WyBlog

If there are indeed significant savings to be wrung out of Medicare and Medicaid, why haven't they been proposed already? And if the bill doesn't pass, will you agree that implementing those savings is still a good idea? Or will you punish us by keeping this supposed waste, fraud, and abuse running rampant?

One of the favorite tools in the progressive arsenal is the Interstate Commerce Clause. You guys use it to foist all sorts of regulations on us as well as to extend the reach of numerous laws. So, why can't we buy health insurance from another state?

And for that matter, why isn't such a common sense reform like cross-state insurance purchasing and/or association health plans a part of this monstrosity you're peddling?

Two of the factors driving high health insurance premiums are the skyrocketing cost of malpractice insurance and the associated jackpot medical liability schemes championed by sleazy lawyers like John Edwards. Yet tort reform is conspicuously absent from any of the current proposals. Why?

It's one thing to talk about cost containment, it's another matter entirely to even understand how the health care industry arrives at their pricing for various services. If I want my roof fixed I can call in 3 roofers and get three written estimates. If I want a tooth pulled, I can call 3 dentists and get price quotes for their services. But, if I want a hip replacement or heart surgery or just about any other medical procedure, nobody can quote me a price in advance.

Even worse, the final price I pay has nothing to do with the services which were preformed, but rather with how I intend to pay. Each insurance company has negotiated various and sundry discounts, so depending on the type of insurance I have the total cost of the procedure varies. That might be OK, since my out-of-pocket cost is governed by the insurance contract I signed.

But here's the kicker, if I'm paying for everything myself, the price is higher / lower than what an insurance company would pay, depending on my financial status. If I can "afford" to pay more, then (at least here in New Jersey) I'm charged more, to make up for the losses inherent in charging poor folks less.

Why can't medical providers post their prices and let consumers comparison shop? Why does ObamaCare perpetuate the "rich guys pay more for the same procedure" pricing system we have now?

Last question. If the overhaul Obama and Congress are determined to enact is so gosh-darned wonderful, why aren't they included in it? And, again, if it's so great, why is it necessary to force us to buy it?