George Orwell–author of the book 1984–would love our Congress. In addition to “Big Brother is watching you,” Orwell invented the word newspeak: saying or writing common words and phrases while meaning their opposite. In newspeak, firemen start fires. Our Congress speaks newspeak.
The continuous crisis that we call healthcare rose to national prominence when the President focused our attention on the increasingly unsupportable cost of the system. To solve this fiscal crisis, our Congress is going to add over $1 trillion to the cost of healthcare. Newspeak: solving excessive spending by…spending even more money, money we do not have and must print.
The President highlighted a second problem in healthcare: tens of millions of uninsured Americans. What is Congress’ solution? Add millions of people to the rolls of MediCare, a program that will run out of money within seven years according to the GAO. Newspeak again: solving the lack of insurance by offering an insurance plan headed for bankruptcy.
When the Government talks about cost cutting, they are speaking newspeak. “Cutting costs” means reducing their payments to providers, hospitals and supply companies. In turn, this requires reduction of goods and services available to patients. So, cutting costs is code–newspeak–for cutting services.
I previously wrote two blogs titled The Emperor Has No Clothes and The One-Eyed King, each lamenting the travesty of healthcare “reform,’ which is Congressional newspeak for healthcare EXACERBATION. The only thing worse than what they are saying is what they are going to do: passing HR3962. Then, healthcare and we will be shackled with a fix-that-backfires. The ultimate tragedy is that we know it in advance.
Stop Congress before they speak more newspeak. Rejecting HR3962 is not rejecting healthcare reform. Just the opposite!
Rejecting HR3962 says we want real reform, not newspeak reform.
System MD
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1 comment so far ↓
I am conducting and facilitating a panel discussion on helathcare reform and would like to refer to “Medical Malprocess” which I believe is your blog title. May I do with your blessing? For the record, while the panel discussion will not feature my personal opinions, I do personally agree that adding cost – and worse, responsibility – to the government isn’t likely to improve our healthcare system.
I believe the government should, if anything at all, set a policy that all Americans should have coverage.
Those currently without healthcare insurance would shop insurance providers for coverage. Those with poor health histories or current conditions but able to find coverage ought to expect either less than ideal terms, or better terms at premium rates.
Those currently without healthcare insurance – and unable to find any company to cover them (due to pre-existing conditions) – can still receive health care at the cost of the federal government, but the individual would be responsible for paying it back to the government even if it takes their entire lives and their inheritance and their families’ wealth.
If people do not pay, they would simply be on “income probation” and some portion of their income from working would be withheld until the debt was paid off. Those not complying would be jailed in debtor’s prisons.
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