Health Care

Dear friends:

I pulled this off the Drudgereport:

Smokers told to Quit*

The ever-rising cost of health care is one of my biggest concerns. I hate that Americans are tied to their jobs because of the risks involved with being uninsured. I myself have been without health insurance before and it is scary. The idea of having nationalized health care appeals to me when I am feeling lazy. That said, this article revels one of the greatest dangers of relying on one's government for one's health care. One of the main differences between the public sector and the private sector is that the powers that be in the public sector like rules, whereas the privately controlled entities generally do not.

Imagine a world where the government controlled our health care. Oh wait, we don't have to imagine that, we need only to look at Great Britain. The fact that they can control citizens lives with the bridle of health care ought to disturb all but the most complacent. What this indicates is that the British Government needs only to modify their health care restrictions in order to restrict behavior in general. If they are allowed to require the folks not smoke 4 weeks prior to surgery, why would they not require that folks quit smoking all together. There would seem to be no limits to this.

One may not consume alcoholic beverages 4 weeks prior to surgery.

One may not engage in extra-marital sex 4 weeks prior to surgery.

One may not ride a bicycle without a helmet 4 weeks prior to surgery.

Why limit it to surgery? Why not no smoking 4 weeks prior to any medical procedure or consultation?

Even if we did have government-provided universal health-care, I would like to imagine that the Supremes wouldn't allow restrictions of this nature.

Here is the flip-side to all of this. As it stands, private insurance providers have restrictions and laws that are, from what I understand, much more inhibiting. Individuals trying to find coverage for themselves without the benefit of an employer can be denied coverage for almost any reason the provider wants to give.

I hate this issue. It is, by far, the most complicated and troubling problem Americans face and I see little reason for optimism.

Have a great week!

-LCC

*http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=459574&in_page_id=1770