Called out on Miracles

I received this response to yesterday's Blog. Following are the criticism and my response. It would be great to hear from more of you. This issue effects ALL OF US.

There is one thing I'm having a hard time understanding about your (and many liberals' views)....you all want a 'public option' under the guise of increased competition to the insurance companies. But in the next sentence want a single payor system, which would ELIMINATE any competition. You guys should at least be honest and say that you want a public option as a means to eliminate the insurance companies.

Response
What I WANT and what is currently possible are two different things. If you read the blog again, you will find that I was answering a question about what a public option would look like based on my understanding of what is being considered by Congress. In this context, a public option would go a long way in driving costs down due to competition for policy holders and provider competition for patients.

I then addressed the issue of how health care is perceived and understood in the United States. UNFORTUNATELY, we view health care as a commodity or equity like we do pork bellies or General Electric. We are the only industrialized country in the world that views health care this way. In other words, health insurance corporations must profit at the expense of sick or injured people. They do this by denying or delaying treatment, or canceling policies AFTER the policy holder contracts a serious or catastrophic disease. There is something terribly wrong with that picture.

If our government created laws that did not allow profiteering off the sick or injured, health insurance companies would no longer exist. I think that not profiting from a human beings misery is a good thing. Universal health care in other countries is NON PROFIT, paid by tax dollars. That's right, tax dollars.

These countries have NO problem with taking care of their people, unlike us AMERICANS. I have heard so many people talk negatively about single payor system or even a public option because they don't want to pay for other peoples health care. Fact is we are all ready paying for other peoples health care. Those of us lucky enough to be employed pay taxes for Medicare. We are paying NOW for our health care later. We are paying NOW for those 65 or older, or who are disabled. That argument that "I shouldn't have to or don't want to pay for others health care" is shortsighted and WRONG. If this position is liberal, I am guilty.

I have some questions for those of you who actually believe that it is everyone for themselves.

If the US was attacked with biological weapons and you or a family member contracted a serious disease because of this attack; would you want to be obligated to obtain pre certification from your insurance company to be treated? Would you want to subject yourself to their scrutiny and review of your medical history? What if they determined that your policy was not valid because you forgot to document that you were treated for acne when you were a teenager so many years ago? What would you do if your insurance company denied your claim because they determined it was a pre existing condition? What if you had a $5000 deductible and didn't have the money? What if this disease prohibited you from earning a living and you didn't have your $50 co-pay?

My guess is that you wouldn't have any problem with this since your belief is that we should only have to take care of ourselves. I'm certain you would rather suffer in your illness than be treated for it.