Protests held outside the NC Legislature yesterday continued the debate over the public health care legislation currently in the works in Washington, DC.
Moveon.org, a liberal advocacy group, met outside Sen. Kay Hagan’s office to push for her quick approval of the public option. NC Freedom, a conservative organization, was also present supporting those who met in large numbers to protest the plan.
As the Democrats in congress are currently trying to rush through a new proposal – The Community Health Insurance Option (which at present will likely receive the NC Senator’s support), it is comforting to know that some people are trying to stop this mad dash, and in the process raising some serious concerns.
One of the main arguments for the plan is that it provides “competition” against private health insurance companies. Two points here:
- Government has no business in the private market. An entity that sets the rules can’t compete with those that must follow them. That isn’t competition – that’s a government takeover.
- Has anyone on the left stopped to consider that one of the major reasons why private health insurance is so expensive in the first place is because of government involvement? Government has swamped health insurance companies with heavy mandates and ineffective regulations causing not only escalating costs for consumers directly, but also ensuring that any present or future competition is driven out of the industry.
The fact that the federal government is now using this “competition” front to advocate a public health care plan is not only counterintuitive, it’s unsettling. Drive out competition, and cause an industry’s costs to skyrocket – and then take over. Is this something we want to stand behind? Let’s instead take the time to refocus on addressing the real barriers to effective and accessible health care, and stop feeding this leviathan.
Finally!! Someone who understands this issue.
Posted by: Teresa munoz | July 10, 2009 at 09:18 PM