Saturday, July 18, 2009

I'm Tired of the Fear Mongering

For a sixth straight day, Obama sought to keep the focus on his chief domestic priority in the face of mounting resistance on Capitol Hill, including conservative Democrats. White House officials are worried they face a tougher road to passage than anticipated.

"This is what the debate in Congress is all about: whether we'll keep talking and tinkering and letting this problem fester as more families and businesses go under and more Americans lose their coverage," Obama said in his weekly radio and Internet address. source

This all reminds me of a story told of my father's beginnings in the insurance business. He was doing his windup pitch to the client by asking him if he didn't want to make sure his family was able to bury him in the case of his untimely demise.

The client looked at him and said. "I haven't seen too many dead bodies laying about on the streets."

My father, being new to the biz, didn't have a ready answer for that one and so he packed up his briefcase and came home. I'm sure in later years (he was very, very successful), he thought up and response to that objection.

With Obama we have the same constant fear mongering. According to him people are dropping like flies, being kicked out of their homes, and sleeping under bridges - all due to lack of health coverage. Are their stories of hardship? Sure! And I agree that something needs to be done. But a public plan based on erroneous numbers and flat out lies is not the way to solve anything.

I for one do not wish to be mandated to buy anything. Nor do I want a government bureaucrat deciding when and how much health care I will receive. Under Obama's plan, health care will be rationed, doctors will be scarce, and we will pay for it big time with higher taxes, lost jobs, and increased cost of goods. There is nothing "free" about free health care.

5 comments:

Joe of St. Thérèse said...

Not to mention those who choose not to have health insurance for the fact they can afford the bill

Sarah - Kala said...

Can you hear it? It's a round of applause in agreement to what you are saying from the REAL America!

Anne Rettenberg LCSW said...

Medical costs are the number one reason for personal bankruptcy filings in the U.S. Some of those people had private health insurance, but their plan was so bogus, they were left with hundreds of thousands of dollars in costs they couldn't pay.

Doctors are already scarce.

Anne Rettenberg LCSW said...

Here's a transcript of Congressional testimony from a former US health insurance executive:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07102009/potter_testimony.html

Re-reading your post it sounds like you're advocating that people skip having health insurance just like some people skip having "life" insurance. Can most people afford hundreds of thousands of dollars for cancer treatment? Or should they just forgo treatment and die? What about coronary by-pass? If my father hadn't had one four years ago, he would be dead. Of course, my father is a multi-millionaire and can pay for his own coronary by-pass. But what about other people? Should they just die?

MightyMom said...

to add....

either I will be out of a job...or I will have to work multiple jobs in order to provide for my family. Because guess who gets cut when the reimbursement of hospitals and doctors gets cut??

oh, by the way...do YOU want to have your life at the mercy of a nurse working 2 or more full time jobs to support her family??? Or a nurse who is taking care of twice as many patients??

It's not that far away actually. We were canceled once a week at the beginning of this year. I can't live on a paycheck for 24 hours a week...can you?