Re: America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 - The USCHO debates
Ten Questions Politicians Won't Answer
Good article by Tom Coburn, one of two doctors in congress. Includes a link to his proposal at the end.
I'm glad you posted it. "Dr. No" can be silly, but the article isn't silly at all. Let's go through the 10 questions briefly.
1. Why do we need to increase spending on health care by at least $1.6 trillion and steal prosperity from our children and grandchildren when we spend nearly twice per person what other industrialized nations spend on health care?
Aside from the red meat language, this is Coburn being consistent on spending. His major project in the Senate is exposing and opposing earmarks, which makes him extremely unpopular among all of his colleagues (my friends on the Hill tell me he is easily most-hated man in the Senate among other Senators, even Republicans, and that's usually a pretty tough title to hold with all the competition).
The answer here is twofold: (1) what's the cost of doing nothing -- if it's greater than $1.6T (or whatever the real price is), it's a better deal; (2) is the country willing to pay the cost -- if so, then it's "worth it," like anything else the government spends on from paper clips to aircraft carriers to programs that benefit Coburn's state.
2. What programs will you cut and whose taxes will you raise to pay for health-care reform?
Great question that should always be asked about every program no matter who is for it.
3. What earmarks or pet projects that you have sponsored will you sacrifice to help finance the cost of health-care reform?
See 2.
4. Will you vote for a public option that requires taxpayer-funded abortion?
Pandering. Abortion is a medical procedure. If it's covered, it's covered. This is strictly to whip up emotion among Pro-Lifers, it isn't informational. I don't want to pay for the Iraq War, but I am. That's what happens when you lose elections.
5. If the public option is so wonderful, will you lead by example and vote for a plan to enroll you and your family in the public option?
This is cheesy bandstand rhetoric, but I gotta say I love it and I would ask it anyway. If I were a member, I'd answer "Yes" in a heartbeat. They're all rich, and they can all afford supplemental private insurance. But it's tub thumping, not a substantive question.
6. Will you vote for a plan that will allow a board of politicians and bureaucrats to override decisions made by you and your doctor?
I'd respond to this by "asking" does he support a system where insurance and health care provider financial decisions prevent your doctor from performing necessary medical procedures? Pure posturing.
7. If you support a “comparative effectiveness” board, what qualifies you, as a politician, to practice medicine? Have you delivered health care to a single person, much less entire classes of people you claim to represent, such as the poor, the uninsured, or children?
More posturing. What qualifies Coburn to pass judgments on policy on any of a hundred different issues that come before him on committee or in the Senate? What is his military expertise? His international finance credentials? His foreign policy experience? The answer to all these is that the Senate doesn't micromanage policy execution -- executive agencies and departments who do have the experience do.
8. How will a government-run public option perform better than other failing government programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Indian Health Care?
"Failing" here is red meat -- one could for example ask how Coburn could continue to support an unfettered free market after its failure during the crash -- but minus the rhetoric it would be good to debate whether current public programs are run well. People with Medicare defend it fiercely, so apparently it isn't the program that is in trouble but perhaps its funding. Good question for debate.
9. If increasing spending on health care was the solution, why hasn’t it worked yet?
None of the other questions are dumb. This one is laughably dumb -- please tell me I don't have to spell out the logic error.
10. Are you more committed to doing reform right or quickly? Would you consider backing a thoughtful alternative to the public option? If so, which one?
This is a good question that should be asked.
To review:
1, 2 and 3 are standard fiscal conservative questions -- they aren't specific to health care and should be asked of any initiative.
4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 are empty pandering and posturing.
8 and 10 are good questions.
But at least it's a 50% (5 out of 10) good faith effort, and far better than anything else I've seen from the anti side. I'd like to see a knowledgeable, public proponent respond point by point, and then ask Coburn 10 questions of his own -- framing is half the battle.
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