Friday
Jun262009
U.S. Rep. Warns Against Public Health Care Option
Friday, June 26, 2009 at 6:17PM
By Joseph Russell- Talk Radio News Service
Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), who holds a medical degree, and Donald Palmisano of the Coalition to Protect Patients' Rights warned that providing the American people with a federally funded health care option can ultimately prove risky.
"Solutions used by the government over the decades of Medicare and Medicaid increased the uninsured, escalate medical care costs, and drive the public government programs into insolvency," said Palmisano during a discussion at the American Enterprise Institute Friday. "You can't force a bad treatment using intimidation and ad hominem attacks against the only persons qualified to give medical care."
Price said there are "three death nails for quality medicine: government option/public option, any mandate, and seceding the definition of quality to Washington."
Price added that "affordability, access, quality, responsiveness, innovation, and choice," are the six main principles of health care. According to Price, a government take-over will hurt these principles since the government will focus on costs and access to insurance but neglect the other significant concerns.
Price stated that the available data clearly shows this, but accused the Democrats and President Barack Obama of "refusing to face facts."
Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.), who holds a medical degree, and Donald Palmisano of the Coalition to Protect Patients' Rights warned that providing the American people with a federally funded health care option can ultimately prove risky.
"Solutions used by the government over the decades of Medicare and Medicaid increased the uninsured, escalate medical care costs, and drive the public government programs into insolvency," said Palmisano during a discussion at the American Enterprise Institute Friday. "You can't force a bad treatment using intimidation and ad hominem attacks against the only persons qualified to give medical care."
Price said there are "three death nails for quality medicine: government option/public option, any mandate, and seceding the definition of quality to Washington."
Price added that "affordability, access, quality, responsiveness, innovation, and choice," are the six main principles of health care. According to Price, a government take-over will hurt these principles since the government will focus on costs and access to insurance but neglect the other significant concerns.
Price stated that the available data clearly shows this, but accused the Democrats and President Barack Obama of "refusing to face facts."
Reader Comments (2)
The disadvantages with a public health insurance option are many. For one, it could seriously jeopardize choice and competition and shift costs to people who purchase insurance from the private sector. We also lose out on chances of market factors bringing the costs of health care down.
However, we cannot do away with the nagging thought that the question of a public option arose because of the failure of the private sector to keep costs down and provide quality care to people. These are real concerns, and should not be ignored.
I love how dishonestly Tom Price makes his case. He claims to want to improve affordability, access, choice (I didn't think conservatives ever used THAT word), etc. Price knows that our current for-profit health care system is not affordable and choices are very limited. What's his solution? He proposes that we hand out a little cash to people so they can buy their own insurance. Never mind that the amount handed over to us will not be nearly enough to help many people. Never mind that insurance companies will still delay and deny care. Also, these large corporations will continue dropping customers that need insurance the most but generate the least profits.
Tom Price's solution here is much like his SCHIP alternative. It actually reduces choices and access.