Since the recent Supreme Court decision on Obamacare, Dispatch letters have warned of doomsday outcomes. These are old saws.
In 1964 I completed several years of post medical school training aimed at going into general practice in rural Minnesota. But Medicare legislation was about to pass with ominous warnings, including non-specialty physicians working only in government offices.
I switched to internal medicine and cardiology. False fear-mongering changed my career plans.
In 1969, my mother-in-law died of colon cancer at age 58 after being told by her insurance company that she “would no longer be covered for any tumorous condition.” This would not happen in Canada or under Obamacare. In contrast, my own mother had her life extended seven years by renal dialysis, completely covered by Medicare.
Most of the early physician-opposition to Medicare vanished because it vastly improved the economics of health care for seniors. The Reagan administration passed a bill requiring providers to care for persons without insurance, creating the “free-rider” label for citizens who receive care without paying for it. In 1993, the Clinton single-payer plan was killed with arguments proposing a mandate program. Romney later passed a mandate program in Massachusetts, achieving 98 percent state coverage.
The main health care question is not about bad taxes or socialism. It is whether our government’s constitutional responsibility to “provide for the general welfare” includes health care for all citizens. Or, should we remain ranked low in the industrialized world on this moral- quality/economic quotient? And, what system is the most efficient?
In the past 35 years the market-forces-only theory for health has nowhere competitively approached this universality goal.
The Tea Party seems opposed to universal care. The court left the door open for a better system of freedom through this common good.
Obamacare is a first step.
Charles R.(“Dick”) Peterson, M.D. (retired)
Nisswa
Government pensions
I find it ironic and more than a bit hypocritical when those who have worked their entire adult life for the federal (big) government, and are now reaping the benefits of a federal pension and health care, now make a call to support policies that limit big government.
Are they willing to give up those retirement benefits as part of the solution to federal spending? If not, now that they have theirs, they shouldn’t cast stones in glass houses.
Karl Samp
Brainerd
Comments (43)
Add commentcovering costs
As a goverment employee I have no problem sayiong that teh goverment is to involved in our lives. They take and spend with no end in sight and then they want more. The goverment has no means of creating money other than to take from the tax payer.
In speaking to people over the past 30 years of employment I have yet to meet someone who has a problem helping those who need assistance because they have no means of helping themselves.
The problem is most of teh welfare reciepents in this state and country can work but dont because the goverment has made them dependent and wants them dependent. Illeagle immigration could be eliminated if these people would just go to the jobs. No I am not going to appoligize to you or anyone else because I worked my butt off to go to school payed back my debts and live with-in my means. It would be cheaper to give each of these un insured people one million dollars, if they blow it on toys and vacations then they are on their own if they get sick.
Kind of curious what kind of government job
You have, intresting. I hope you get good health benefits so you are sympathetic to those who have none. Many companies can't afford to pay for them.
Good to read a positive letter from someone in the medical profession which lauds health care reform.
Kind of curious what kind of a job you have...
Southie...
Currently, just a curious retiree.
Working to elect honorable people to public office.
Well said Karl
Tim Pawlenty is the worst at this....always preaching against "big government" while gladly reaping the financial benefits of it for 24 years....Gazelka, Romney, Palin, Bachmann, Cantor, Boehner, Walker, Ryan...all of them take take take from the government while blasting government. What a bunch of hypocrites!
The answer is
I am in Law Enforcement southie11 and as to as far as sympathy I have it for those unfortunate few who cannot support themselves due to circumstances they have no control over. Rest assured that is a smaller number then most in goverment would like you to think. As to my benefits no dental, eyeglass, long or short term disability, a medical plan that ends when I leave my employeer. By the way I am not complaining I would simply like to see an end to entitlements for those to lazy to work
The left needs
those lazy voters so the entitlements will never go away.
Muehlbau
South says retiree trying to elect honorable people. Oh my are we in trouble.
itter can you say rangel & barney frank?? Enough said!!!!!
Good letter, Dr. Peterson
More people like you need to tell their stories about how private insurance companies have removed people from their policies, denied coverage and "gotten between their them and their doctor".
Market-driven, patient-centric and other right wing buzz words will not solve our national health problems. We have tried the "market-driven" approach for far too long with poor results.
Thanks again for a first person perspective, not a regurgitation of talking points and propaganda.
Medical Reform
Yes to a point. by this lets ask what in the presidents plan is guarenteed. Doctors, Clinics, hospitials and the insurance companies chosen to run the pools will be paied. Ther compensation will be less than they now get but paied none the less. The concern is will intelligent and capable people continue to be drawn to these demanding fields.
In order to pay off student loans and costs of opening or maintaining a pratice something has to give. It will be the service recieved. Not at first but down the road it will happen.
Why? because we live in a capatlistic country and we work to better our lot in life and maintain our families. This is a VERY GOOD THING. When you read the health care law you will not have a CHOICE. I m sorry but this sounds like fasisim to me and in Germany ther is a plack that says " Never Again Fasisim" I appoligize for any spelling errors public school education.
secret agent
Our national health problems?? I must have missed that day in school because I was taught that is my responsibility NOT the Govmint to take care of myself & family.
Maybe nobody told you this but you are not going to live forever ya know. Sorry to break the news to you but life's a B then we die. I just hope I come back as a wasp to get one last sting in before I go again. On a libby of course.
OldFarmBoy
Congratulations if you have saved enough to care for yourself in your old age, but with the escalating costs these days you are in the minority. Without SS and Medicare many older citizens would be in dire circumstances. Is that the America you want? Not me, so you and I will just vote differently.
Unlike you I believe we are stronger when we all work together.
OldFarmBoy
You missed the point, they aren't the one that rip the system that has provided them their livelyhood.
Intresting
You would probably spell the same if you went to a private school. I know well-educated engineers who can't string a sentence together. You have ideas worthy of debate. I just don't think we are all receiving the same information about the health care act. There is an online quiz that shows that people are widely apart in what they think it actually contains, due to media disinformation.
wrong "intresting"--DO have a choice under obamneycare
You can choose to get insurance or you can choose to pay the penalty for not doing so.
How is this different than social security?
Well, you have no choice to back out of that one scot free either--but there's more than just a penalty involved if you don't pay in and are supposed to.
And regarding doctors who want to make the big money no longer being interested in the profession--good riddance!
But there's no strong evidence to show they will lose money here. If you pay attention, one of the biggest complaints that doctors and hospitals and clinics have re: their bottom line now is that they have to provide care for those who can't pay them for it.
Going forward the majority of that problem will go away. More of their customers they provide service to will be paying customers!
Also, if you have paid attention--if you go in for a simple service--say a simple physical--and don't have insurance or aren't on government's medical dole--you will be billed MORE for the same service than someone who comes in with a large insurance plan will.
That's because those insurance plans have bargaining power. They can pick and choose what they will pay to the provider now. To an extent they can even determine who can go where already--through costs to the patient--which kind of blows the whole "you can't see who you want to anymore" out of the water. You already can't see who you want to under most insurance plans in place today!
The insurance companies will have a boon in those who buy their plans--and even more power to place downward pressure on the cost of care.
Those who have very good insurance right now might not see much change--but those who have none--and find they need it--or those who have an expensive plan or one that has meagher coverage--will benefit immensely by this system compared to the broken one we had.
Kaiser ACA Quiz
http://healthreform.kff.org/quizzes/health-reform-quiz.aspx
Don't know if this can be posted, but if not, it is on the web site: www.kff.org (kaiser family foundation)
KFF, really?
Extremely liberal and I have seen links that I want to post but it will be removed on how that quiz listed above is slanted left to make it look appealing.
Just google it like a normal person would. Even your lovely factcheck.org has the information.
Nice try by the left again, but once again EPIC FAILURE
and RINO you dont have a choice
you either pay for insurance or pay a tax, there isnt a choice in that. Either way you pay.
It isnt a penalty either, its a tax. Even our Supreme Court agrees it is a tax. That is how it passed, as a tax.
But thats right, the Obummer still doesnt call it a tax, because he is delusional as always.
Took the test
I got 9 of 10 which accou8rding to the web sight is better then 97 % of americans. If I had done that well in School i would have got a paying Job. Ha Ha.
I welcome debate on this matter but the fact remains that we should all take care of ourselves and family. Then when we have that secured we help others. I feel our country could lead better if we did the same on a national/World level. From health care to terrorsim we would need to lead from a posistion of strength. Americans are feeling entitled nore that ever. Goverment help ME out, Goverment Give Me a job. and the list goes on.
We have to stop it and the time is now. If I go to my clinic and have no insurance coverage for a procedure they cut the bill down if I pay it in full to less than friends pay with the negociated insurance coverage. My Plan is good but not all inclusive. Instead of buying the toys put the money away and save it. if you cannot pay cash for the toy you don't need it.
And yes I know its hard but necessary. That is how Grandparents and parents did it. We will never all agree, thank the Lord, and i appreciate the people who can discuss these issues with out resorting to badgering. I will close in saying America is still the best and I will defend her to my death
I want rino
to tell me how you can Not pay SS and just pay a penalty. I think all employers would tell you to take a hike if you told them you'd prefer that they don't withhold it.
I love it when
it says that Obama Care will provide all that stuff. Is "Obama Care" going to print it's own money so it can provide all that stuff? Nahhh, I didn't think so. I guess the working people (even those who make less than $250,000) will have to give their money to Obama Care so it can provide all that stuff!
You communists are unbelievable.
rino,
a good Doctor can refuse to accept Obama Care, or will you jail them if they refuse it?
KFF is ranked as a non-profit Centrist Think Tank
It states that it is non-partisan.
It is not affiliated with Kaiser-Permanente Health System.
Nice try, IDWD, but epic fail,
Cost of healthcare or Quality of Heathcare
I agree with both sides that there is issues with the COST of healthcare is the problem and not the QUALITY of healthcare. What peeves me is that my COST is more because it is a benefit of my total compensation package than others that are living off the system and have lower COSTS because if they were to take a job for higher pay or work another job would result in loss of a FREE benefit.
Next, why would a box of surgical gloves cost me $15.00 at Walgreens and the cost of a pair of gloves at the hospital cost the same???
Figure out why COSTS for healthcare are so HIGH and correct that. We ALL might find that pill will be easier to swallow rather than increasing overall COSTS for all who will be paying while those who are not paying will be able to retain their FREE benefit.
Door swings both ways Karl...
I think that your comment can be applied to both sides of the fence and with that you can throw in those who make a good living off helping spread the message that one side is wrong while their side is right. What we don't see in the background is their accountant wisely managing the earnings so their client doesn't have to pay in anymore than they have to while preaching the latest spiel about sharing their wealth. Also what about the profiteers that make a good living telling those who are less unfortunate that they are covering their back side as their limo is idling outside the back exit. Maybe they too should be willing to give up their slice of the pie to those who made the pie for them.
Spy Guy
the point you are missing here is that when you are forced to invest a percentage of every paycheck of your working life to a government supplemental retirement plan and a government elderly healthcare plan, then you have already paid up front for that benefit. what if it is not there for you when the time comes because the agent didn't manage it correctly? In the private sector they would be behind bars hoping that they know how to pick up the soap without putting their health and safety in jeopardy.
Now I ask you...Do you really trust the same agent that forced you into this, handle you healthcare for you and your family during your productive years? If you do, don't drop the soap.
Myeye08: Private sector crime
Did anyone besides Bernie Madoff, Tom Peters and Dennis Hecker go to jail for their investment schemes? Still waiting for that to happen. There must be a lot of partners to those crimes that are going unpunished.
Good point southie
I wouldn't think that they would take one for the team unless there might be higher players they are taking the fall for. In my book a crook is a crook. It doesn't matter if the crook is wearing a mask or a pin stripped suit. the point I was trying to make was if s.s. and m.c, is in jeopardy because of mismanagement of the fund and by the way, you had to be living under a rock to not know that when the boomer generation comes of age the pyramid becomes inverted, how can you trust the same to handle heath care? I maintain that finding the answer to the question as to why the COST of healthcare is so high will be a better benefit to all as compared to create a tax to cover the COST of health care. The spin masters are doing a bang-up job of confusing the populus the difference between COST and QUALITY. Really what is solved here if the question isn't answered and costs continue to rise and the only solution to cover the rising costs is to increase the tax? I guess in that case, it needed to be passed to find out what's in it, right?
Can just ONE of you people
understand that this plan is NOT about health care it's about HEALTH INSURANCE? It's not going to change any hospital, unless by chasing good doctors into retirement or making hospitals close down. Do any of you dingbat liberals believe that the Mayo Clinic will move to Brainerd, now that this is law? Do you think your Dr. will now be more competent? Your juvenile love of this monstrosity should qualify you for the loony bin. This plan is the final answer for a corrupt government to finally exert the control the Constitution has withheld from them for about 231 years. You people better wake up before it's too late.
The sky is falling!
Fair and balanced says so and he has 3333 points. That is a sign of something dire!
After being a small business co-owner for 25 years, paying for our own health insurance which had a $5,000 per person co-pay, this has got to be an improvement. And my family is not alone.
The sky fell on the middle class a long time ago.