No one wants to admit that “bending the cost curve” will lead inevitably to rationing of health care. The proposed cost savings are speculative and without cost savings then utilization has to be reduced. Do we really want government making these decisions for every one?

There is very little to be gained by paying doctors and hospital less or by making them work more efficiently. Medicare has been trying to computerize doctor’s offices for the past twenty years touting increased efficiency and cost savings. Doctors have been resisting this because the doctors that are computerized are not persuading their colleagues. Many doctors have abandoned their computerized systems in favor of their old analog systems. Though a few doctors are perfectly happy to stare at their computer while they interview a patient rather than face their patient, this is the exception rather than the rule. Studies from large hospital associations have clearly shown cost increase rather than savings with the adoption of electronic medical records. What electronic medical records does do is to provide an opportunity for data mining by the government.

Medicare already pays hospitals less than the cost of taking care of medicare patients. Over the past twenty years hospitals have only been able to survive by shifting the cost to privately insured patients. As hospitals close and doctors retire in droves access to health care will become a huge problem or as some see it a benefit. Either way it is rationing.

It is true that America spends twice as much per patient per year on health care than other developed countries. This does not mean that health care here is more expensive. It just means that we utilize more and better and faster. Critics of this point of view point out that we have a higher infant mortality rate than western european countries. But this is in reality a social issue rather than an access to health care problem. Our country is very diverse and is not comparable to other countries. Critics will also say that insurance companies are already practicing rationing. This is true but patients still have the choice of changing their insurance company or their benefits plan. We will lose these choices and much more when government is in charge everything.

Government health care will lead to rationing and then to loss of individual choice. When you think about it Sarah Palin’s alarm over possible death panels does not seem so over the top.

 Loading ...

 Loading ...