Archive for the ‘Healthcare’ Category

Health Care or Retirement?

I heard a chilling statement from a conservative guest on Joy Cardin’s radio program last week. (The guest was Dan Cunningham, vice president of government relations, Forward Janesville.) Listen below:

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Mr. Cunningham’s thesis is that we can’t offer universal health care to Wisconsin citizens or else they’ll have no incentive to work. To put it another way, the exorbitant cost of health care and the American system of employer-subsidised insurance is forcing people to continue full-time employment, and he thinks that’s great.

How morally corrupt have we become if we restrict access to a basic human need–health care–in order to force people to work? I would hope that enough of us gain some satisfaction in our jobs that we would continue to work in some capacity even if health care was removed from the equation.

Think for a moment about the other side of Mr. Cunningham’s position: denying access to health care is an appropriate punishment disincentive for those of us who are unable (or unwilling) to find adequate employment.

Such a position is truly chilling and it runs contrary to the themes that were established in 1776 and are under such forceful attack today.

Filed under Healthcare, culture, politics, work : Comments (0) : Jul 29th, 2007

Health Insurance

A few quick thoughts:

1) If you haven’t yet, see SiCKO. As long as you walk into the theater expecting a not-entirely-unbiased documentary, you will leave better informed. And if you’re awake and paying attention, you will leave feeling frustrated, angry, confused, and mostly disappointed at the current state of affairs in the good ol’ USA.

2) Tying health insurance to full-time employment is a terrible idea. Why should my access to quality, affordable health care be dependent on my current employment status? What if I have a great idea for a new business and want to try my luck as an entrepreneur? It’s possible to do, but the cost of individual health insurance is daunting. Furthermore, why should U.S. companies be burdened by paying the health care costs of their employees & retirees? It’s not hard to see that this is a less-than-ideal situation.

Now go watch SiCKO!

Filed under Healthcare, culture, politics : Comments (0) : Jul 15th, 2007