The Health Care Debate Will Continue

If you would be kind enough to indulge us; one final note on the Affordable Health Care Act (AHCA).

As we sit and wait for the Supreme Court’s decision on the AHCA we should prepare ourselves for this one simple fact:  no matter the Court’s decision, the debate will continue.  It will continue because health care costs will continue to rise and our quality of life will continue to deteriorate as tens of millions remain without health care.

Here is why.

There are currently 50 million people without health care coverage in this country.  That is up from 40 million three years ago; an increase resulting from the wrong headed approach that our health care system is an employer based system rather than one based on the individual.  As unemployment rose in this country so did the number of those without coverage.  You lose your job…you lose your health coverage.  These 50 million people access health care without paying for it thereby leaving the rest of us to bear the cost. 

The all important mandate that everyone is so upset about was NEVER designed to include all of the uninsured people.  The mandate was designed to bring an estimated 30 million of the original 40 million uninsured into the fold by forcing them to buy coverage.  The remaining 10 million uninsured citizens are those who had no financial means to buy coverage.  They would either be left to their own devices to suffer and die or gain access to coverage through the federal government.  With the increase in unemployment that 10 million is now 20 million.

In addition to leaving millions uninsured, the AHCA fails to fundamentally change the current distribution system; thereby allowing a host of middlemen to add their fees and drive up costs.   

As we have said before; the Affordable Health Care Act is an admirable, complicated and cumbersome attempt to fix our health care problem within the parameters of the current free market distribution system.  Unfortunately it leaves too many uninsured and does too little to cut costs to be effective.  So even if the Court rules in favor of the government, the celebration will be short.  Because it won’t take long to realize how ineffective AHCA really is.

If the Court should overturn the law, Republicans will undoubtedly take to dancing in the streets.  We would caution them to curb their enthusiasm.  Because if the law fails and we return to the status quo, health care costs will continue to rise unchecked, millions of uninsured will drain the system and the economy will continue to be pulled down under the weight.  If those things happen…and they will…you can be certain that the cry for a single payer solution will be renewed.  So Republicans should be careful what they wish for.  A win today may awaken a sleeping dog better be left alone.

No matter the Court’s decision…the health care debate will continue.