Health Insurance -- Excellent Analysis

An excellent round up of how health insurance became the mess it is. Surprise, suprise, the Democrats are the culprits.

Democrats Created this Mess, Mr. President

from www.redstate.com: Latest entries for Front Page by Mark Impomeni

Facing growing public skepticism and falling approval ratings as a result of his push for nationalized health care, President Obama told a group in Virginia last week that he didn’t want, “the folks who had created the [health care] mess to do a lot of talking, I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess.” [Click here for video.] It was a remark meant to rally the base to Obama’s side, and shore up his flagging poll numbers on the issue. Obama may have thought he was chiding Republicans in making the comment. But even a cursory look at the “mess” in the American health care system shows that on the issue of who is responsible, the president’s remark is as wrong as it was arrogant.

Health care experts across the spectrum can agree that there are three main problems with the health insurance industry in America today: community rating, which forbids insurance companies from charging premiums based on an individual consumer’s health status; the practice of defensive medicine, under which doctors order numerous costly and often unnecessary tests to cover themselves against the possibility of malpractice lawsuits; and employer-based coverage. Each of these problems, which together contribute most to the “mess” in health care delivery, were all either brought into existence, or are perpetuated by Democrats.

Employer-based coverage came about during World War II as a consequence of the National War Labor Board’s decision to institute wage and price freezes in an attempt to prevent production shortages due to labor unrest or inflation. The NWLB exempted fringe benefits like pension plans and health insurance from the freeze, meaning employers could compete for the dwindling pool of skilled workers by offering ever-increasing health insurance coverage. Workers grew accustomed to receiving health benefits as a condition of their employment, and the system of employer-provided health benefits became an American institution.l

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President Obama wants to silence the critics of his health care nationalization because he is losing the debate, fair and square. Americans have empowered themselves with information and questions for the president and their representatives. So far, the proponents of change have been unable to provide satisfactory answers. Rather than try to cast blame, and ignore the clear history of the health care problems he claims to want to solve, the president should pull back his health care plans and listen to Americans’ concerns.

Nothing more to say, except this may be one of those rare moments in history when tax payers really revolt and force elected officials to do their duty and serve the people.