We do NOT have a healthcare crisis in America, we have a HEALTH CRISIS in America.

Politicians who would convince you of the need to build a bridge where there is no river, want to regulate your health. Sadly, most of them can not even define the problem. I've heard many politicians state that we have a healthcare crisis in America. Some say the crisis is that 47 million Americans are uninsured, and some say that half of American bankruptcies are due to medical bills. Neither of these statements is true. The proposals they circulate include compelling Americans to buy a health plan, forcing insurance companies to issue policies to anyone who applies, reducing the amount insurance companies may spend on overhead, forcing certain types of coverage to be offered. In short, they want MORE CONTROL.

We need to ask them, what the healthcare crisis is, how it got that way, and what they plan on doing to fix it. Passing a law forcing us to buy insurance will not change the fact that some of us can not afford to finance our health care. In fact it will cause shortages of providers, as more and more people try to “use” their new healthplans they were forced to buy. Just look at Massachusetts where it can take years to see a doctor for a physical and they are now conducting group appointments. Ask them what their success is in similar programs. For example, California has a mandatory car insurance law, yet 25% of motorists are uninsured, while only 20% don't have health insurance.

After the killing winter of 1609 in Jamestown, when only 50 out of 600 settlers had survived the winter, Captain John Smith made an edict: He who does not work, does not eat. In 2006 the census bureau reported that 68% of Americans were covered by a private healthplan, and 27% were covered by government medicine. The Tax Foundation says that 41% of Americans today pay NO TAXES. With socialized medicine, that leaves only 59% of the population to pay for healthcare for everyone. And after Obama cuts taxes for 95% of Americans that number will be even lower.

Hold your lawmakers accountable. Remember, this is government by the people, for the people, not government BY the politicians, FOR the politicians. We need to get away from politician love affairs and hold them accountable. Write your lawmakers and remind them of Captain Smith's edict. Why should 59Americans pay for the healthcare of 100 Americans?

Ayn Rand once said that in a compromise between food and poison, poison always wins. The same holds true in all aspects of our lives, especially in healthcare. Currently 27% of Americans are covered by government medicine, yet they account for 47% of the healthcare tab. The poison of government medicine is already winning. When 59% of Americans pay for everyone, and all comers are issued healthcare, and there is a mad rush for everyone to see a doctor, we will have a shortage of doctors, prices will go up, and many of those 59 Americans will become zero tax payers leaving the burden to an even smaller group.

The next installment will dispel the myth of health related bankruptcies. Meanwhile, please take a few minutes to watch my personal hero, President Reagan talk about government medicine in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRdLpem-AAs

Copyright © Ralph F. Weber CLU, CFP, GBA, REBC 2009, All Rights Reserved.