Healthcare update

Many Americans watched the great health care square table summit, ostensibly to give Republicans a chance to give their input into a bill which Obama says is set in stone. It was defeatist and futile from the onset, but it gave me a chance to see how polarized the two parties are and how they just used the occasion to repeat their talking points. At least that is what I came away with from my hour or so watching of the non-event.

The Democrats talked about our moral responsibility to pass universal health care, and the Republicans talked about the equal need for fiscal responsibility. I personally think we need a big dose of both, not one or the other.

Some of you may suspect that I am not in favor of big government. I sort of like government by the people rather than government by the government. However, the deep need for some things have made me moderate my position for some big causes. Health care is one of those exceptions.

I have blogged about this before, and I made a list of the things I wanted. That list has been refined after a year of debate. Some things are still the same.

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1. I want everyone to be covered. No exceptions.

2. I want everyone to participate in both the coverage and the payments for it.

3. "Everyone" means nobody gets to opt out or have their own special plan. Not even congress.

4. There must be one price for everyone. No special people and special low risk pools. One pool. Everyone is in that pool.

5. Every disease and injury is covered. Elective things like cosmetic surgery is not covered.

6. People who abuse the system go to jail.

One problem: the bill they came up with doesn't do this. Did we not say that congress would screw this up? Ha!

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What do we do about insurance companies who now employ zillions of people?

Do we get to choose our own company still? (I don't want the government as my insurance company, friendly and compassionate and efficient as they are.)

Do we get to go across state lines to choose a company? Why would we want to if all charged the same and covered the same?

Where does the competition come from if all companies charge the same and cover the same?

How about all the people who don't have to pay because they made wrong life choices and don't have any money? I mean, are we going to do anything to make them go to work, or just pay their way? A lot of them are deserving and have nowhere to turn. But a lot of them just chose not to work as hard as others did or educated themselves. Will there be some justice there? Will they get to do some work for us one day a week? No? Not fair to them? Well, so be it.

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A work in progress.