National Health Care
Refusing to be drawn
into just another pseudo-intellectual and probably un-winnable discussion as to
what is or is not our natural right in this country, I will point out to you
one undeniable fact of life, using our driver’s license as an example. It is
said that ownership or possession of a driver’s license is not a right. It is a
privilege. Rubbish! It may be a privilege, legally, but I submit to you that,
for a significant majority of citizens in this country, possession of a
driver’s license is an absolute necessity, if for no other reason than for the
purpose of maintaining employment–i.e. making a living. One has only to ask the
many that have had their licenses taken from them. In the same vein, I submit
to you that adequate health care, also, is an absolute necessity. Not only is it
a necessity of life for our people, it is imperative for the well-being and
security of our nation–social status notwithstanding.
In view of this, I propose
that a national single payer health care plan modeled after our present system
of Medicare be established for the health care of all legal citizens of The
United States of America, excluding active military personnel covered under the
military system. In the design and development of this system, the interest and
wellbeing of our people should and must be our first and foremost priority–not that
of business or politics. In putting forth this proposal, I readily recognize there
will be those who will complain and object to no end. They will find all kinds
of imperfections and faults with its implementation. Again, Rubbish! I don’t
want to hear it. I submit to you that there is no imperfection whatsoever–none–that
cannot be foreseen, tweaked and/or corrected by an intelligent and
conscientious legislature with the “Good of the People” and the nation in mind.
I tell you now. This subject has been studied to death, and every aspect, good
and bad, is known. Any unknown that might exist should be minimal and can be
corrected. Healthcare is one of the most important and urgent issues in our
nation today. We should resolve it and resolve it now.
In conjunction with
this, our government must be honest with our people, and let them know healthcare
is not free. A major problem with our current system seems to be that everybody
wants healthcare when they need it but don’t want to pay for it. Everybody
should and must be willing to pay their fair share based upon their ability to
pay. To this end, I propose that this plan be financed (as is in the case of
Social Security), using a stand-alone fund, separate and apart from the
national budget, a must for effective cost and budget control. Payments into this
stand-alone fund should be made by the implementation of a surtax on income
based upon a percentage calculated at the beginning of each year by dividing
the year’s projected total health care expense for the year by projected total taxable
earned income for the same period. That percentage, so calculated, should be
adjusted at the beginning of each succeeding year so as to adjust for surpluses
or deficits in the prior year, thereby effecting a pay as you go plan. Again,
separation of the fund from the national budget is imperative.
The two largest
objections to this proposal will come from two arenas of the populace, those
who expect something for nothing, and those who will cry “Socialist”. To the
former, I say you are unworthy of discussion–the best interests of the nation
are more important than your selfishness. To the latter, you may rest assured I
am not proposing Socialism. An individual system does not have to be
Socialistic. Deng Xiaoping (a socialist leader of China in the 1990’s) said, "It
doesn't matter whether a cat is white or black, as long as it catches
mice" (he chose state capitalism for China). My proposal “catches mice”
for the citizens of the United States of America. It provides for the health
care of our people; and it pays for itself on a continuing basis without
contributing to the national deficit, ultimately contributing to the reduction
of our national debt. Under my proposal, all those under the age of 55 can
relax.
If my proposal is
adopted, a fine health care system will not be the only benefit. Listed below
are others:
- We will not be spending millions upon
millions of dollars arguing as we do now.
- Healthcare will be “off the back of” business. They can plan and operate their businesses without worrying about the hours in a work week, unplanned cost increases, etc.
- The change in hours in a work week and its impact on national income need not become a national economic problem.
- Healthcare costs can be more easily controlled.
- We
will be able to move on to resolving other urgent national problems.
Ronald Miller
mtss86@bellsouth.net
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