TheHealthCareCritic

We have warned the reader repeatedly that the Healthcare “reform bill” is a link in the socialistic chain that President OBAMA is building. The signals were very clear early on. Every policy/legislative move or appointment was based on ideology.

The TARP money, the largest infusion in U.S. history, may have permanentely changed the relationship between the government and the governed. Loans to GM allowed the creditor, the U.S. government, to directly convert debt at face value into GM shares, unlike any other creditor except for the UAW and the Government of Canada. The existing shareholders were left holding an empty bag.  All was done based on an ideology that favors labor over capital. The Stimulus money and the continuing funding of long term unemployment are robbing the United States of its productivity edge and creating dependency on government. The latter is an intended target from a very ideological President who continues to ignore tax cuts and tax subsidies as veritable mechanisms for promoting employment. The piling of regulations is another impediment to job growth as regulation and the continuing modifications of the rules are a form of taxation and uncertainty generators. Business does not like uncertainty.

Another link was the creation of the SHADOW CABINET within the White House. The so called Tsars within the White House represent a cabinet-of-sort accountable only to President Obama without congressional and possibly judicial oversight. Mr. Kenneth Feinberg, the pay Tsar, has been rampaging through bank executive pay, while the friends of Obama make millions from a single film and Oprah makes even more from a single show with no limit on their compensation.

The Fox guarding the hen house is best exemplified in the appointment of Erik Holder and especially his Deputy: Tom Perez, who is a sanctuary city advocate, and in no hurry to enforce employer sanctions for hiring illegals. The Labor Department Secretary, Hilda Solis seems to be drinking from the same well.

But, alas, the latest appointment of Mr. Donald Berwick to head Medicare and Medicaid is perfectly consistent with the underlying philosophy that brought us ObamaCare with bribes, intimidation, and back room deals.

Dr. Berwick is not shy about expressing his ideology. He wants to “spread the wealth” that Obama promised to do during his political campaign. He seems to be instinctively opposed to having the forces of the market to solve any of the US  health care issues: do not “put your faith in market forces”  he once admonished his audience. He is unable to see a system where the decision between patient and doctor is preserved and respected:

“Young doctors and nurses should emerge from training understanding the values of standardization and the risks of too great an emphasis on individual autonomy” .  And, he believes the total health care costs for the nation will not exceed 8% (currently 17%) if we would only listen to him and have excellence in medical care defined in terms of “…….standardization to the best known method- above clinician autonomy as a rule for care”.

Dr. Berwick wants to engage in involuntary wealth distribution. The wealthy who pay the majority of the taxes in this country are already witnessing wealth redistribution through Medicare and through restricted access to Medicare. Make no mistake about it, those who are still holding on to their Medicare Cadillac plans will pay more taxes. Care will be rationed in Medicare and Medicaid as the incentives of the doctors to participate in these programs are being systematically reduced through shrinking reimbursement schedules.

Dr. Berwick’s appointment is based on this anti market philosophy. Indeed it completely confirms it. He stated that:

“Any health care funding plan that is just equitable, civilized and humane must redistribute wealth from the richer among us to the poorer and the less fortunate. Excellent health care is by definition redistribution”. The immediate implication is:  the more you redistribute, the more excellent health care will be. Dr. Berwick draws the wrong lessons from history as well as Canadian and English experiences.  Their patients’ access to health care is limited. Their Choices are limited. The survival of their system is due to international access that allows them to reduce the pressures of the system: Canadians coming to the US to pay for expensive surgeries that are being denied at home, and British patients filling entire hospitals in India and dentist offices in  Hungary.

Other Berwick speak is even more revealing and poignant. He asserts that:

“.. the decision is not whether not we will ration care- the decision is whether we will ration with our eyes open. And right now, we are doing it blindly”.

Patients ought to get ready for long lines at the doctor’s office and long lists for surgical care. Expect older patients to be denied certain surgeries because they are too sick, old, or poor.

Very soon we will all have government provided insurance, and the only way out of the lines is to go overseas.

A new company can help you escape the ravaged on health care socialism: Global Medical Excellence: www.gme-surgical.com.

When ideology trumps logic and the welfare of the citizenry everyone should be on his guard. We recommend a huge participation in the Democratic process in November 2010.  This is the most effective way to protect your pocketbook and your access to excellent health care. President Obama wanted to keep the controversy over Dr. Berwick’s appointment and views from flaring up in Congress. That is why he elected the Recess Appointment. He is conveniently overlooking the wisdom and the scrutiny of the American people. They will show up in November to provide him with the appropriate reminder.

Joe Concerned