Gilbert and others have made a very good case for why people of America, including many Goans who live there, badly needed health care reform.
But I believe Viviana and other genuine and honest opponents of the reform law that has just been enacted, have some valid criticisms. She has tried to articulate some of them. Let me tell you what I think the most reasonable of these criticisms are, even though I support the law that has been passed, provided some additional reforms and corrections are enacted at a later stage. Reasonable concerns regarding this law are: 1. The government is forcing people to buy health insurance, even if they don't want to do so. It is imposing a fine on those who refuse to buy insurance. Such a practice goes against the principle of individual liberty in a free democracy. 2. The government is expanding health and tax administration bureaucracy by a significant amount. To those who believe in small government this violates one of their most important ideological principles. 3. The government is increasing the tax on rich people and on those who buy or receive high-end expensive insurance plans through their employers. To those who believe in reduced taxation this violates one of their most important ideological principles. 4. The government is making promises to pay for the reform program by cutting spending and from increased tax revenue projections, predicting a reduction in the overall deficit. It is reasonable for people to be skeptical about any government being able to keep promises, and realize all its long term predictions. 5. The government is imposing new taxes and limits on insurance companies and health care device manufacturers, which might force them to raise the prices for their products, and reduce their ability to compete in a global free market. To those who believe in capitalist free market economy and in maintaining America's competitive edge this violates one of their most important ideological principles. Cheers, Santosh --- On Thu, 3/25/10, Gilbert Lawrence <gilbert2...@yahoo.com> wrote: > > Conclusion: Providing care is not caring for an individual > when they are sick. There is a lot achieved in Preventive > and Maintenance care. And there has to be a system of > someone supervising these aspects of care. It is the > absence of Preventive and Maintain care that results in > expensive care at a more advanced stage of the disease. > This is the one of the main problems with the current > healthcare system, specially in a society which has less > and less social support at home to ensure the individual is > prompt in their medical appointments and following-up the > doctor's advice. >
