Many valid fears about ‘Obamacare’

Published 3:19 pm Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Regarding the Sunday letter, “Policy Center has its own agenda”: I have news for the writer complaining that the commentary by Dr. Roger Stark was partisan — health care is partisan! It shouldn’t be but it is!

Republicans in general support free market solutions while Democrats want the government to step in. Actually, what they want is for government to take an even bigger role than it already does, even though the current health care problems stem from too much government intervention.

The writer believes that Obamacare is going to be able to do something government has not shown talent for in the past, that is manage a huge enterprise more efficiently than the free market. When Obama claimed that government single-payer systems are doing well “in some countries,” his press secretary was unable to cite a single one. Perhaps they forgot Cuba?

The writer challenged Dr. Stark to provide answers, not just (valid) fears about rationed care. Here’s a partial list: Prevent the AMA (which represents just 20 percent of doctors, by the way) and state medical boards from limiting the number of medical and nursing schools; free insurance carriers from mandated requirements to cover the universe, let them tailor inexpensive policies to need; allow providers tax credits for charity work (takes care of a lot of the “uninsured” issue); restore the 100 percent deductibility of health care expenses; repeal the Kefauver Amendment on prescription drugs. Those who aren’t fixated on government being a problem solver instead of a problem can come up with many more!

There are none so blind as those who will not see!

Curt Greer

Marysville