Who doesn't want health care?

Naturally everyone wants health care coverage. And this is one of the most costly recurring expense items in the budget of a normal America family. The problem must certainly be addressed. But what are our options? For years the Democrats have been pushing Universal Health Care. And on the surface, it may look like a great idea. But once you dig beneath that surface, the challenges are apparent. Many countries have implemented this type of health care program. One need look no further than our great neighbor to the north, Canada, to see how Universal Health Care works, or does not work, in application. Senator Obama is proposing Universal Health Care as an option, and would make some sort of health care compulsory for children.

From where I sit, I see a number of problems. I always say that experience is the best teacher, but it does not need to be your own personal experience. I prefer to see how things have worked for others before I try it myself. If others fail, or consistently report negative results , I don't try it. The countries that have implemented Universal Health Care have already done the research we need. Without exception countries that have implemented this type of program have found that there are not enough doctors or facilities to go around. So treatments which could be life-saving or at the least quality of life improvements, are rationed. Under this system older citizens are not valued as much as younger citizens because they have already lived a full life and the youngsters have many more productive, tax-paying years ahead of them. In our country, it would not be out of the realm of possibility to see a senior tax-paying citizen denied a procedure so that a young illegal alien could receive it.

Doctors and nurses in countries with Universal Health Care programs regularly report that their Emergency Rooms are out of control. Where you might complain about waiting for six to eight hours to be seen here, Canadians regularly wait more than twelve hours for Emergency Room care. Many doctors and nurses are changing professions or moving to other countries because they cannot take the stress of being constantly overwhelmed by the over saturation of the system. Others are driven away because they are not rewarded as handsomely for their skills because the government keeps their pay low, ostensibly to keep costs down. This results in fewer health care professionals, further overloading the systems.

Some states have experimented with Universal Health Care as well. Just this year Hawaii implemented an optional Universal Health Care Plan for children only. The idea was to ensure that all children were covered. This really is a worthy cause. But they were not ready for what happened. Families that were paying for health care dropped those programs so they could participate in the free program. This reduced their monthly budget so they could spend more money on other necessities like groceries and gas which are very expensive in Hawaii. But this increased the number of participants in the program far beyond what the state anticipated. After seven months the program was terminated because it went bankrupt.

If Senator Obama becomes our next president he will have the opportunity to partner with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to implement whatever plans they want. A Democrat President with a Democrat majority in both the House and the Senate has a rubber stamp for his, or her, programs. While many things a president could rubber stamp in this environment could later be changed by future administrations, things like Universal Health Care likely could not easily be reversed. You see, Universal Health Care is an entitlement program. Americans would be entitled to free health care. And entitlements, once implemented, are virtually impossible to stop. I can almost guarantee a President Obama would make Universal Health Care - and free Pre-school education and child care, another entitlement program - top priorities for his very first year in office.

The alternative is to make it possible for Americans to select their health care providers. In a free market system, providers compete for consumers. The provider with the best care at the best price gets the most consumers. A plan which would enable Americans to shop around for health care, with providers competing, is good for the economy, good for the consumers, and good for America. I do not believe five thousand dollars is enough to secure health care for a family. But it does offset some of the cost. And I believe making the free market system work for America is always smarter than trusting the government to provide for us. After all, how many programs do you know for which the government is the best provider.