A healthy health care debate

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to exchange some dialogue with my Nephew and his friends concerning the current health care debate - some of my excerpts are below - I truly enjoyed this civil and thought- provoking exchange and would welcome more in the future.


@Chris -if we were guaranteed that money would solve the problem - this bill would have more supporters - but since the government really has never proven it can do a better job than people relating one on one I am a little skeptical that it will provide better health care - - the reality is that it is not about the money - its about the regulation- the steady rise in medical care comes from the fact that I have to employ at least 2 extra employees just to manage government regulations - and this does not improve the care I am able to provide it only causes undue stress. If a doctor was able to spend more time actually relating to patients and not jumping through regulatory hoops the system would be better and cheaper. (I am not advocating no regulation - just ones that make sense) which I see very little of. In our current practice we give at least 30% of services to the poor and those that are not able to afford good medical care - it appears that I don't need the government to tell me I need to give more - I am doing this just fine on my own. @Chris the $138 billion in savings is very questionable no government cost projections have come in anywhere near their projected cost. Comparing abolishing slavery to government run health care is comparing apples to cars - While there was argument against abolishing slavery based on economics - government run health care is not a matter of civil rights. The argument that people can't get health care in this country is insane - After 20 years of ER experience my husband will tell you that no person has been sent out of the ER because they didnt have funds - and most are well aware that medical bills do not affect your credit rating so the crazy stories about people going bankrupt from medical bills are few and far between. Now it is true that without ins. it is hard to receive surgeries and care that is not emergent. But all people have the ability to apply for current government aid - its just that wading through that system takes longer than people would like. Get in line - this will be the care of the future for all @ Tyler your reference 

(Your asked if you served the poor, clothed the naked, and housed the homeless. And when you find a stranger on the side of the road who is dying; you take them to an inn and PAY FOR THEIR HEALTHCARE!)

is a little out of context - the Bible says take them in - not feed them to the government to take care of. - Again as individuals if we are doing our part it will always be better than allowing the government to make the decisions. BTW in the most recent polls that have been corroborated - nearly 1/2 of the US physicians (nearly 350K+) intend to retire if this bill is passed - how ethical then is it to try and cover 30 million patients with 1/2 the current physician supply.   If health care becomes a right to all US Citizens then the Slavery, that was abolished in 1863 by the Emancipation Proclamation, will now be applied to all health care professionals. Slaves make poor Doctors. Now that's comparing apples to apples.


@Tyler regarding your premises to ponder 1. basic health care as a right - I think the founding fathers were aware of what they were determining when they listed life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as inalienable rights -these are all rights which do not require servitude of another individual. When you mandate or legislate a right to a person that requires service from another you are in a sense enslaving one to serve the other - I think a great read in this area is Ayn Rand and her medical essays (I do not agree with her on many points but here it makes sense)

I believe that if we begin to legislate rights of service - the question then becomes where does it stop - when will I have the right to go to dinner once a week at the expense of the government and those that own eating establishments (this may seem ridiculous but has to be considered when you carry this theme out)

I think if we follow the greatest commandment that was given and the one as Christians that we are to follow which is to love your neighbor then all of this solves itself. As the government interjects itself into the lives of individuals we no longer have the latitude, energy, money or time to carry out this commandment. Even worse you will have individuals that will deem that they are already paying taxes for the government to handle these needs so they do not need to. BTW this already occurs in churches as people hand over their money in the pew and then leave the care to the administrations in charge - believing they are absolved of their individual duty to give and to love. The greatest issue is one of personal responsibility and just how far we as individuals are willing to carry out the commandment that was given to us - or are we willing to just pay our fines,tithes, taxes and indulgences and let the chips fall where they may. 

Personally on that great and faithful day I want to be able to stand and hear well done my good and faithful servant - NOT- yep, you're all paid up.