Is this what the American People have to look forward to?
The 64-year-old Oregon woman, whose lung cancer had been in remission, learned the disease had returned and would likely kill her. Her last hope was a $4,000-a-month drug that her doctor prescribed for her, but the insurance company refused to pay.
What the Oregon Health Plan did agree to cover, however, were drugs for a physician-assisted death. Those drugs would cost about $50.
The Oregon Health Plan is medicaid administered by Oregon DHS. In the current form, the Democrat Healthcare Reform Bill is modeled after Medicaid (yup the state-bankrupting Healthcare system). Combined with Oregon’s “Right-to-Die” law . . . well, Barbara’s story can’t be that unusual or surprising.
This article makes me think about the Conservative Law of Unintended Consequences. Did the advocates for the “Right-to-Die” bill count on the state using it to . . . run more cost-effectively? Is this what we have to look forward to if the Federal Government enacts the same programs?
It also makes me grateful for Federalism. Right now, this is just a state issue – Oregon’s. We can all look on and observe Oregonian Medicaid in action, safe behind our own state’s individual laws and mandates.
In Federalism, individuals are protected by sovereignty. If a State system becomes too oppressive, you can either run for office to ignite change, vote your leaders out of office, start a revolution or . . . move to a less oppressive state.
We loan our rights to the Federal Government for very limited purposes: to repel illegitimate force and to protect the individual’s rights. What the hell are we to do if the Federal Government becomes too oppressive? Move to Cuba?
(I have heard it has a marvelous healthcare system.)
What is critically important is that Americans have an open debate on healthcare reform. No matter which side of the debate you are on, it is important that the debate happen. It is a hallmark of the American system – freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech.
The name calling and various invectives diminishes the stature of the debate. This is what freedom is all about. This is what so many have lost their lives fighting for and defending!
The debate on health care itself must resolve three critical issues:
1) The right of the people to decide what form of health care delivery system they want;
2)Understanding the real cost of what they are agreeing to — and that it isn’t a cost shift and a series of hidden taxes
3)That access is provided to people who are willing to contribute to the system in whatever large or small way they can
4)That there is serious thought put into how we maintain and improve the delivery of care.
To follow the health care debate and the issues of the delivery system go to http://www.ilovebenefits.wordpress.com