We as taxpayers have been providing for basic healthcare of the indigent through our taxes (supporting Medicaid and Medicare since the 60’s), cost shifting what Medicaid and Medicare do not pay onto the privately insured, more recently through the S-CHIP program (children’s health insurance program, expanded again in the last year of the Bush administration) to cover those children not qualified by Medicaid and uninsured, free emergency room care for the uninsured, and even free hospitalization in non-profit, religious hospitals supported by volunteer foundations and hard work or sometimes not supported at all. Many hospitals and physicians care for those without coverage and never receive a penny for it.

We have the best medical care in the world, and most people can access it. However, the real problems have to do with the cost of care and the ability of the consumer to continue to pay for it. These problems can be improved by interstate mobility of and accessibility to healthcare insurance. This would increase competitiion among policies accross state lines and make insurance portable from job to job, even with pre-existing conditions. The cost of malpractice insurance would be reduced with tort reform. These are just some of the commonsense ideas which would lower the cost of the delivery of care.

Government run medical care in both Canada and England is a mess, just ask those who have to wait 6 months for an appointment, up to 2 years for needed surgery, and those who are denied care. Tell me when government has run something more cheaply than the private sector. Are you thinking of Medicare or Medicaid, both of which are bankrupt? Or what about the Postal System?

And what about those of us in the private pay system? I’m old enough to remember fee for service, paying for my everyday doctor’s visits and having insurance for the possible catastrophe requiring hospitalization. Costs were much lower then and the average person could pay for it (If not, doctors took payments.) It’s so complicated now in the private insurance world, that even the person hired to deal with insurance cannot tell me what my total will be and what my insurance will or will not cover until it is processed. We in the working sector are beginning to take on the mentality of entitlement, that is “It should be free.” What’s next? Will the government be buying our food and clothing?

Try reading Matthew chapter 25. You might find that your new ad is at odds with Matthew chapter 25.