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Opening Arguments

A healthy dose of skepticism

Given shifting American attitudes about health care, we'll probably be talking about Hillary Care for some time. So many people want government to do something, anything, that it's probably a question of when, not if, we have some kind of national plan. To even complain of "socialized medicine" seems somehow quaint these days. But please be skeptical when any of the proponents talk about the cost:

Half of the $110-billion-a-year cost of Clinton's American Health Choices Plan would come from savings that she says she can squeeze from the current healthcare system. The rest would come largely from rolling back President Bush's 2001 tax cuts for the top two income tiers.

Triple that figure, and you still won't even be close. Hillary's estimate of the cost is just a bold-faced lie.

Comments

A J Bogle
Tue, 09/18/2007 - 11:56am

One of the things often overlooked in the health cost debate is its impact on US manufacturing and its competitiveness in a global market.

Depending on the industry, health costs can be as much a 9 to over 20% of the cost of a mfg good.

For example roughly 1300 on average is the amount health costs tack on to the cost of a new vehicle.

This puts US products at a competitive disadvantage against nearly all other modern industrial countries such as Europe, Canada and Japan whose manufacturers have no such costs.

So clearly relieving US manufactuers of the health care cost burden will help strengthen them in the global market place.

I am open to suggestion as to how to fix the rapidly escalating costs of medical care that increase at many times the normal rates of inflation, relieves manufacturers of cost burden, AND makes sure all of US citizens who need health care can get it.

The US has the most expensive system in the wrold yet 2/5ths of our population is un or under insured.

Steve T.
Tue, 09/18/2007 - 10:31pm

The real con is the counter-suggestion that every American should be required by law to have health insurance.

Universal health care in America may or may not be an unattainable pipe dream (I tend to think the baby boomers will get what they want by force of numbers), but a law requiring all Americans to HAVE unsubsidized health care without subsidy will be D.O.A.

Count on it. The for-profit health industry should make its deals with the aroused American people while the getting is good.

It will be hard for some to believe now, but the ridiculously overpriced health care industry is soon to take a catastrophic fall. Only those companies who change pro-actively in advance of the sudden evolution will avoid critical injury.

This is an old story, inevitably replayed time and again.

Steve T.
Wed, 09/19/2007 - 1:04am

Let me re-word my previous comment so that you don't mistake my point nor misconstrue my comments as radical.

Let's start with a short quote from Leo:

>Given shifting American attitudes about health care.... it

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