I applaud Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for taking the lead in the health care reform debate by introducing a new health care plan for the State of California.
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There is a saying that goes something like this:
If you are assigned the task of boiling the ocean, the only way to accomplish it is to boil one cup at a time.
Or something like that, anyway.
“Boiling the ocean” (and its kin “eating an elephant”…

Which is, of course, why it will fail miserably. Look at Anna’s post. Would you like to know what the greatest accomplishment of the private health insurance system is? Shafting the doctors and hospitals by withholding their money for months on end. They count on a behavior that would earn their customers the right to be dropped like hot potatoes in order to boost their bottom lines by allowing them to hang on to funds they have no right to. All of these articles about the bold steps states are making cite Missouri as a state planning on expanding their system? Really? Is that a comparison with the before or after of Governor Blunt and his Republican allies cutting over 90,000 people out of the Medicaid system and cutting benefits for those who were still in the system?

Not one of these amazing plans you members of the First Church of Free Market are so thrilled about has a single original idea that stands a chance of really fixing a thing. It’s all BS to be able to claim something is being done while it all really comes down to financial juggling.

Until everyone can work together to come up with massive changes to the system at all phases, putting the welfare of the citizens of this country ahead of their own interests nothing except baby steps towards a true solution will be made.

My husband has given a lot to the community, many times just writing off the bills for patients who can not afford to pay. He hardly earns anything anymore, and yet you are happy to add on to his tax burden. Every year, more of his colleagues are either leaving the state or retiring altogether. He has hung on because no one will be left to take care of our community.

And it’s going to get worse and worse if they don’t do something to alter the status quo.

I’m sure the proposal isn’t perfect, but I think it’s probably worth trying and tweaking. We can’t afford to continue on the present course.

Why? Because you people are happy to tax the doctors 2% of their REVENUE to finance this program. On top of all the restrictive and intrusive regulations imposed by both state and federal government, on top of the low reimbursement rates by insurance companies, Medicare and Medi-Cal, you want the doctors to surrender 2% of their revenue to the government.

And let’s not fool ourselves: a 20% increase in Medi-Cal rates would still amount to less than what Medicare pays, which already hardly pays anything at all.

My husband has given a lot to the community, many times just writing off the bills for patients who can not afford to pay. He hardly earns anything anymore, and yet you are happy to add on to his tax burden. Every year, more of his colleagues are either leaving the state or retiring altogether. He has hung on because no one will be left to take care of our community.

But congratulations, Mr. Schwarzenegger. You’ve just accomplished what I thought was impossible: make my husband decide to quit the profession he used to love. I hope you find enough health care providers to keep your idiotic proposal running.

As for us, we’re leaving.

My only request is that the burden on businesses be designed to gradually shift to the individual.

I applaud Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for taking the lead in the health care reform debate by introducing a new health care plan for the State of California….