The Rising Cost of Healthcare...

It is no secret that our federal government rarely addresses the root cause(s) of a problem for which they claim to have the fix. More often than not, their actions have caused the problem, and their proposed fix is even worse! The health care reform issue is no different. The party loyalists on the left and on the right are pulling out all of the stops explaining, debating, demonstrating, and shouting what is right, what is wrong, and what America needs. What America needs is to get government out of our lives.

In the melee, it seems once again that one man stands alone. While the others believe they have the answers, Dr. Ron Paul appears to be the only one addressing the root cause(s). In recent interviews and speeches Congressman Paul has suggested that government (over) regulation has created a climate prohibiting the free market, and preventing real competition across state lines. He has also stated on numerous occasions that we must have TORT reform. With government intervention paving the way, these two situations have contributed substantially to the rising cost of health care. Addressing and rectifying these two vital components alone would have a dramatic affect in alleviating the current health care nightmare. Coincidentally, none of the party elite, nor the current proposed federal legislation HR3200 appears to address either of these issues. Interestingly enough, in a recent Fox interview I heard Ann Coulter espousing the very same. Hmmm, I wonder where she got those ideas?

True free market capitalists, Constitutionalists, and Minarchists are reeling over the Fabian Socialist doctrines, Keynesian economics, and central planning that have eaten at the core of our economy over the last 80+ years. Many of us, as disciples of the Austrian School, favor the teachings of Hayek, and Von Mises over the Fabian Socialist Keynes. Like proteges in a karate club, at various skill levels and stages of training, aspiring for the Ron Paul, Lew Rockwell, Tom Woods black-belt, we understand the pitfalls of government intervention and over regulation of any industry or market. As Sensei Woods would probably say, it doesn't take a "Blockhead" to figure it out. We also understand the correlation of the fiat currency system and its devaluation of the dollar a la Federal Reserve. I am sure that no one except our fearless mentors are discussing that paradigm as it relates to the rising costs associated with delivering quality health care.

Somehow left off of the table, there is another lesser known component to the government treachery, trickery or complicity, if you will, that has an incredible affect on health care premium costs. That is state mandates. You see, we already have socialized medicine, even in the private sector. Things are not what they seem. If you have a "private" health insurance plan, you are paying for services that you will never need or use, by virtue of your gender, habits, physical or physiological status. In short, insurance lobbies pressure the pernicious state legislators to require funding for specific ailments, treatments, etc...in the health care policies sold in their respective states. Complicity, duplicity, whatever you would like to call it, with a you-scratch-my-back-I'll-scratch-yours vote, and the stroke of a governor's pen these mandates become law and "we the people" pay the price. I do not have a cleft palate, need HPV screening, breast reconstruction, or mammografication (my word)! But these are a few of the items that I must pay for in Pennsylvania. In the following video Shelly Roche provides a simple yet concise explanation of this incredible extrication and redistribution of our wealth. Use this link to see a more detailed explanation, the report that she references, and the list of mandates by state here.