Who helped create the health care mess?


One of the people trying to blame it on someone else
As the author of the first HMO bill ever to pass the Senate, I find this spreading support for HMOs truly gratifying. Just a few years ago, proponents of health maintenance organizations faced bitter opposition from organized medicine. And just a few years ago, congressional advocates of HMOs faced an administration which was long on HMO rhetoric, but very short on action.

The current revival of the HMO movement should come as no surprise. HMOs have proven themselves again and again to be effective and efficient mechanisms for delivering health care of the highest quality. HMOs cut hospital utilization by an average of 20 to 25 percent compared to the fee-for-service sector. They cut the total cost of health care by anywhere from 10 to 30 percent. And they accomplish these savings without compromising the quality of care they provide their members.
— Senator Ted Kennedy, March 3, 1978

I bring this up not to embarrass Senator Kennedy, but to point out once again that when it comes to regulating the free market, good intentions almost inevitably bring about disaster.

It's going to take a long time to dig out of the health care mess, mainly because it is an article of faith that government must have a supervisory role in any health care plan.

Government regulation created the problems.

And the only offered solutions are more government intervention and regulation.

We have to forget the myth that people are entitled to health care. People will always want more if someone else is paying for it, and the only way to keep discipline is for people to pay for their own choices.

People are entitled to their own choices and the consequences. Nothing more, nothing less.


— NeoWayland

Posted: Thu - August 24, 2006 at 04:27 AM  Tag


 ◊  ◊   ◊  ◊ 

Random selections from NeoWayland's library


Pagan Vigil "Because LIBERTY demands more than just black or white"
© 2005 - 2009 All Rights Reserved