The problem I have with many people who advocate Liberal agendas is that they insists that they’re the most moral, caring people. That’s all fine and dandy, but you have to pay for care.
Case in point is Tennessee’s managed health care system, Tenncare. It was started 10 years ago when the state faced a budget crisis. Back then they were facing a $250 million shortfall in their budget, mainly due to runaway health care costs. So they decided to fix the problem by expanding the medical programs.
Sounds rather backwards, doesn’t it? But the plan was to screw over the Federal government since the Feds provide matching funds for Medicaid and Medicare. By enrolling thousands of the uninsured, proponents figured that they’d have the money rolling in toot sweet.
Well, the obvious happened. The program very quickly spiralled out of control, which is completely predictable. The cracks started to show as quickly as 5 years ago, with costs and corruption rampant. Even so, supporters tried to say that it was a success since the patients who benefitted the most from the program said that they were satisfied. (Give me something for free and see how much I complain.)
Tenncare popped up in the news earlier this year with the Canadian drug scandal. It seemed that Tennessee was getting desperate to reduce costs or find some funds.
Now it’s really gone off the rails. The program is costing $7.8 billion a year!!! And this is in a state without any income tax.
Reforms are being discussed but they seem very weak to me. It looks like about 430K people will have to be dropped from the rolls, and something tells me that this is just the start.
I don’t think a whole lot will be done before it’s a complete disaster. Everything I read about the program talks about how caring and moral it is, even though it will probably drive the state to the verge of bankruptcy and leave hundreds of thousands without any health care at all.
What’s amazing is that lots of people still want socialized medicine despite its failure wherever it’s been tried.
What’s amazing to me is that TennCare is portrayed as successful in the Canadian Drug Scandal article. Or at least that it would be if the Evil Mr. Pfizer wouldn’t charge them 3x the Canadian, French and i forgot what else price for drugs. And the article had the gall to add “And they were developed in the US in the first place!”
Matya no baka
That was Skerry’s basic national program.
Bill Hobbs (TN) has covered TennCare at his blog.
It would work fine if the right people were in charge. Oh yes, and if the rich were paying their fair share. I almost forgot that one.
And what exactly is their “fair share” Spongeworthy?
Why, what ever the annointed decide it should be, of course. Geez, where’ve you been?
A couple of obervations…
Recall that Tenncare is “Hillarycare”, adopted in Tennessee with the muscle-bound support of their favorite former Senator, Al Gore. (Yes, the lunatic from MoveOn.) As “Hillarycare”, it’s latest incarnation was in the Kerry campaign. Expect to see it in 4 year cycles as long as the Democratic Party is held captive by its Marxist ideologs.
Secondly, the universal solution for failed socialist health care is always rationing, not cut backs. Cut backs would mean the loss of jobs among the noble, government-employed time-servers whose only wish to do good for the ignorant masses(or “Moral and Caring” in the current parlance). That would upset public employee unions… Well, you get the picture. Prior to bankruptcy, look for euthansia, year-long waiting lists, employers bailing out of the state, etc.; not unemployed civil servants.
Actually India seems to have the right solution to socialized medicine, at least for operations. Waiting list too long and private health care is illegal in your country? Fly Air India, our hospitals are new, well staffed and ready to serve you.
Gotta love outsourcing, particularly if it’s voluntary… for the consumer…
Matya no baka
My son-in-law began to explain to me the German system, which appears to allow some competition. I’m not saying I understood, but that left me wondering about other European countries as well – that is, other “first world” systems than the British and Canadian ones which generally are not, well, awe-inducing. Right now, I live surrounded by what are generally thought of as some of the best hospitals in the world. Where else would that be likely to be true? Just asking.