Government in Health Insurance -- Busybody and Failure!

A Health Care Article Contributed by Abhijit Baroi

Bias in Health Insurance Policy and Law

Big government is a pain for America, and in health insurance it is no exception. Favoritism is its favorite pastime and the nation's nightmare. How else does one explain the tax law rebate and exemption in mandatory health insurance coverage given to state employees and state health insurance policy holders? Granted that tax rebates are given to private sector employees also, but what about coverage exemption?

This coverage requirement is the single biggest reason why health insurance costs have driven so many average Americans out of the health insurance market. This brazen attempt to curry favor has artificially increased the power of all sorts of lobby groups who make governments extend mandated coverage facility to their clients. Hence the costs are going up even further. In return, politicians get funds from the clients at election time.

This classic corrupt network has thus succeeded also in creating a culture of interfering in the personal lives and dictating the choices of common citizens that has so far gone absolutely unchallenged.

Failure to Create Social Security Through Health Insurance

Let us ask ourselves one question -- where is social security when we can't even ensure that average Americans at least have their health safeguarded at all times -- whether they are young or old, or having a job or not having one? It is true that economic growth gives us incomes to fund health insurance, but must this logic mean that those who don't have incomes should lose their health insurance?

How else does one explain what happened to Sheila Wessenberg, who could not have treatment for breast cancer for two full years since her husband Bob had been laid off?

We know that some poor families receive temporary assistance, but Sheila's husband had been a well-to-do techie and so she could not get classified as 'poor'. Cases like hers bring home a brutal truth -- there in no comprehensive socially entitled health insurance cover for all Americans at all times. And the blame for this squarely lies on the government, which is least interested in creating such social security.

The State's Duty in Health Insurance

The current federal administration came to power promising big tax breaks for the rich. Evidently, either there is too much money in the government's coffers or it has run out of ideas to spend tax money. Either way, not having money is not a problem. Should not the government ensure some minimums like a national health insurance cover for all before considering tax breaks? It should create a socially entitled health insurance cover for all,including the unemployed and partly employed.

Each American should have mandatory emergency-time state health insurance cover apart from any other policy. In other words, instead of allowing the government to expand mandatory coverage that harasses common citizens,the government should be made duty bound to create this minimum cover. This is the bare minimum that America should do to make amends for the tragedy of Sheila Wessenberg's life.