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Rocky not helpful in furthering health-care discussion

Saturday, August 18 at 6:00 AM

This Speakout has not been edited.

By Clark Bouton

Colorado has embarked on a complex course of comprehensive health care reform. A successful outcome depends on a fair and factual public discussion of the various reform proposals. The “Single-payer baloney” editorial (RMN, 8/2/2007) was not helpful in furthering that discussion.

The editorial labels the single payer proposal as “baloney” for three reasons. First, the editorial raises the specter of massive new taxes, while dismissing the savings from eliminating private insurance and other costs. The Lewin Group, independent experts in cost-benefit analysis, calculate that there could be large net decrease in what Colorado residents would pay for health care — even while providing universal health care.

Second, the editorial argues that there would be “big-time rationing.” The writer seems to forget that we already have rationing-big time! We ration by depriving a large part of our population of adequate health care; private insurance companies ration by refusing coverage to some, by setting premiums high enough to exclude high risk members, by limiting what medical care will be covered, and so forth. Medicare and Medicaid also ration. Rationing is unavoidable; the demand for medical care will always exceed the supply. The relevant questions are, “Who do we want to make the rationing decisions?” and “How do we decide what medical care has the highest priority?”

Third, the editorial raises the fear of outsiders coming to Colorado for “free” medical care, even though it acknowledges that enabling legislation could discourage this. Those who raise this fear assume the low-income population is ready to pick up and go and has the means to do so. We have numerous examples of unequal benefits offered by different states, but the editorial provides no evidence that these lead to outsiders taking advantage of the benefits.

The Colorado Progressive Coalition is conducting public health care forums throughout Colorado to learn about the residents’ experience with health care and what they want in health care reform. Our purpose is not to promote any particular reform proposal, but to listen to the public.

The forums have been held in various communities with very different participants, including hospital administrators, insurance underwriters and the uninsured. We have heard an honest and thoughtful dialogue about health reform. We have also encountered an overwhelming support for a single payer system. The proposal should not, and cannot, be dismissed as “baloney.”

Clark Bouton, Ph.D., is a volunteer Health Justice Organizer in the Colorado Progressive Coalition. He is a resident of Denver.

READER COMMENTS

Hmmmm, Let's see. Here is how my employer and most, if not all employers will handle this....

I make a payment out of each check that is a PARTIAL Payment of my health care costs. The rest is covered by my employer as a payroll cost. This is part of my total compensation. When the new plan hits, I get back my chunk of the payment and the employer gets to keep his... but I get hit with a huge new tax....

So, I save a little on my payment, my employer saves money and I get hit with a huge new tax bill that basically covers my health care and several other people health care... Now, if the employer is gracious enough to give me the money he was spending on health care, is that enough to cover my taxes when I am now supporting other peoples care?

How is this good for me again?

You say that rationing is always there and I agree. I see the queues that the serfs in Great Britain and Canada wait in. Many die when there is not enough doctors to go around, when a specialist can have a 2 year waiting list.... its not my money, why not waste it. Do you honestly think the Hildabeast or other socialist elites will stand in line for their health care? No no, my friend. They will go to private physicians with no waiting. Waiting is for the serfs... you...

Posted by Dravur on August 24, 2007 07:42 PM

I think about how efficiently and effectively our government works, like the Department of Defense in Iraq, FEMA in New Orleans, public schools with a 60% graduation rate, snow removal in Denver, the IRS, bridge repair, DMV computers, and the Churchill saga.

Regardless of your positions on these issues, we can all agree that they have not been managed well. And you want them to be in charge of my ruptured appendix?

Posted by Yaakov Watkins on August 19, 2007 12:21 AM