doctor knows you treat causes, not symptoms. The nightmare called health care financing is a symptom -- of an unworkable, inherently contradictory system -- not a cause. Nonetheless, ObamaCare claims to fix [reform] the system...by making one part of it even more complex and expensive.

√ I do not want ObamaCare. It will make things worse.
√ I do not want to stay the way we are. That obviously does not work.
√ I want real healthcare reform.
√ That means a new system, not giving snake oil to the one we now have.

Follow Deane Waldman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dwaldman@thesys

Comments

[Dark Sphere]

Denial of care is a myth, by law, Hospitals have to see patients, unless you are the U of Chicago Hospital and have Michelle Obama on your staff, with Axelrod, then you can push out the less fortunate and send them away from your hospital for inferior care. That is the legacy of Michelle Obama, and you people think healthcare will get better under Obama's so called plan.

Read an article from CNN:

http://money.cnn.com/2009/07/24/news/economy/health_care_reform_obama.fortune/index.htm

[donmichael77]

You are absolutely incorrect. For example (true story), a young woman graduates from college. She is quickly dropped by her parent's insurance. She is unable to find employment and has resorted to baby sitting her 18 month old nephew and receives comensation from the Commonwealth of PA. She is in need of her seizure medication with costs over $700 and no generic is available. (although it almost certainly is in Canada) She cannot get healthcare because she makes too much babysitting her nephew. Obviously she will not be raising a family and sending children to college on the income she receives from babysitting meaning she is not making ends meat. So how is denial of healthcare a myth? Going to the hospital and receiving treatment while paying full price is not healthcare. When we talk about insuring the uninsured, it's not talking about the people who take advantage of the wellfare system and refuse to work. Actually, they already have healthcare. Please explain to me how the plan reduces access to care? I've noticed that most opposition to this are either uninformed about the plan or already have health insurance and seem to think that ones who do not are lazy or did not make the right career path or illegal immigrants.

[Pristine16]

What is Obamacare? A conservative myth. Clearly the facts do not matter to people who claim this. Obama has presented no plan, he has only set a criteria and principles for change. The plans being presented are from congress and yes they are real dogs(sorry for the insult to dogs and those of us who love them). I agree that the current bils are another hoax and scam similar to the prescription healthcare plan for seniors but I don't blame Obama for that. We can get behind a plan that meets his criteria. Check out The 5 Dollar Revolution.com. it raises 140 billion without raisng taxes or adding to the deficit. It will cover everyone because it pays doctors and hospitals directly which reduces cost and makes coverage better for everyone. Check it out, then sign the petition and call the president's comment line. Let him know there is a plan that meets his guidelines for heath care reform.

[chaifreak]

Apparently, you have never been prevented from seeing a doctor because of no insurance or money. I imagine all the parents who can't afford to take their kid to a doctor would be willing to stand in that line, which is a spurious claim in the first case. Shame on you for using Republican scare tactics.

[wdw505]

nope, i have always had insurance..

[donmichael77]

Actually I am a supporter of the plan, but last itme I checked all children do have healthcare and can go to the doctor.

[seatea1967]

Given that what you want is not a possibility at this time, how about you ask for a pony instead?

[loucasa]

If by "real reform" and a "new system" you mean a single-payer system, then I agree. Unfortunately, the political reality is that single-payer is not even at the party. It isn't perfect (nothing is), and the details haven't been finalized in either house, much less the joint house. However, it is urgent that we put into place reforms now that cover the uninsured and ensure that no one loses or is denied coverage due to losing/changing jobs or having a "preexisting" condition. 14,000 people a day are losing their coverage (presumably due to job loss). In the richest country (or one of them, per capita) on earth, it is a travesty that anyone should be denied health care. We can find trillions of dollars for economic stimulus (arguable necessary) and trillions for two dubious wars (arguably unnecessary), surely we can find the money to cover all of our people!

[Dunelm]

I would also like to know what the doctor's reform looks like? A few weeks ago, I waited to see my doctor for over three hours. Don't get me wrong--he is great and I would wait longer. On the other hand, my sister-in-law, who lives in England and who uses the apparently dreaded "socialised medicine," took ill on a Sunday last winter. Her husband phoned an emergency services line and within two hours a doctor had examined her in her own home and an hour later she had the medication she needed. Certainly, there are pros and cons for both systems; however, I am getting really tired of all the scare tactics being used by those who seem to be opposed to any kind of reform and who do not have any solutions of their own!

[GunnyJ]

Since you know exactly what Obamacare is, please share the detailed plan with the rest of us. Further, how can his plan make things worse compared to what is happening now? What evidence do you have? The President's mother died arguing with her provider over coverage, a scenario played out a thousand times over! You have a right to your opinion, this is what makes our country great! I will disagree with you though, ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN WE HAVE NOW!

[Pristine16]

Sorry GunnyJ but these are plans that can make things worse. Real reform shouldn't give insurance companies ANYTHING but real competition. Check out The 5 Dollar Revolution.com.
It's a plan that''ll make 'em work to keep your business instead of trying to find new ways to stick it you.