The Shame of America's Health Care System

The Charlatan will propose another half baked idea in his State of the Union address tonight. He wants to give Americans a tax credit for purchasing private health insurance. The proposal for another regressive tax break is simply intended to ward off what the neocons see as the public's demand for more "creeping socialism" in our society. The U.S. is the only major western democracy that does not provide its citizens some form of social medicine. Because medical care in run for profit in the U.S., the cost of medical treatment and private medical insurance continues to climb into the stratosphere. The number of business offering health insurance as a fringe benefit has dropped 8% since 2000. Business are finding it cheaper to let workers provide their own care. Providing an individual tax credit for purchasing a policy will accelerate this trend.

What should be a basic human right in an enlightened society is reduced to a tax break in the Darwinian American society. The proposal does nothing to end the price spiral or extend coverage to the forty seven million Americans who do not have health insurance. Many of those uninsured pay little or no taxes, so a tax credit for buying expensive individual policies is worthless. In one study, 90% of insurance applicants not in perfect health were unable to buy individual insurance at standard rates, but had to pay premium rates for higher risk. 37% were denied insurance outright. Tinkering with the tax code is not an answer for the national shame of America's for profit health care system. National health insurance is what the people want and what was promised to them by Harry Truman over fifty years ago. Its time to pay for it instead of wasting money on a foolish war.

Speaking of that subject: Congress is unable to get its act together to resist the urge to surge. More troops are now on their way to the slaughterhouse in Iraq. It appears that the Sunni resistance is prepared to give them a warm reception. This past weekend equalled the most deadly of the war for Americans. Senators continue to dither about cutting funds and labor to pass non-binding resolutions at which the Charlatan just smirks, "Resolutions?; we noa nee' no stekin' resolutions".