Don't Be Deceived By "Tricko"

I am so excited (insert sarcasm). We will soon again be subjected to Michael Moore’s stupidity. His new film “Tricko” is coming out soon. It will be his greatest attempt yet to force the USA into a socialist utopia like…well actually there aren’t any socialist utopias because they all failed miserably. But hey, people like him think we should give it another shot.

I am guessing that his healthcare movie will be largely based on two talking points:

1) There are 44 million uninsured in this country and that makes private systems bad and uncompassionate.

2)Socialist systems have a lower overhead so private insurance is wasteful and wrong.

First of all, the 44 million uninsured figure we often hear liberals spout is highly exaggerated and based on a flawed study. It is spelled out here.

Second, socialist systems like Medicare have low overhead because they push tons of the work onto the hospital. This causes a two-fold discrepancy because private payers have to make up the difference. It is spelled out here.

My opposition to socialized medicine isn’t just because it will result in subpar care and lost innovation. It also gives the government justification to take away freedoms. Right now if I eat fatty foods, drink too much beer, or race dirt bikes I am only risking my own pocket book. But under a socialized system my risky behavior could be taking healthcare money from children with cancer. That then gives the government all the justification they need to take away freedom.

But don’t call me an evil capitalist just yet. I do worry about uninsured people and am greatly concerned about the poor in our country. I also understand how the uninsured really hurt hospitals and increase costs. Plus, getting insurance through ones work limits choice and is difficult during times of unemployment or job change.

Instead of creating a new massive healthcare system (proposed by people like Moore and Clinton) that will always be strapped for cash, cause subpar care, and supress innovation, let's let the free market that has made America so great go to work. Let's get rid of all the government healthcare programs and just give everyone an account that can only be spent on health care. If we divide up the Medicare budget alone ($400 billion / 300 million people) we could give every citizen $1,333. Add in all the other State and Federal healthcare programs and the money saved by companies no longer paying insurance (yes I would be for more taxes if the money was spent in a free market manner) and I bet we could give every citizen at least $2,500. I know personally you can purchase a good catastrophic insurance plan for $1,000.

This way people can choose how much coverage they want and the free market can go to work to compete for those dollars. Maybe younger people would choose low cost catastrophic insurance and let the account grow for later years. Or some people could chip in their own money and get no deductible coverage for every bruise and sniffle. I think we will all be shocked how well the system can work if we get the government out of healthcare decisions and let the free market take over.

Here is a great read on the topic of mandatory healthcare which my idea would encompass.