Reichley Column: We don’t have a health-care crisis
Published: June 16, 2009
I was driving up Va. 234 past the speedway today and saw a billboard announcing that the Prince William Hospital is the top-rated orthopedic center in the region. In March, the hospital was awarded
the “HealthGrades 2008 Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award.”
Some politicians looking to spend more money and get more power are trying to scare us by telling us we have a “health-care crisis.” They insist that hasty action is needed to “fix” the problem.
We have over 16,000 licensed physicians in Virginia.
FindDoc shows 73 primary care physicians in Manassas who take Aetna HMO insurance.
Google finds 31 opticians in a five-mile radius of Manassas.
We have two large hospitals with 342 beds.
Our two hospitals handled over 345,000 outpatient visits, served over 112,000 emergency room patients and performed over 5,100 births (numbers from US News online).
When I tore my retina, I saw an optician and had an operation with a retina specialist the same day. When I had severe back pain, I had access to MRI and other equipment to diagnose the problem.
And when I needed physical therapy, I had a choice of therapists in our area.
We do not have a “health-care” crisis. We have well-trained physicians in almost every conceivable specialty. We have top-rate facilities and the latest equipment. While we have to wait for some tests
and procedures, the wait is nothing compared to countries where they provide government health care. We also have a tremendous selection of drugs for every need or want.
And we are a charitable country. The Virginia Association of Free Clinics Web site lists 54 free clinics in Virginia, including one right in downtown Manassas. These clinics provide treatment for those
who cannot pay for services.
Virginia has a medical insurance plan for poor people, called “FAMIS,” which has very low costs. In fact, most states have such programs. The federal government’s “SCHIP” program provides health
care for children in families making up to three times the poverty level. But many families do not take advantage of these programs, no matter how cheap they are. A lot of the 45 million uninsured are
uninsured by choice, not because there were no affordable insurance plans available.
But our health care isn’t cheap. Our costs are high, because we have so much care available. If you go to the hospital, you might get multiple expensive tests on expensive equipment. If the equipment
wasn’t available, our costs would be less — but our care would be less complete as well.
Our drug costs are high because it seems every day there is a new, more expensive but better drug available to treat our illnesses. You could stick with the drugs we had 10 years ago at the risk of not
getting the best treatment possible. But we all want the “best.” People are living longer because of expensive maintenance drugs that were unavailable at any price a decade ago.
When politicians scare you about “health care” they are really talking about “health-care cost” — and they are usually pushing a new health insurance program that they will control.
If you already have health insurance, and five out of six of us do, be scared of what the politicians will do to your insurance — like tax it to pay for their new program or force you to pay for insurance you
don’t want.
The politicians talk about “controlling costs” — which invariably means cutting expenses by limiting services. Of course, each of us can do that now, by deciding how much money we want to spend for
our care.
But some politicians think they would be better at choosing for you.
Some want to “level” the playing field, by limiting your ability to pay for your own treatment or limiting what treatments are available. They will have to limit services, because when people get free health
care, they will use it far more often, overloading the system.
Obviously, our system is not perfect. But problems with individual providers and hospitals won’t be fixed by replacing the current system with a new government-run system. If you have a broken
windowpane, you don’t tear down your house and build a new one.
There are people without insurance. It must be tempting for them to get “free” health care. But it isn’t free — their neighbors who are paying for their own insurance will pay through their taxes.
Charles Reichley has been a Prince William County resident since 1981. He can be reached at critically .
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Reader Reactions
vmj… Don’t tarry, While Ron busted his brain to insult and I, after a long day at work, am amused that the neighbors dog left better material on the front lawn.
Now there’s some intelligence beaming through your smokescreen Ron! Only goes to prove that you just may have been a clever animal yet for the lack of finesse your finale proves you an imbecile.
Hey vmj,
Kindly crawl back under the rock you came out of. And please take Sissy with you.
Thanks
RonCharest
Your point was lost the moment you started typing and now you’re back peddling faster than the speed of light.
As for your point being anything but nonsense, if and when Obama gets this ‘so called’ health package passed, you will see how truly sad your thinking is. No one is going to be able to ‘just walk’ into anyplace and get treated.
The way you presented this Kaiser story to sissy is, at the very least, untruthful and at best, another lie.
At your age you should know what a lie is, but maybe it’s not a lie, in your mind, if you’re telling it.
Just a fantasy wingnut…
Sissy,
Even though you’re late to the party, thank you for helping to make my point:
“KAISER HMO IS PRIVATE MEMBERS ONLY [...] They do not take other insurance. AND are NOT obligated to treat you in any way shape or form!“
My whole point was to contradict the wingnut fantasy that if a person in this country, under our present medical delivery system, needs care they can go to any emergency room and get the care they need, regardless of ability to pay.
You have just helped prove that the fantasy talking point is not true. People in this country ARE denied healthcare not just because they cannot pay, but just because they have the “wrong” insurance.
For the record - when we first moved up to this area, I had no idea who or what Kaiser Permanenete was. This company was not down in Mississippi where I had lived for the previous 12 years. We went there because my beloved wife needed medical care; I followed the “H” signs around Dale City, and this facility was the first I found.
My bigger point on healthcare is that if a person is having a medical emergency, they should be able to walk into ANY medical facility and at worse get triage/stabilized and transferred to a facility that can best take care of the emergency. This system does exist in nations with “Socialized” Medicine. Just not in the the greatest, wealthiest, most free nation this world has ever seen < /snark>
Again… Joni ... Honey you got it all and you are emphatically correct keep tearing it up… Bravo!
PhDEE ... U make most of us SICK and we care for notta you have to say… point blank. All to remember ... Supporter of CHILD PORN.
Again… KAISER HMO IS PRIVATE MEMBERS ONLY… what part does Ron and the beloved phdee not get. Three 24 hour urgent care centers in that area and he chooses to go to a facility that everyone knows is just that ‘Members Only’. Potomac hospital sits in view of Kaiser ... I KNOW THE POLICIES QUITE WELL OF KAISER. They most definately would have seen your emergency (if true) for help through 911 and stood by for arrival of ambulance. BUT NO… would never treat u… again did not have to either!
I realize I am late catching up but I had to say… RON there is not, never has been a Kaiser Permanente ‘HOSPITAL’ where you speak of. They use INOVA hospitals. They are an urgent care facility for Kaiser members only. (at one time 24/7… not now.) At best they would have notified 911 for ambulance to take your wife to Potomac around the back side (oh the joy) TRI-CARE may have reimbursed you but KAISER would have never EVER seen your wife as a pt. nor attempted any treatment because U R NOT MEMBERS! ABSOLUTE FACT (PERIOD)!! They do not take other insurance. AND are NOT obligated to treat you in any way shape or form!
WHAT"S EATING JONI?
There are a few things I don’t get about Joni’s health rant:
1. She is obviously bitter about some health crisis involving her elderly mom. I understand and sympathize. I remember the time in the 50’s and 60’s when most people had little or no health insurance. It was “Pay Up or Die!“ Having an expensive medical procedure involved losing the house. Some Libertarian types would say that this is the Natural Order of Things and would google up an Ayn Rand quote to justify letting the old, sick, and weak just fade away. I mean, what do the UNDESERVING POOR in the developing world do when they develop life-threatening illness?
2. There is always the option of the family stepping in and taking care of the failing parent. Many in my family have done this. This was social security in the old days: family and a short life span. And since Joni and her husband are enjoying this wonderful, RICHLY-EARNED life of theirs, surely they could pony up something to help out the mom, or would it cut too deeply into the life style they feel they are entitled to? Then again, really expensive care can bankrupt just about anyone…
3. We could reform the medical system to somehow deal with the crisis, but that would be SOCIALISM, according to Joni. So what is her solution other than #1, #2, #3?
All I can get out of her RANTS!!!! is that she somehow feels entitled to wonderful health care for her and hers, but she’s not getting it, and she wants to deny it to everyone else. Being a FIRST CLASS Australian immigrant (wonderful country!), she wants to throw all the other immigrants in jail, hunt them down like dogs, just because she was lucky enough to get legal status from the VIP line while the others have to get in by the back door… It’s regrettable (for her) that she was not born into some aristocratic group that had peasants and the world’s best doctors at her beck and call… But, alas, we live in a democracy, here, in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Have you ever reflected on the word “Commonwealth,“ Joni? Australia is also a member of one, but its not the same thing… Real Aussies know where the came from and who sent them there in prison ships. Joni’s problem is that she’s a BUNDLE OF CONTRADICTIONS and a FROTHING HUNK OF HYPOCRISY.
It has always been simple to retire and early and have the best health care…FOR THE RICH! The problem we are facing is how to provide retirement benefits and health care for a whole society. It hasn’t really been done before in history and I’m not so sure it can be done… But we have to do something, even if Joni will HATE IT TO DEATH.
I know, Joni, you just can’t find good help anymore… What’s the point of being part of the defunct British Empire if you can’t lord it over the less fortunate of the earth. At least we Americans blew off the evil empire and adopted a more democratic notion of shared responsibilities and shared benefits. You’re still whining about having your entitlements taken… Like the world owes you something. Hate America? Don’t make me laugh! You’re the one complaining about our government, our system, and you’re having to contribute. Do you take yourself for some dislocated British Aristocrat who has serfs and peasants (aborigines) at your beck and call? This, like Australia, is an expensive country that requires support and maintenance. Life is unfair, especially for spoiled, entitled, malcontents like yourself. Life has been good to most Americans over the years (I know), and I appreciate the fact and want to see things get better for EVERYONE. What’s your problem with that, your Highness?
Once again, Life intruded and caused me to come (back) late to this party.
I agree with Rain3fly about Conservatives thinking they invented their entire life, single-handed(electricity, indoor plumbing, free roads, etc). Actually, I’ll go further and state that I am constantly amazed at the mindset of a person that claims they could/would do better for themselves if only there wasn’t such a meddling government constantly holding hem back.
Yes, these people gain an education in taxpayer-funded schools (socialism!) using taxpayer funded roads to get there (socialism!), and use taxpayer funded schools loans to pay for their education (socialism!). They later gain a job that pays the benefits it does, and provides safe healthful working conditions largely because of government regulations (socialism!)
They purchase a home that doesn’t fall down ten minutes after the builders leave (or burn up,poison the occupants through gas leaks, electrocute the occupants, and actually has working indoor plumbing) because of government-mandated building codes (socialism!). They probably finance their home through some type of government-backed home loan program (socialism!).
The car they drive is guaranteed to be among the safest cars anywhere in the world, largely because of government-mandated auto safety standards (socialism!).
If they get into a tiff with a business person, they can go to a government-run building called a courthouse where a government employee also known as a judge will hear their silly little complains and decide who’s correct and who’s not correct. One of the two parties is guaranteed to be unhappy with the decision and bad-mouth the government employee afterward. The other person will sing praises of joy that the government employee is such a wise and honest person. (Socialism!)
And of course, the entire way of life of these people is defended from the hordes of short, brown-skinned funny-talking people massing at our borders, who hate us for our freedoms and would attack us at a moments notice if they thought they could win; through the efforts of tens of thousands of government employees also know as “active duty military.“ The active duty military people are supported by hundreds of thousands of non-government employees working on direct government contracts.
Many of those people, especially here in northern Virginia, have never had a job that didn’t involve providing goods and services directly to the government, paid for by taxpayers’ money.
Many of those people hate the government, and claim we’d all be better off if the government didn’t exist. They scream that any attempt by the government to make the lives of other people better by offering tax-funded programs that the individual themselves has no need for is creeping socialism and taking our country down to road to totalitarianism.
Please give it a rest, Joni6100. If you really hate government, and really think you’d be better off without a government to bother you, try moving to Somalia or Northern Sahara (Dafur). I’m sure you’ll do find. In a very short period of time you’ll become one of the most prominent individuals in the region; setting a proud shining example of what a rugged, freedom-loving Libertarian individualist abiding by natural Randarian principles can do when they are unchecked by government interferences.
And please do let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.
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