What's really wrong with the healthcare bill

In a nutshell: the beneficiaries.

The legislation being crafted that is supposed to "fix" healthcare is, in fact, not being designed to do any such thing.

I'm certainly no expert on the problems in the healthcare industry, but anyone who's been to an emergency room lately could tell you that there are way too many illegals there with children with runny noses and no intention of paying for the services they will receive. Rather than addressing this problem, the legislation being proposed contains provisions to bring all illegals under the taxpayer funded umbrella of the "public option."

Likewise, anyone who pays attention to the news has heard stories about juries awarding many millions of dollars to the victims of medical malpractice. While there is no doubt that doctors make mistakes, sometimes devastating mistakes, there is even less doubt that there are far too many of our fellow citizens on the lookout for a free lunch these days, ready to sue at the drop of a hat, and many thousands of ambulance chasing attorneys who are only too anxious to help them do so. A substantial percentage of the costs in healthcare today support batteries of diagnostic tests designed to eliminate all risk to the care providers of an error, and the resultant malpractice suits. The legislation being proposed does nothing to address tort reform.

The existing government run healthcare programs, Medicare and Medicaid, contribute to the costs the rest of us must bear as well. Because government pays doctors only pennies on the dollar charged for their services, the medical profession must make up the difference somewhere. And don't forget that these programs are effectively bankrupt, thanks to politicians who do not understand the concept of living within your means. The proposed legislation does nothing to "fix" the existing mess that government healthcare has wrought.

There is much discussion in the media of the losers in this legislation, and they are many. The elderly, the disabled, those with debilitating diseases or conditions, to name but a few. What guarantee do we have that the list will not also include the overweight, smokers, those who do not follow a government prescribed exercise regime? Who's to say that we will not someday be refused medical care on the basis of our political party or ideologies? Ridiculous? I fervently hope so.

Medical professionals and facilities certainly will not benefit from the proposed legislation. When a "service" is essentially made a "right," those who provide that service effectively become slaves to those to whom the right is granted. They will be forced to care for vastly more patients, likely receiving vastly reduced compensation for doing so.

Those in the field will tell you that the regulation on the industry is already suffocating. The regulations, federal, state and local, that demand compliance vastly increase the cost of providing care.

The private insurance industry will be eviscerated by any form of public option. With the power to legislate the rules and assess taxes as they choose, the ruling class will price private insurance out of business.

So who are the beneficiaries?

There are provisions in this legislation to guarantee coverage to retirees from unions and community service organizations such as ACORN. They will benefit immensely.

There are new agencies that will be created by this legislation to enact new affirmative action type programs for minorities, to insure that they receive the same quality of care as whites. They will undoubtedly benefit immensely.

As noted above, the legislation will force coverage for all illegal immigrants. They, and the politicians who expect to receive their votes in perpetuity as a show of gratitude, will benefit immensely.

Get the idea? It's not, in any way, about making healthcare better or more affordable for those of us who are self sufficient and believe in paying our own way. Indeed, when the deficits created by this legislation begin to soar, we will be taxed into the poorhouse. And, after spending decades paying those taxes to guarantee the "right" of healthcare to every one of our fellow citizens, and any other poor slob who is fortunate enough to sneak onto our soil, should we become ill in our old age and require some of those services ourselves, we will be told to take a pain pill and shut up. We are no longer contributing members of society, we can no longer have our wages confiscated, we are of no further use to our government. Our day has come and we must sacrifice for the greater good.

What's really wrong with the legislation? It, and those crafting it, have lost sight of who is really in control of this government of the people, by the people and for the people. If we the people refuse to stand up and reprimand them for their misplaced priorities, we will deserve exactly what we will get.