On Jan. 24 The Signal published a column by Jim De Bree entitled “Obamacare doomed from the outset.” While I certainly agree with the title and general thrust of the column, I believe it overlooks some key aspects of the problem.
The first is the underlying constitutional issue of whether it’s even appropriate for the government to be meddling in a private financial matter at all, and health care and insurance decisions are private financial matters.
Though the Roberts Supreme Court disagrees with me, I maintain it’s not appropriate. Ours is a capitalist free-market system, and people are supposed to be free to make their own decisions in such matters, and be as wise or foolish as they wish.
Then the issue arises of whether or not the government’s even capable of running a national health-care system, and all we have to do is look to the VA for the answer.
It’s a train wreck. Even though Obamacare uses insurance companies as proxies, the requirements and restrictions are still imposed and mandated by the government, so it’s doomed to fail because it ignores free-market principles in its operation.
Jim wrote: “When the ACA was debated, a conscientious effort was made to minimally disrupt well-served constituencies such as those with employer-provided insurance.”
I strongly disagree. That was the PR pitch, with the “if you like your doctor and insurance, you can keep your doctor and insurance” promise. But that was a flat-out lie, plainly and simply.
Contrary to Jim’s column, I’m firmly convinced that the ultimate goal of the Democrats pushing the program was for it to evolve into a single-payer system.
Government-run universal health care – socialized medicine – has been a goal of those people for decades.
The only solution that’s going to work is one based on free-market principles. Eliminate the bars to true competition by removing all restrictions and barriers to a nationally competitive market by allowing policies to be sold across state lines.
Streamline the FDA approval process. Institute medical tort reform.
Those three things alone will go a long way to solving the problems. Once they’re in place, only then should we consider a re-evaluation to see if further action is needed or warranted.
Brian Baker, Saugus
