POINT/COUNTERPOINT COLUMN: Health care reform? No way

The Democrats in Congress and the president are pressing very hard to pass a health care reform bill.

To truly understand the issue, it is absolutely necessary to separate health care and the insurance policy to cover the cost of buying health care services. We need to understand that the U.S. has the finest health care system in the world. If that fact is true, then why do we need health care reform; what is all the fuss about? The fuss is that nearly every person worries about the high cost of health Care. Many liberals worry about those who do not have health insurance coverage.

Three things are true:

· We can't tolerate pain

· We can't tolerate incapacitation

· We want to live as long as possible

These primordial needs are not trivial and nearly everyone will do what is necessary to avoid pain and incapacitation and to live "forever." All this is wrapped around the axiom that no one wants to be sick.

For openers, every one is worried "sick" about the cost of being sick, in pain, infirm or being given a death sentence through cancer or some other mortal disease. Equally compelling is the fear that, if a person seeks insurance and they have a "pre-existing condition," an insurance company will not cover the expenses associated with that condition. The gut issue then, if one gets sick, is can he or she afford the cost to get well?

There are two things that impact the cost of health care: supply and demand -- period! If there were one million cardiologists in the U.S., having a heart attack would be like getting your car fixed … expensive but doable without insurance.

Conversely, and more importantly, is to reduce the number of heart disease patients to a point where the demand is much less than the current supply of cardiologists. Again, the cost is reduced. America's medical and pharmaceutical industries, as well as not-for-profit organizations, have focused on reducing demand because it is good for business and good for the person. Reducing the demand is easier than in-creasing the supply.

Since the cost of health care service is the ONLY issue, nearly 85 percent of all U.S. citizens have elected to purchase insurance. Let us understand what we are doing when we buy insurance; we are betting on getting sick and dying -- otherwise why on earth would you spend hard earned dollars to buy it? The insur-ance companies, on the other hand, are betting that you will not get sick or die. One may have to put $6,000 per year on the table, betting one will get sick and will be charged at least that much or more. That amount equates to about $500 a month. Some companies and governments pick up the whole tab; some pick up a portion, with the employee paying the balance for the family. Some companies simply provide access to health insurance plans. But the important message here again is that 85 percent of Americans are very satisfied with their plans, albeit they still dislike the cost and "pre-existing condition" stipula-tions.

We have 15 percent of the population, or about 45 million folks, who are not covered by insurance. It has nothing to do with receiving health care -- that is available to all by law!

Someone has to pay for these folks who seek health care but do not pay for or can not acquire health insur-ance, and can not pay the tab for their health services. About one third of those are illegal aliens -- 15 mil-lion -- about a third are "uninsurable" and about a third are invincible -- they refuse to pay for something they will never need. That leaves really about 30 million folks who would like to have insurance but who can not obtain it.

Congress is busy developing a health care reform bill that will not in any way improve health care services but will attempt to find a way to punish 260 million people so that 30 million people can have "free" health care. Two things will occur immediately: One is the cost to the 260 million must increase to provide the coverage for the 30 million. Second, there will be no increase in health provid-ers or hospitals.

Keep in mind that cost and the availability of insurance to pay the high cost of health services is the ONLY issue. Congress has proposed a public option to compete with private insurers that will be financed by the taxpayers. The government will create enormous bureaucracies to control and administer and perhaps deliver health services. They did precisely this for Social Security and Medicare, among other failures. Besides the fact that the U.S. is all but bankrupt -- but will have the obligation to provide government controlled, administered and delivered health services -- how will they control costs? Actually, for the government it is simple: reduce access to services and drugs, and provide end of life guidance to folks who are approaching the magic age of 65. The government can fix the Social Security and Medicare bankruptcy issues if it controls health care and makes sure few, if any, individuals reach the age of 65. Euthanizing the infirm is the perfect remedy for reducing health care payments. Pay attention young folks, you, too, will approach that age.

How does this bill translate to small-, medium- and large-size businesses which provide health insurance to their employees? If there is a public option, why would any business owner finance private health insurance -- let everyone else pay. Let socialized medicine begin and the choice will end. Let sickness, pain and "end-of-life planning" begin.

Can you not see that your very wellbeing will be controlled by some bureaucrat in Washington, D.C.?

Desi Arnaiz is the President of Virginia Systems, Inc., a Retired Col., USAF, and is very active in the Prince William County community.