As For Healthcare - The First Should be First

By Pete Lester
November 19, 2009

For once, I would like our leaders in Washington DC to go first.

As the healthcare debate rages I have a simple suggestion: let those of our number who think they have the solution for healthcare enroll in the 2000 page plan that they have created.

I would like to see our leaders create a government option for themselves. Let's see if they can run a health plan properly for the Federal and State government employees that includes them. Since the leaders would be included, we can be assured the care delivered would be more than adequate. Can't we? I am guessing that the care would be an improvement over the care delivered for our veterans so we could add the patriots in our armed forces as well. While we are at it, lets' add retired state and federal workers too.

Lastly, for good measure, the plan could also include Medicaid and Medicare participants (sorry mom).

We are told that one way they will pay for the new healthcare plan is to eliminate waste and fraud (which in the Medicaid and Medicare system is estimated at $80 million). Surely, if they cannot achieve this goal with the current plans and participants under their immediate stewardship, we cannot possibly hope that they can create an efficient healtcare system for the population at-large.

This is a REAL "GOVERNMENT OPTION".

With such a large cross-section of participants (there are over 2.6 million federal employees - and this does not include postal workers) in this new system, we could evaluate the effectiveness of the plan before committing the entire nation to the plan.

We could also see which leaders make use of the new and "improved" government plan. More on this in a moment...

After a period of three years or so, the rest of the citizenry could opt into the plan, or, if the government is unable to reel in costs and provide services for the participants in its plan, it could be discontinued.

You see, I don't think many of our elected leaders would use the plan. Already, my sense is that many did not and do not use the public school system to educate their children. Why do we expect them to use government-run health clinics.

Whenever government tries to legislate efficiencies, the opposite occurs. Instead of encouraging investment, offering incentives through tax cuts or educational grants for people entering the medical field or conducting research, government interferes. Instead of encouraging investment through accelerated depreciation or other avenues open to them, they create barriers, install pay czars while investigating "extraordinary profits" generated by drug and hospital companies.

This interference may offer temporary relief, but in the long run, shortages and increased prices are the result. Additionally, talented people will seek remuneration elsewhere as will investment dollars. Instead of a healthy stream of well-trained doctors and nurses exiting schools, those people will seek an education and opportunity in an industry where incomes are uncapped and their activities are not the fodder for a congressional committee.

People who want to serve and relieve our maladies will be dissuaded by government red tape and regulations seeking compensation for their talent in an industry that is allowed to reward creativity and hard work. Think of the determination our doctors must possess to endure medical school, internships, scholastic debt, only to emerge in an industry dominated by malpractice lawsuits. Now, congress wants to subject them to government administrators who will tell them how much they can charge and what courses of mandated treatment are appropriate.

Yes, I think the congressional leadership should be first to enroll in "the government option". Let them be the test subjects. And while I do not wish a poor healthcare option on our servicemen and women, maybe, just maybe, by linking their care to our leaders they will ultimately get the care that they deserve.