President Obama has the right idea, but the wrong implementation.
One of Barack Obama’s major platform points in his election campaign was to bring about the dawn of publicly maintained healthcare in the US; a point that, since he was elected, he’s continued to defend in spite of some pretty harsh criticism from congress. While in theory it’s a fairly decent idea to at least be exploring, I’m not really all that convinced that either side really knows exactly what it is we’re supposed to get out of this kind of system.
Obama maintains the US won’t be heading towards a single-payer healthcare system, much like that which you’d see in Europe, or Canada, but rather will be implementing a two-tiered system. Congress, however, seems to be clinging to the notion that single-payer is almost a certainty if one agrees to go along with the plan proposed by Obama. The only problem here is no one–neither for nor against the proposed reform–seems to really get it.
The gloom and doom segment of the anti-healthcare crowd seems to be stuck on the notion that *any* government-funded healthcare will put private insurance companies in the ground for good. Simply put, it won’t. (*) Even if Obama decides to adopt a model similar to that found in Canada, and even if he decides to outright call it a single-pay, government-run healthcare system, and even if over half the population of the US ends up taking advantage of the said system for one reason or another, it more than likely won’t amount to the complete crippling of the US health system as certain people like to charge. What it will mean, more or less, is folks who can’t for whatever reason aford insurance-unemployed, don’t get paid enough to do so, employer won’t pay for it, etc–won’t be completely screwed. There will still be the option of taking up an insurance plan with a private agency. And, it might even make the private companies slightly more likely to not require you take out a second mortgage in order to do so.
On the pro side of it, Obama’s supporters seem to be almost as alergic to the term “single-pay”, electing instead to try and brand it as a two-tiered healthcare system, where the government will pay for only those who have absolutely no other option. But that seems to be all we know about where he’s coming from. that, and the fact that it comes with a hefty bill attached. We’ve not seen any real specifics on the healthcare side of things out of the Obama camp aside from that to base any kind of a real opinion on.
As stated, the general, vague idea Obama’s put forth to us so far is, in theory, an awesome idea. And if I were in the US, I’d be keeping my ear to the ground on this one–well, I’ll be keeping my ear to the ground on this one anyway. But as it stands now, I get the impression he’s no more or less got an idea exactly what it is he plans on doing re: the healthcare system. If he does actually plan to implement some kind of convoluted two-tier system, then I don’t want to have to say it, but he’s going in a very wrong direction with the idea. And yes, if that is the case, Obama’s critics may have something here when they say it’s not going to work. Just not necessarily for the reasons they’re saying it’s not going to work.
(*): I am a Canadian resident, so my opinion on this may or may not be slightly biased–I like our healthcare system. Sue me.
Update: When pressed for more information on exactly what if any kind of limitations Obama would set on his new healthcare proposal, he wasn’t very forthcoming. Or rather, he wasn’t forthcoming at all. Not exactly a good way to inspire confidence in those who’s support you need, elle presidente.
