Shyanna Busch Responds: A "common sense" take

Shyanna Busch
Guest Contributor
9/10/2009 for TheFuseJoplin.com

President Obama shared another one of his mesmerizing oratory speeches with the general public and Congress this evening. Overall, Obama did a very well at sharing more of the details about what he wants in a health care bill, but he also failed to cover some of the common sense issues within his plan.

First, I do agree with President Obama that something needs to be done about our healthcare system. Insurance companies are shady—they do drop coverage when people need it, they do exclude people because of pre-existing conditions, and rates have been on a continual increase over the last 15 years. When I started my first “adult” job 12 years ago, I paid $30 a check for insurance. Three years later, I could no longer afford coverage when it increased to $60 a check. I tell you this, so that you know I have been one of the people who are “one disaster away from bankruptcy.” Now, I am one of the lucky Americans with very affordable health insurance, and my husband receives free insurance through work.

Over the course of the summer, the American public wanted specifics from Obama. Tonight, he addressed those concerns. He laid out specific details about what he wants included in the plan. He reiterated the idea that if you are insured you will not be required to change plans. Secondly, he wants to make insurance work for those that already have insurance by making it illegal for coverage to be denied because of previous illnesses. Companies can no longer put caps on lifetime and yearly coverage, out of pocket expenses will be limited, and insurance companies must cover routine and annual care. This sounds fantastic to me especially because I am currently in a dispute with my husband’s insurance company about them not covering his annual screenings. I also liked the idea of a new insurance exchange where companies and those without insurance can shop for competitive premiums and plans.

One area of this reform in which I disagree and will always disagree is the public option. Obama said he believes less than 5% of the population will sign up for the government option, but if you look at the plan Hawaii attempted, so many people dropped their regular insurance for the cheaper government plan, they had to shut the program down because the system was completely overwhelmed.

I also do not agree with the federal government mandating private citizens to have insurance coverage. It is the right of citizens to have insurance or not. Many will site that car insurance is mandatory, but people can choose not to have insurance. They are just responsible for the cost if they have a wreck. The 10^th amendment is our greatest weapon against government control, but over the last several decades, the federal government has overstepped its boundaries in this regards. I just do not see why the government option is the only way to address the problem. Opening competition across state lines will increase competition too, but the President and Congress will not consider this option.

My other great concern is the cost. Obama claims his plan will only cost 900 billion over the next 10 years. In past experiences with government programs, they always greatly underestimate costs, so that means the plan will probably really cost 1.5-2 trillion over the next 10 years. He claims that almost all of the cost of his plan will come from decreasing inefficiencies and waste in Medicare and Medicaid. Common sense tells me, if these wastes can be identified now, why do we have to wait to fix them until this plan passes? If we can save so much money by fixing waste, then we can just fix the healthcare overload now. Even more, can the government be effective enough to eliminate this waste? President Obama also failed to mention his behind the scenes deal with Big Pharma (this deal would not require pharmaceutical companies to decrease their costs) although he did excitedly say the word “pharmaceutical companies.” If you want more information on this, check out Air America, a liberal talk radio program, that has been investigating this concern. Lastly, it seems almost paradoxical for any plan to insure 45 million more people, giver better coverage to those already insured, and decrease cost all at the same time. The three goals do not go hand in hand. I’m not sure that it is possible. These three ideologies may be elusive to catch as Bigfoot.

Throughout the speech, there were lots of shouts, applause, and voices of disagreement. At one point, someone shouted out “Lie!” while the President was talking. I attended Claire McCaskill’s town hall in Springfield last week, and I was very disappointed with all the yelling and inability for conversations to take place during the forum. On the other hand, I understand the frustration and anger many feel about this subject. I never thought that someone would have the bravado to do such a thing to the President, and whoever it was should have been more respectful, but the look on Nancy Pelosi’s face when a man did shout out was priceless.

Lastly, Joey B, that’s how I refer to Joe Biden, touched my heart strings as President Obama spoke of Ted Kennedy’s ideals. I know that Sen. Kennedy’s passing was very hard on VP Biden. You could see the pain and loss in Biden’s eyes, as he tried to hold back tears tonight.