By passing health care reform, the Democratic controlled Congress has been successful in pushing through one of the largest government takeovers in history. To make matters worse, the process that gave the Democratic leadership the votes to pass this bill left much to be desired. Deal making and arm twisting were seen by the American people and soured many opinions of Congress and this administration. However, the bill is now the law of the land. The ultimate goal should be to repeal the entire bill and replace it.
President Obama says small businesses will be big winners under health care reform, but some entrepreneurs and the organizations that represent them say the only thing big about the new law will be the problems and taxes that come with it. “It’s going to create huge uncertainty and the potential for another downtick in the economy fed by that uncertainty,” said the chairman of the National Small Business Association. Furthermore, the bill will “almost certainly” lead to increased health insurance costs for businesses with more than fifty employees. The bill will put new pressures on small businesses to both offer and pay for employee health insurance in the early stages of reform. However, the reforms that contain costs and enable small business to afford this commitment will not be implemented for years –if at all. The National Federation of Independent Business characterized the bill as “devastating” for small business owners. I have been able to confirm their worst fears by talking with small business owners from throughout the 8th district and looking at their financial projections.
Beyond the direct impact on small businesses, this bill has very real and direct consequences for Hoosiers. A recent analysis by Governor Daniels’ administration indicates that Indiana could have to absorb as much as $3.6 billion in new costs over the next decade if the 1.5 million Hoosiers made eligible for Medicaid sign up. The Federal Government does not seem to have any intension of providing the money to fund this expansion, leaving Indiana with the burden of covering the additional expense.
As a physician, I have very serious concerns about the intended and unintended consequences of this bill as well as future access to quality medical services in the U.S. We are headed towards a two-tiered system like in many countries that have government run healthcare. This legislation is setting the stage for those who can afford private care while the rest of us will have long waits and experience rationing due to financial concerns of the government. The ongoing physician shortage is likely to continue and may worsen. The quality of physician services is likely to decrease. We need healthcare reform, but not the type of reform which has been put into law.
A more pragmatic solution is the implementation of a nongovernmental commission that will look at Medicare/Medicaid and come up with solutions to strengthen these programs. Clearly, there are difficult decisions to be made in the future by lawmakers. Many of the solutions are not politically possible without the input from such a commission. It will then be up to lawmakers, regardless of party, to make the decisions that need to be made. The American people need to decide which direction we are going to take. Quality of and access to healthcare in the U.S. are at stake. A government run system will almost certainly be a detriment to both.
