I’m not sure I know why this is so complicated.

Perhaps it’s because no one really understands the problem.

We don’t need healthcare reform.  We do need health insurance reform.  The cost of simple procedures is completely out of control.

Recently I had to take a trip to the emergency room at 2am with my son for a condition that turned out to be no big deal really, but as a rookie parent we had to err on the safe side.

I received the bill for that 4 hour adventure a week or two later, totaling over $800.  Interestingly enough, we incurred a $400 charge just for signing in at the window!

How absurd.

So let’s cut to the chase.

Our government is setting out to provide affordable healthcare to everyone, and you can read my rant on the word affordable in a previous post.

Aside from the fact that not a single person in this country even has a right to heathcare, the government thinks everyone needs it anyway.  And quite frankly, the governments record isn’t all that stellar.  Medicare, medicaid, social security… the postal service…

Our representatives have no idea where their constituency stands on this position, as many of them refuse to even find out.

One of my representatives voted for the House version of the healthcare bill even though a majority in his district don’t want it.  On top of that, he didn’t even read the 2,000+ page bill before he voted on it.  Big surprise.

So why is this so hard?

If our government would get back to basics instead of trying to fix problems by baffling us with thousands of pages of bullshit, we’d probably all be better off.  Let’s remember what rights we do have as set forth in the constitution, and not try and level the playing field by asking people who can pay, to pay for people who can’t.

What does a MRI, X-ray, CT-scan really cost, and how can we lower those costs.  The Japanese figured out how to make a cheaper MRI machine and got the cost of a MRI down to less than $100, a $1,400 proposition here in the U.S.

Figure out how we can promote the reduction in costs.  Creating competition in the health sector will be a start, along with opening up health insurance across state lines.

Let the free market work, and quite artificially stimulating it!

Health and Fitness, Politics Congress, government, healthcare, reform

If you haven’t read Jake DeSantis’ public resignation from AIG, you should.

It bears no surprise to this free market capitalist that businesses have and will suffer greatly from Congresses grand standing and bloviating in Washington these last several weeks.  Why would anyone care to work for a company that has taken taxpayer money if they will be personally lambasted for doing a good job and compensated for doing so.

It’s clear that Congress has no desire to hear or even seek out the facts, and makes no bones about acting childishly before the people that are working to unwind troubled companies.

As with any good poker game, with employment you must know when to hold ‘em, and know when to fold ‘em.  And this is a prime example of when it’s just a smart move to walk away from the table.

Business, Politics AIG, Congress, Jake DeSantis