Georgia Project News Details | Center for Health Transformation

Obamacare Plan is a Clunker

September 01, 2009

Dick Little
The Paridise Post

It looks like "Obamacare" is just around the corner.

It's another attempt by our federal politicians to take over the health care system. Why this bunch thinks they can do a better job operating the system than doctors is puzzling. Many think it's time the government stepped in to keep costs down. Wrong!

Government run health care in other countries has not been a blessing. It's been more of a horror story. Long waits to even talk to a doctor, and even longer waits to get into a hospital. When government does things, you lose your identity and become a number. Taking over health care will make things even worse. How far into the hole can we go?

The Obama Administration estimates they will spend nine trillion! That's 30 percent more than previous estimates! A trillion here, a trillion there, and pretty soon they will be talking about "real money!" The administration does not have any idea where the cash will come from. Yet, they tell Congress it will in fact reduce the costs to the treasury. (Democratic DNA does not include math). The Congressional Budget Office says this program by itself will boost the national debt by $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years.

Before we explore what the Obama Administration has in mind to cover the cost of health care, let's see how well they did with the "Cash for Clunkers" program." Many dealers that participated in this program still have not been paid. The government failed to realize how many people it would take to administer the program, ending up with air traffic controllers coming in to help manage the demand. The "pay backs" to dealers that participated in this program have mostly been late. Many dealers say they have not received any cash from the government.

On another front, former Congressman and House Speaker, Newt Gingrich contends Home Health Care was working well and staying within budget, so the bureaucrats at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid cut the program by $34 billion. If the House version of "Health Care Reform" passes, Medicare and Medicaid will lose another $56.8 billion. (This comes close to equaling the amount budgeted for home health care services in 2007.) Jim Frogue, who works for the Center for Health Transformation, says the current Medicare and Medicaid programs are being "ripped off." He said the losses will run from $80 to $120 billion each year, due mostly to inadvertent bill errors and, " outright fraud."

These and other reasons have brought the public out in droves to demand a halt to "Obama Care" as presently proposed by the administration. The "Town Hall" meetings set up by the administration have brought out a lot of angry people, which surprised the administration. Among the protestors are a large number of liberal thinkers who once supported "Obamacare." People are coming to the meetings in large numbers telling the bureaucrats to, "back off." They like their health care system as it is, and do not want any more government interference.

We're talking about a government that is projecting a national debt into the multiple trillions of dollars ($9 trillion to be exact). This administration claimed this program will reduce costs to the Treasury. However, the independent Congressional Budget Office has determined the proposed spending in the bill before the House will costs between $1 trillion and $1.5 trillion over the next 10 years, and it will all be added to the federal debt.

The National Review's Andy Mc Carthy noted, " compared to the infinite complexity of healthcare and health insurance, cash-for-clunkers is kindergarten stuff." Speaking of "Cash for Clunkers," it ended in a pile of failed promises, and unanticipated costs.

This program was set up to help auto dealers sell 250,000 cars in three months. The dealers sold that many cars in four days. The government underestimated the number of employees needed to operate the program and had to take personnel from other programs to manage the demand. The dealers were supposed to be paid back in 10 days, which didn't happen either. Many dealers are still waiting for their money.

Gingrich rightfully contends, " government can't run the health care programs it already has. It would rather ration compassionate, effective programs than do the hard work of rooting out and punishing the crooks who are stealing our taxpayer dollars."

Our president continues to push the idea of government run health care and claims it will not affect those that have private health care, and he has a lot of support in the left wing halls of major universities and the liberal press which is dominating today's newspapers and television news programs. He calls the rhetoric put out on "Obamacare" as, "Facta non verba." Before we hand over more of our lives to the government we should consider how they've treated us so far.

Think about this: would you trust a stranger with your credit card? Neither would I! But that's exactly what we will be doing when Congress passes "Obamacare."