I first began listening to Governor Mitt Romney in the early 90s when he proposed his healthcare insurance program for Massachusetts.

I liked its simplicity and the fact it used dollars that were already being used to support those without insurance. In the old days we called them indigents.

Today, we call them President Obama’s political base.

What Governor Romney proposed was that all Massachusetts residents be covered by medical insurance - just like having all drivers covered by automobile insurance. People are used to the concept and it makes excellent sense.

If you couldn’t afford a policy, and there are those that couldn’t, Massachusetts would help you pay either all or the difference. How they did this was by taking monies going to the hospitals to pay for indigent care.

As today in Oklahoma, care provided through an emergency room is far more costly than care provided at the doctor’s office. In many cases, it is five times more costly and the state was already paying those costs.

Unfortunately, Massachusetts insurance program today costs much more than planned due to all the new bells and whistles and mandates added to the original concept by the legislature.

If the federal government really wanted affordable health care for all, they would incentivize the state’s to provide it.

Your government cannot take care of the one class of people it actually owes an obligation.

Indian health care works sometimes, but most times is broke.

Veteran’s care is the same.

If the government can’t take care of 1 percent of the population or 3,000,000 Native Americans, how can they take care of the rest of us?

They can’t and they won’t even try. The sad thing that is happening today is many Americans don’t care. When politicians say, “The American people won’t stand for these costs,” in truth it means little. No one is paying these costs out of their pocket. It is an unseen burden and only words even though the deficits will be staggering for future generations.

By allowing the president and the socialists in Congress to grab one-sixth of the economy, we will be leaving a poorer nation to our children and grandchildren. Polls show that Americans realize these promises of quality affordable healthcare for families is simply an illusion.

The latest Rasmussen Reports finds 56 percent now opposed to Obama Care. Sixty-three percent of voters say, “guaranteeing that no one is forced to change their insurance coverage is a higher priority than giving consumers the choice of a public option.” And 83 percent say, “proof of citizenship” should be required before anyone can participate in a government program.

The days of not paying for the costs are also over. Seniors will pay more and will lose Medicare Advantage, the states will pay more to cover their portion of a huge increase in Medicaid, small business owners will be forced to cover all employees or will be fined and better medical plans will pay an excise tax.

The taxes start today.

The plans start in 2014.

This is the way that Congress and Congressional Budget Office (CBO) can say the legislation cuts the deficit by $127 billion. It is simply another way to increase taxes and ruin the finest health care in the world.

How has any of this helped the poor, indigent or uninsured? It hasn’t. Tort reform is projected to save $54 billion. That is the figure used by Senator Harry Reid. Tort reform is not in the 2,074 page bill.

Holding patients accountable and increasing wellness programs are not in the bill. The cost to society for obesity which leads to diabetes, heart disease and hypertension is staggering. All of us, too, know friends who have died from lung cancer brought on by smoking.

Obama Care covers none of that.

And lastly, if you think the medical insurance companies are making fortunes off their customers, then get a few friends together and start a competing company.

If you can find one investor, I’ll eat my hat.

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 and is filed under Columns.