Thanks, But No Thanks
604 to Hillary Clinton — Please keep your carpetbagger hands off of health care reform. You had your chance a decade ago and (you should pardon the expression) you blew it.
Clinton announced this week that she is "ready to get back into the fray" of health care reform, neglecting to mention that her byzantine, 1,000-page Health Security Act of 1993 effectively killed any chance of real reform right up to the present day.
The American health care system is an expensive, inefficient web of redundant bureaucracies. It is funded in large part by private businesses, which puts them at a serious disadvantage with competitors in more enlightened countries with publicly funded health care.
Hillarycare not only would have retained the complexity and inefficiency of the current system, it would have added to it. All businesses would have been required to provide health insurance for its workers. Smaller businesses that couldn't afford it on their own would have been forced to join a newly-created bureaucracy of regional alliances for providing health insurance. It would have been a monolithic, bureaucratic nightmare.
If we're serious about health care reform, we need to move towards a simpler, saner, more efficient single-payer system.
And we need to keep Clinton away from it.
Comments
"The American health care system is an expensive, inefficient web of redundant bureaucracies..."
We whole-heartedly agree. Government has no place in health care reform. No, no, something this important clearly should be managed by those with experience in the field. Entities such as Big Insurance, Big Drugs, and quite frankly, Big Michael Brown.
Posted by: Rex Kramer, Danger Seeker | January 25, 2006 10:36 PM
OK I am not intentionally following Rex Kramer around! (must be his "danger" vibe)
The FDA and insuraceuticals will never permit real reform to rain on their parade. I think there needs to be REAL national health care that reels in the drug industry, works on prevention, etc. I think innovators and researchers can remain competitive without the disgracefully disproportionate profiteering... Drew at "Weapons of Mass Distraction" posted on thsi recently and raised some good questions.
Posted by: Lily | January 28, 2006 12:59 AM
Lily, no one intentionally follows Rex Kramer around. He's a tough act to follow. ;-)
Posted by: abi | January 28, 2006 01:37 AM