Thinking Out Loud - Health Care Reconciliation

The President can force his health care programs through using a prerogative called "reconciliation". This is a budgetary process first described in 1974 and used for the first time in 1980. According to House Committee on Rules, reconciliation is "utilized when Congress issues directives to legislate policy changes in mandatory spending (entitlements) or revenue programs (tax laws) to achieve the goals in spending and revenue contemplated by the budget resolution."

Democrats argue that this has been used 21 times (actually 22 according to the Brookings Institute) and mostly by Republicans. The truth of the matter is, is that this has been used for the purposes of adding items to the budget such as adding cancer screenings to Medicare (1990), adding nursing home protection rules to Medicare and Medicaid (1987) and creating federal vaccine funding for children (1993). It was also used by Bush for his tax cuts in 2001 and 2003.

However, it has never been used to overhaul so significantly a program as the entire health care system in the country.

President Obama and Speaker Pelosi are reaching above and beyond if they use reconciliation to force through this far reaching and unpopular agenda. It would (almost) be an abuse of power. It is clear that the American public is not behind this health care bill. When asked if they want reform, most are for it, but the 47% approval rating the President now has is due in most part to this bill. According to Rasmussen, 56% of American oppose this bill.

The current multi-thousand page health care reform bill, with all its pork and ridiculous programs that do not make any real difference in health care, is a grand waste of time and is detrimental to the health of the country. It demonizes insurance companies, who have their faults but are what they are, for profit entities that insure the public health. There are plans for everyone. And yes, they can be expensive and in the past they have done horrible things like deny claims until the people give up.

However, there have been changes in law to prevent these practices, just as there have been laws to prevent hospitals from dumping patients on the street. Laws that change certain aspects of how business is conducted. Not general and massive overhauls that do nothing in the long run but start a slide down the slippery slope of universal health care; which by necessity leads to rationing and sub-standard care. It also leads to less and less people going into the medical profession. Without doctors and nurses, the quality of health care will drop to the levels you see in other countries that have socialized medicine; long waiting lines outside hospitals (to avoid the four hour limit for doctors to see patients once they "enter" the hospital), hospitals closing (as they did with their maternity wards when overwhelmed with immigrants coming to the US to have anchor babies) and doctors checking with their lawyers before doing anything for patients.

What is wrong with making money? Do you want to go to work and not get paid for what you do because someone else makes less for doing less work? Do you want to have some government lackey telling you that you have to take less money for a better product your business sells? Will you allow them to tax you for having the best plan you can afford to take care of your family? That is what this bill is about.

What works is the free market system. What works is making better and stronger laws dealing with competition. What works is changing rules on TORT reform, sweeping corrections to Medicare and Medicaid roles (removing those able-bodied individuals who do not need it), across state line competition and portability of insurance plans. All these would greatly improve health care for everyone. And having better economic policies, immigration laws and a viable social security program that politicians can't hack into for other programs, would all greatly benefit health care.

Reconciliation, on the other hand, is absolutely the wrong tact to take with this health care bill.

It is time that the 56% who do not agree with this bill make their voices heard. Not just through TEA party affiliations. Not just with complaints on radio talk shows. But in a way that the politicians will understand. Contact the White House and tell them that not only wil you be pushing for their removal in 2012, but you will be actively pursuing a radical change in 2010 to anyone who is associated with this bill. Call not only your representative (House and Senate) in Washington but call EVERYONE in DC. Call and write to all members of Congress. Contact all the television stations that don't question this policy (CBS, ABC, MSNBC, CNN, et al). Tell them that you will boycott not only their supposed news shows but their sponsors. Make it very clear that you will not stand for behavior from them that equates to the entire mainstream media being an extension of the White House Press Office.

And make sure you contact not only the Democrats but the republicans as well. Let them know that they have your support in doing what they can to stop this madness.

We all are for health care reform. But this bill the President is pushing does not do this. Not even close.

Agree or disagree, tell me I am mean-spirited for not wanting everyone to be insured (which is not true, but hey, you're welcome to your opinion) or you can tell me I am right about what will work. Either way, it makes no difference. Don't just listen to me, go out and look at it from a logical and rational point of view, get all the facts and think for yourself. But, hey, this is just me, Thinking Out Loud.

Have a great day and a healthy life.

Charles