Stability For Our Time

Health Care reform has failed again, and for the same reason it failed when Hillary Clinton tried it. In both cases the reform was sold as "getting coverage to people who need it," but in a classic bait and switch scam, the plan the Democrats came up with affected the coverage of virtually everyone in the country, excepting themselves of course. In both cases, voters saw the scam and rejected it. Had Democrats stayed focused on addressing the actual need rather than trying to engage in social engineering and wealth redistribution, they could have easily crafted a plan that would pass with bipartisan support.

When the push for health care reform started up during the Obama campaign, we heard over and over about the (insert your favorite number here) of people who couldn't get health care under the current system. Obama promised that he would work to make sure that they were covered.

While I disagree with the idea that access to health care is a basic human right, (Nobody has a right to the fruits of another's labor. Period. This idea is so basic that it lies at the root of capitalism and communism.) it should be a privilege of living in a society as wealthy as we are. So how is it that such an obviously easy goal gets so screwed up each time it is tried? Hillary botched it so badly in 1993 that the issue was effectively tabled for 16 years and led directly to the Democrats losing control of the House for the first time in decades. We haven't seen all of the fallout from the Obama attempt, but seeing a Republican Senator from Massachusetts indicates that it will be massive.

What do they do wrong?

First, they lie to make the problem appear bigger than it is, which costs them credibility. Then they propagandize endlessly that we have a duty to help those less fortunate (We do.) and that passing health care reform will not only meet their need and our duty, it will save us money in the long run.

What's not to like?

So they get everybody on board to help out those who need it because none of us like to think about sick kids that can't get a little medicine. Then thepoliticians go into their little back rooms and begin to craft a plan that will address the identified need.

But something goes wrong in the process. The mission begins to creep. Instead of dealing with providing affordable basic care to those without, the target gets bigger. Now they want to deal with how insurance companies handle pre-existing conditions. And then they add portability to the package. And mental health benefits. And expanded prenatal care, to include abortions. And forcing more companies to provide more coverage at lower prices. And telling doctors what they can and can't charge, and what they can and can't treat. And taxing medical supply companies. And taxing existing plans for being "too good." And forcing people who opt out of coverage to pay a fine or go to jail.

All of the sudden, we're not talking about covering a few million people, but a complete federal takeover of our health care system, with the usual expense and efficiency the government brings to all of it's operations. Can you imagine hospitals run with TSA efficiency?

So then the Democrats do two things very quickly. They exempt themselves from the requirements they are about to foist on the people they "serve" and then they start a second propaganda campaign, calling everyone with the temerity to oppose reform cruel heartless monsters who want American children to die as they unveil a 1000 page monstrosity that will cost billions and affect the coverage of virtually everybody. The problem with that is that most of the American people are satisfied with their health care. Why would they want to change it?

And don't make the mistake of thinking that it's selfishness on their part, because it isn't. It's a natural reaction to the deceptive tactics used by the reformers. They promised better coverage for those without coverage and wind up recreating the entire health care delivery system along lines most Americans reject. Opponents of reform don't even have to work very hard to stop it. Consider that the proponents of health care reform had decisive advantages in the House and Senate, and a President who made the issue a priority, and opponents were still able to stop it.

This is the lesson that Democrats should carry away from Massachusetts. The people there voted for Mitt Romney, who built a state run health care coverage plan. While it is by no means perfect, it has effectively covered every state resident. The people who are living with a government manages health care system voted overwhelmingly for a man who clear and repeatedly said that he would oppose a national version of the plan, not because he didn't support the idea of unversal coverage, but because the package produced by the Obama administration was so awful, even when compared to the Massachusetts plan. The voters didn't say that the idea was bad, just the execution.

So instead of walking away for another decade or so, why not take another stab at reform, this time getting it right? The key to success is to maintain focus on the core issue; getting those who want coverage but can't afford it access to good quality care. Forget everything else, all the bells and whistles, and power grabs and pork and just concentrate on meeting the need.

Forget politics and get the people covered. After that's done, then start looking at ways to address other pieces of the puzzle, one at a time.

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