JUGGLING CHAINSAWS by T. Edwin Perry
It’s Sunday, March 21, 2010, and the rumor has it that the House plans to vote on the approval of the Senate Healthcare Bill tonight. Over the past few months, I’ve raged against the Government’s proposals, and my opposition has not changed, but I wanted to make a few points, not in an effort to rally opposition, but to point out what is to come when, as I believe, they pass this monstrosity of a bill.
First, the bill mandates that all American Citizens must purchase Health Insurance. This is something completely new and different in the history of our country. At no time does the Constitution grant the authority to the Federal Government to require anyone to privately purchase ANYTHING. Some argue that it’s like requiring individuals to purchase auto insurance. It’s not, and here’s why: 1) The Federal Government does not require that you purchase Auto Insurance: the individual STATES require it. 2) The requirement to purchase Auto Insurance requires your CHOICE to PURCHASE an AUTOMOBILE. If you make the choice NOT to own a car, you do not have to have insurance, except in those states that require it for you to have a Driver’s License. 3) In most states, basic Auto Insurance doesn’t insure the DRIVER, but the damage or injury caused to OTHERS resulting from an accident caused by the Driver. It protects the Driver only from the LIABILITY, not his or her own personal injuries.
Secondly, not everyone who has Health Insurance will actually USE their Health Insurance. It’s one of the reasons why many people don’t already carry it. Young people who don’t have ongoing health issues rarely go to the doctor, even when insured, because they don’t feel sick, or maybe they don’t want to take the time off from work, school or play to sit in a doctor’s office and wait.
Third, you don’t actually BUY Health Insurance: you rent it. Insurance covers for specific periods of time, and are usually paid for on a monthly basis. If you don’t pay your premiums, your insurance gets cancelled. Much like renting an apartment, if you don’t pay your rent, you get kicked out and have to start over.
Fourth, Health Insurance does not ensure “Health Care!” Ask anyone with insurance about how long it takes to see a doctor, and the answer will vary greatly based upon the factors involved. For example, what kind of doctor? Is it a Specialist or a General Practitioner? What kind of insurance do you have? Does it require referrals? Are you able to see any doctor, or are you limited to a specific provider assigned to you by your plan? In some cases, you can see a doctor immediately. In others, expect weeks or even months. You want a personal example? To see my General Practitioner if it is not an EMERGENCY, I have to schedule at least 2-4 weeks from the date that I call, and that’s IF I can get his office to call me back. (I hate to say that they aren’t very good at that part of the job.) If it IS an Emergency, they’re likely to tell me to go to the Emergency Room at the Hospital. For my wife to see her Endocrinologist, we have to plan on at least 1-2 weeks, which is a dramatic improvement over her previous Endocrinologist, who had an 8-week waiting list! This is all with expensive private insurance. If we had Medicare or Medicaid, the current Government Run options, the wait would likely be much longer, with the care given at the convenience of the provider rather than with consideration of our personal schedules.
Insurance is purchased in anticipation of a need, not as a result of it. Those who choose not to purchase Health Insurance make the choice that OTHER expenses are more pressing and important, like, perhaps, shelter and food. Mandating the purchase of Health Insurance and taking away the freedom of choice is like requiring someone who lives in South Florida to buy a chainsaw because, if there is a hurricane, it makes cutting up fallen trees easier. Only, instead of just buying a chainsaw and putting it in your garage, you have to return the chainsaw to the store and buy it again…month after month…just in case of a storm. And, just as Health Insurance has co-pays for doctor’s visits and prescription medicines, you also have to still buy the gas for the chainsaw if you need to use it.
The proposed Healthcare Reform Bill is like juggling chainsaws: there’s the possibility that everything will be just fine, but the probability is that you’ll end up REALLY NEEDING healthcare services to reattach something that gets chopped off during the juggling! I could be wrong about what’s coming, but there’s a distinctive difference between POSSIBILITY and PROBABILITY. There’s a Possibility that I’ll win the Lottery, but the smart money says that I probably won’t! I may be wrong about the negative impact of the Healthcare Bill, but I’m probably not.
Think about it this way: if it is such a great bill, why have they had to pressure so many people IN THEIR OWN PARTY to get enough votes to pass it?
Geez, everytime I see blogs this good I just want mine to be there already!
Great work.
Oleta, thank you for the kind words, and good luck on your blog!
i think alll you blogging faggets should die and burn in the pit of hell
Well, clearly I’ve elicted a passionate response from you, Gartnizle, as if that were your REAL name. In fact, it’s such a passionate response that I’ve made you mis-spell words like “All” and “Faggots,” which make you appear less intelligent than you must be. (After all, you WERE able to find your way to our humble site.) And, though we try to keep it friendly here, I’ve decided to leave your comment intact so that I can respond to your concerns. What, pray tell, has you so riled? Is it the inference that “Juggling Chainsaws” is a bad thing? Well, don’t think that I’m suggesting that YOU don’t try it. After all, I’m all about freedom of choice. Perhaps you disagree with my opinions, which is what this is all about. What in particular are we in disagreement about? Perhaps you could make some logical and well written arguments that may help me to refine my opinions. You never know, you may actually be able to get me to change my point of view if your arguments are valid, though I wonder how you’ll be able to compete with the dazzling “Burn in Hell” comment that you’ve already shared.
But, perhaps, and I’m just spitballing here, perhaps the real issue is that you object to my First Amendment Rights, which include my right to share my opinions, whatever they may be, so long as they are not slanderous or libelous, or calling for violence. (Of course, if I were a Democrat Member of Congress, I’d have to turn you in to the FBI for your hateful comments. Can’t we just tone down the rhetoric?)
My First Amendment Rights are the exact same ones that you have. You have the right to your opinions, and I’ll gladly defend to the death your right to have them and to share them. And, while you have that right to freely share them, neither you nor I have the right to inflict them on others. I have the right to post, and you have the right to read them, or not read them, at your discretion. You do not, however, have the RIGHT to be heard in a public forum. As such, you are welcome to submit your comments and share your arguments, and we welcome them, especially when we disagree with one another, but you will not be permitted to post anymore vile, defamatory or potentially violent comments on this site.
The worst part about it is that the odds of this “individual” actually finding his/her way back here to read your response, Todd, are probably non-existent.
But for anybody else that has anything quite as profound to say as “Gartnizle”, don’t waste your time unless you actually intend to take a stand for your position on the issues.