From Raymond Norton
Hutchinson
You can’t escape the topic of health care reform today, no matter what you do. Hours of the president on TV, and the onslaught of media ads are designed to tell the American people how terrible the current health care system is, and the utopia we will experience once we have single-payer health care. Everyone will be covered from cradle to grave, and the cost will be less than what we are currently spending.

If that is the case, sign me up! Who in their right mind wouldn’t want the best health care in the world for less money? Of course, I’m being facetious here, and for good reason. The premise, projected costs, track record and proposed solutions are all wrong, and will harm our health care system, and economy greatly.

Let’s start with the premise: 46 million people in our nation are uninsured. That is one out of every six Americans without health care coverage! This number and cost of care are the driving force behind Congress’ push for government run health care. The number does not tell the whole story. For example, 9.6 million of the uninsured are illegal citizens, 14 million are eligible for Medicaid and SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program), but have not enrolled, 17.6 million had annual incomes of more than $50,000 and 9.1 million earned more than $75,000, making a choice not to purchase insurance.

The estimated cost for single-payer health care was touted to come in around $1 trillion over 10 years. However, the CBO (Congressional Budget Office), recently came out with an estimate of a $1.6 trillion price tag! This pie-in-the-sky method of budgeting is the norm for Washington, where everything costs two to three times more than projected; the strategy being, to get bills and laws passed, and deal with the unintended consequences later. In Minnesota alone, the 2009 Omnibus HHS (Health and Human Services) Finance Bill (HF 1362), projects a 15.9 percent increase in HHS spending this year, another 19.4 percent increase next year, and 13.2 percent increase for 2012-2013, thus increasing costs from $10.7 billion to $14.5 billion in just three years! All of this before adding millions more to the rolls of government-controlled health care.

When I tell someone I am willing to help them with a need, or I can accomplish a certain task, I expect they will judge my past performance to determine if I can fulfill my commitment. I think it is fair to do the same with government. With that in mind, what are we to believe when Amtrak will need to be subsidized $10 billion over six years, the U.S. Postal service loses billions each year, Social Security is within years of being insolvent, and Medicare will be unable to pay all its bills by 2016. Considering this track record, citizens are justified in their fright of the government taking over health care.

The proposed government solutions to fix health care, along with the unintended consequences, are scarier than anything already mentioned. The president stated in a recent speech that seniors would not see their Medicare coverage change, yet at an earlier event he told a reporter her elderly mother would not qualify for the pacemaker she received five years ago because of her age. The current health care bill reflects this way of thinking, where government decides what medical treatment will be provided, based on age and health. The House version of the bill also forces businesses and individuals to either participate in the public (government) program, or face fines and penalties.

This is just a portion of what is wrong with the idea of a government-run health care system, but time and space prevent me from going further.

There is not one simple solution that can make health care more affordable today, but here are a few core ideas that can be implemented without requiring government takeover of health care:

Tort reform. Tort reform refers to proposed changes in the civil justice system that would reduce tort litigation or damages. A 2008 study by the Public Research Institute reports that in New Jersey alone, excessive wasteful tort costs topped $589 billion annually, which is equivalent to about a $7,848 in taxes for the average American family of four. The study also determined that less than 15 cents per tort settlement actually compensates the victim. A new system that insures fair settlements and proper compensation of the victims would reduce health care costs.

Reduce or eliminate mandates. Mandates force insurers, employers and managed care companies to cover, or at least offer, specific procedures not usually included in basic health care plans. The Council For Affordable Health Insurance estimates mandated benefits increase the cost of basic health coverage from about 20 percent to 50 percent.

MinuteClinics. MinuteClinics are made up of board-certified practitioners that are trained to diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for a variety of common family illnesses. Many services and tests cost $30 to $60. A national push for these clinics would go a long way in reducing health care costs for families.

Health Care Savings Accounts. An HSA is a tax advantage account that works in conjunction with a HDHP (High Deductible Health Plan), which allows you set aside funds to pay for qualified medical expenses from your HSA. People are much more frugal when it comes to buying groceries, a new car or services. This would also be the case if they had to reach into their wallets to pay for some medical services, boosting competition and driving down costs.

Addressing what is right and wrong with health care can be a complicated matter, but the American people are up to the task. The role of government should be to assist the private sector in finding those solutions, not to destroy the best health care system in the world with single-payer health care.