codyg1985’s Think Tank

This is going to be one of the most contested elections for President since the election of Dwight D Eisenhower in 1952. The 2008 Presidential Election could also be a historic one, since it will be the first change in president since September 11^th. There are many hot-button issues these days, and there are a lot of candidates for both parties to match. For me, personally, there are a few key issues that will greatly influence my decision for who I shall vote for, and those issues are health care, immigration, foreign policy, and the economy.

Health care costs hit close to home. As a Type 1 diabetic, insulin and testing materials are my lifeline, Put bluntly, without these, I am dead. Approximately 48 million people in this country are uninsured. Many others are under-insured and have to pay steep co-pays for prescription medications and doctor’s visits. Health care in this country is top-notch; however, it comes at a steep cost. Many senior citizens are forced to choose between their medication and food, and both medication costs and food costs are soaring. Most college students such as me are alright under their parents’ health insurance, but at age 23, many of those people will be kicked off their parents’ policy. If a college student doesn’t graduate from college by that point and have a job with health benefits, then that college student had better not get sick or have a pre-existing condition.

The United States is one of a handful of first-world countries without some sort of universal health care system. Why is that? Free health care for everyone; it sounds like a good idea right? A government health care program would just increase the size of government. Someone is going to have to pay for that system, and that would be you and me. Such a system would have to be paid for somehow, and it would be likely that taxes would have to be increased in order to fund the system. Also, let’s not forget that hard-working Joe will get money drawn from his paycheck to pay for Bob’s stomach-stapling surgery that Bob could have avoided if only he would have practiced better dieting and exercising.

Moreover, with no competition, a government system would be a monopoly with no incentive to innovate or speed things up. Wait times could be through the roof, but since the government is running it, there is no incentive to change anything. Not only would wait times be long at the doctor’s office (which you may have not choice in picking for yourself), but if you need an operation, there could be a long wait before your turn comes up. Sure, it would be free, but you may die while waiting for that critical, life-saving surgery.

Instead, maybe the government can bid out a contract to a low bidder for a health care policy for seniors and lower-income individuals. Basically, such a system would provide the same level of health care that most employee policies provide, and it would be there for those that can’t afford an individual policy or for those that have been denied for whatever reason. Competition between insurance companies can drive the cost down, and it could also help to lower the costs of prescription medications.

Let me pose this question: can you go up to someone, look that person in the eye, and tell that person that he or she is going to die because they can’t afford to pay the cost for open-heart surgery? If you can, then you are much stronger than I.

In my next blog post, I shall discuss why immigration reform is imperative to driving costs down here at home.