Opinion> Debra Saunders> Hazardous To America S Health

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Hazardous to America's Health

You know that American voters aren't feeling the love for ObamaCare when House members hold town-hall meetings in their districts, only to be heckled and booed.

No worries for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco. On Tuesday, she ditched the town-hall concept in favor of a friendlier closed-to-the-public "roundtable" with health care professionals and consumers at San Francisco General Hospital.

At a press conference afterward, Pelosi proclaimed that "health care is a right, not a privilege." The House health care bill, she said, would mean Americans could receive health care with no restrictions on pre-existing medical conditions, more benefits for seniors on Medicare, a yearly cap on co-payments and no cap on what providers pay.

Catherine Howard, 36, was on board. Five years ago, Howard was self-employed, uninsured and afraid that she might get wiped out financially if she was injured snowboarding. So she bought a low-premium, high-deductible insurance plan for $140 per month. "I had no way of knowing at that time what it was going to cost me," she said.

Then she got breast cancer — and the plan that she thought would cap her co-payments at $7,500 didn't. The uncovered costs of vital treatment drove Howard close to $100,000 in debt.

While many of those at the roundtable worked in health care, none raised the question asked by CBS5 reporter Hank Plante: How much is all this going to cost?

To which Pelosi responded, "First, let's talk about the cost of doing nothing" — that is, the anticipated rising tab for health care costs if they continue to grow at current rates.

"We can't afford not to do this," Pelosi argued.

Only in Washington do people assert with a straight face that they can expand who gets covered and what everyone gets — and it will be cheaper. And because many readers believe this fable, allow me to note that Massachusetts passed a universal plan three years ago, and already cost increases have led to cutbacks.

President Obama has said he'll pay for a health package by taxing workers who earn $250,000 or more. But there simply aren't enough rich people to bankroll all the things that Obama and Pelosi have promised, as Stanford economics professor Victor R. Fuchs noted at a Chronicle editorial board meeting Wednesday.

Fuchs has been an Obama supporter, but he would prefer to see Congress wait a year so that Washington can craft a package that would offer a basic health plan to all Americans — paid for with a value-added tax.

That's the right approach — especially if savvy regulations protect consumers from rapacious plans. Let the government award vouchers for basic coverage, added internist William S. Andereck, and everyone has an incentive to buy health care.

The best part: This approach ends the illusion that if Uncle Sam pays for medical care, it's free. As I watched Pelosi on Tuesday, I thought: It's the California Budget Mess all over again — with big promises of more government and more benefits and no across-the-board taxes to pay for the package. Democrats like to congratulate themselves for their noble intentions. But they have offered no plan to pay for them, and so they are bound to fail.

E-mail Debra J. Saunders at dsaunders@sfchronicle.com. To find out more about Debra J. Saunders, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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In my paper the headline was Missing piece: How to Pay. Simple really and painless. Single payer is the easiest plan. If you want an option: Let everyone sign up for Medicare They would not be forced to and so could keep doing whatever they are doing now. In any case it would be cheaper than now and we would all be better off from the economic boost.
Let me set your minds at ease. Any costs can be easily paid in the short =
term and in the long term the American economy will grow, both from my =
pay as you go plan and the health care saving to small and large =
businesses. The American economy will be the place for capital, domestic =
and foreign.=20
This is simple. If you were a farmer wishing to sell your produce, you =
might go to a state farmers market. Upon entering, you would be charged =
a market fee. If you were able to sell your produce at a fair price, you =
would be happy that market was available. If you were clearing your =
garage of serviceable but unneeded goods,you might take them to a flea =
market. Upon entering you would rent a spot. Again a market fee allowing =
your access to that market. If you sold out at a fair price, you would =
be happy. If you had a great product idea, you might rent a kiosk at the =
mall to try it out. Again you would pay rent, a fee to access that =
market. =20
Now let us assume that you alone own the best mall in the world. More =
money is spent there than any where else in the world. But there is a =
problem, the people managing that mall for you are letting everyone come =
there and sell for free. Meanwhile you are paying all the bills for =
maintaining that mall . Electricity, window washing, security and even =
bad management. I think you would be upset. Now let us assume that you =
are not the sole owner but an equal partner in that mall. No one owns =
more or less shares than you. Again no fees are charged and you only pay =
your share of the overhead including the bad management of course. By =
now you are beginning to know how I feel. I am taxed to maintain this =
country but foreign manufacturers have access to this market. An =
American worker's job is sent overseas and he finds another, In almost =
all cases for less money and maybe no health insurance. If the worker =
makes less he pays less in income taxes. How is that revenue made up? =
It's not! With less money in circulation our economy spirals downward. =
So, this is where we are today.How do we get out of this mess?=20
It's called a market fee. Foreign manufacturers would be charged a =
market access fee based on the difference between the foreign workers =
pay and the American workers pay times the number of man hours in the =
product. This is simple to assess and calculate. No one can be unaware =
of costs. Enforcement will cost the tax payers little because we will =
let American manufactures sue the foreign manufacturers for draconian =
penalties. No one will dare cheat. The stage is set for the =
re-capitalization of America. Your health care cost concerns are covered =
as well.
Now , you are probably going to be scared of this. Don't be. Prices will =
not rise. They already charge all the market will bare. China taxed it's =
exports about 20% and you saw no rise at Wal-Mart. This is simple to =
implement and simple to enforce. Best of all you are not taxing =
Americans.=20

Comment: #1
Posted by: william wallace
Sat Aug 8, 2009 12:42 PM