The Podcast Patriot

What is it about government health care that scares so many people and seems so enticing to others? Certainly, everyone wants to looks at specifics to justify their opinion, but the truth is that the debate for government healthcare is one not about details but grander philosophical and political opinion.

BUSINESS vs. GOVERNMENT

PRO: The private sector is in business for profit, while the government’s purpose is to serve and protect its citizens. From this position, it is easy to see how business interests are in direct conflict with the health of the patient. Those who can pay will receive higher quality service because it increases the profit of the business of health care. Also, movies like “Sicko” accurately portray a reality that anyone who has dealt with health insurance directly experiences—health insurance is in the business of maximizing profits and paying doctors loses money for the business. The industry is in business, the entire industry fights against the patient and does whatever it can to fight paying for services: unlike, a mechanic or plumber, poor service does not lead to dissatisfaction but death.

CON: The government is a big creature. It is very easy for each of us to pull personal examples of how a standardized national policy has become a personal royal pain: difficult to reach quality customer service, often confusing red tape, programs that have confusing eligibility, etc.

TRUTH: While a government does not have the reputation for being easy to deal with, neither is the health care insurance industry. The difference is that a government program includes everybody, and is forced to remain under public scrutiny. It may be difficult to see change in the government, but we can vote in representatives to create change. There will be no “pre-existing conditions.” There are also two government health care programs, which may have critics but no one wants to see go away: Medicare and the Veteran Healthcare Administration. Those who use the VA rank it as one of the best healthcare systems in the world. Medicare is very similar to health care insurance and the VA is much more like government run health care. Neither deal with long lines or inferior service.

COST

CON: A government health care program is always at risk of becoming a behemoth. With everyone asking for more, especially when programs are free, there is always the risk of government health care to become a campaign promise which will grow the costs of operation to increase beyond the means of the government to run.

PRO: Government health care can run coordinated on a large scale. Purchasing medication in bulk, it can cut costs. Without fear of cost, Americans can spend more time in cheaper preventative health issues rather than waiting until they are seriously ill. VA physicians earn comparable incomes as civilian doctors, and are continually invested in to stay up-to-date in their training. The VA can coordinate with many other hospitals to provide the highest quality health care, which could be possible with national health care system.

TRUTH: While government health care can be more cost effective and more comprehensive than the private sector, it is always at risk of becoming cost prohibitive to the federal budget.

GOVERNMENT SHOULD ONLY PAY FOR THOSE HOW DESERVE IT

PRO: Most of America works hard. They believe in the American Dream, where sweat and ingenuity should be rewarded. A government health care system seems to spit in the face of these Americans. All of the effort and struggle they have made to better their lives seems futile when those who have not performed, tried or struggled are “given” health care — paid for by the people who did all the work. It is a demotivator and leads to the question, “why try to do more if there are no rewards?”

CON: The world is not so simple as “work hard and you will be rewarded”: it is complicated with many variables. In addition, the motivation to succeed in this world should not be based on how much MORE you have compared to other, but the pursuit of happiness. Are we really HAPPIER when others are sick and suffering?

TRUTH: The motivation to succeed is not connected to health care. It certainly isn’t measured by having better health care. Surely, no one can believe that have earned enough to find a health care insurance that does not fight tooth and nail to avoid paying for a single aspirin. Even those who feel that they deserve health care over other people are still not getting it.

GOVERNMENT HEALTH CARE IS UNAMERICAN

PRO: There is definitely a spirit of individualism and entrepreneurialism in America. Part of that package is that everyone can become a millionaire tycoon or President of the United States. The other aspect of that opportunity is that every American can fail miserably and find them with nothing living on charity. It is a part of the American mindset that we must take responsibility for ourselves.

CON: We learned in the Great Depression that the frontier mindset and the mindset of the Industrial Revolution were not correct. Many hard working Americans (over 25% of the country) found themselves living in “Hoover-ville” campsites, in places like Central Park. This was not through laziness, but corporate greed. We also found that unemployment for veterans after World War I almost drove the country into anarchy and fear of another veteran unemployment terror, the government created the G.I. Bill.

TRUTH: No man is an island. We do not rely on ourselves to be vigilantes or fireman. We use and want all sorts of social services to ensure that our “community” is healthy. As John F. Kennedy said, “A rising tide raises all boats.” A healthy community starts with healthy citizens.