No one dies from a lack of health insurance
06 04 08 - 16:32
Jeff Spielman
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Maybe this is a far gone conclusion, but, are the American people being scared into government-funded, universal health care?
After hearing the report on the radio, I looked up the article in the Rocky Mountain News by Bill Scanlon, "Group Links Death to Lack of Insurance' at www.rockymountainnews.com. Mr. Scanlon writes, "...360 Coloradans die prematurely every year because they didn't have health insurance." He's quoting from a report by Family USA, a self-described consumer advocacy group.
The premise that Coloradans are perishing as a direct result of not having health insurance is false. No rational, thinking person will buy that line. Lack of health insurance is not listed in any diagnostic reference as a symptom of, much less a cause for, any known disease. And, I defy anyone to prove me wrong. The doctor does not come out to the family after pronouncing a patient deceased with the explanation, "He had an acute case of uninsurance." That's just silly.
Now, what's the real issue here? Since it is a fact that both health care and health insurance are high in cost, consumers must make choices as to whether or not to purchase these items. Isn't this a great country? We have choices. It seems to me that government-funded, universal health care would not only cost everyone more, equally, it would also take away the consumers right to choose.
Even if an individual chose not to participate in such a health care system, they would not have the right to do so by virtue of taxation to fund the system. And that, if I remember my high school civics correctly, is socialism.
The anecdote at the end of the article is tragic and compelling, to be sure. But the fact that is not belabored is that Mr Hannum did in deed have access to health insurance. He chose not to pay the high premiums. Ms Hannum need not bear the guilt over her brother's clear choice not to go to the emergency room. Whether or not an individual can access health insurance holds no prohibition on that same individual gaining access to health care. If I am ill and do not have health insurance, I can walk in to any emergency room in this state and receive care. It may cost me a great deal of money. But, never the less, my health need will be treated.
As I said before, health care and health insurance costs are way out of line. But creating a huge bureaucracy to control these costs would put the economic health of every Coloradan, as well as every American, at risk. And that would be an even bigger tragedy than what happened to Mr Hannum.
The real question at issue may very well be: Is my health my responsibility or the responsibility of someone else?
Jeff Spielman is a resident of Thornton.