Hawaii Drops "Universal Care"
The state of Hawaii announced today that they are ending their much touted Universal Health Care program for children today and I'll bet you could never guess why.....
Gov. Linda Lingle's administration cited budget shortfalls and other available health care options for eliminating funding for the program. A state official said families were dropping private coverage so their children would be eligible for the subsidized plan.
"People who were already able to afford health care began to stop paying for it so they could get it for free," said Dr. Kenny Fink, the administrator for Med-QUEST at the Department of Human Services. "I don't believe that was the intent of the program."
These are the same unintended consequences that many of us who are opposed to Universal Care spoke of when we spoke out against this and the federal SCHIP expansion.
Do we get to say "I told you so" yet?
Labels: Universal Health Care
posted by The Lady Logician at
12:51 PM
6 Comments:
LL,
Shout it from the mountain tops: "I told you so!!"
This sounds a lot like the story I read in Des News a day or two ago that 56 Utah County home owners decided to forgo putting their homes on the auction block because they could get more from the bailout.
It will not be possible for the federal government to pay for all the new programs that even John McCain wants. With a 10+ trillion dollar national debt, it already is not possible.
By
Frank Staheli, at 9:11 PM
Not completely an "I told you so" moment yet. I live in Hawaii, have/had a child on the Keiki Care program, and commented on it at Jazz' related post on The Moderate Voice.
I think you can shout to the roof tops that it's critical to pilot programs like this to find out the problems and see if there are any remedies.
By
pacatrue, at 5:28 PM
Paca - the main part of the "I told you so" comes in the form of the quote about people with private insurance dropping their insurance in order to get the "free" insurance. IF we are going to have any form of program it has to be truly means tested and only for those who can not afford insurance on their own. Another "I told you so" comes in your own comments over at TMV about gross mismanagement of the program! One of my main concerns about "government run" health care as that we are entrusting our health care to the same bureaucrats who screwed up Katrina relief and the VA Medical Care for our troops. Do you really want those same people in charge of YOUR CHILDs health? I know I sure don't!
LL
By
The Lady Logician, at 10:16 PM
If people were dropping their health plans, that would leave the adults without medical insurance. Gee, they don't sound too desperate do they?
It's the old myth isn't it, welfare queens and limousines. Getting subsidized children's health care still means you pay something. If everyone had health care, with the state collecting the money, and non-profit insurance companies administering the program, we can make it work. But then, that's to easy.
It's funny, Republicans put unqualified people in government positions and screw things up, proving government is bad. Either your not clued into your party tactic of destroying government from within, or you're caught in an alternate reality where the obvious is ignored.
By
Anonymous, at 12:30 AM
democurmudgeon said, If everyone had health care, with the state collecting the money, and non-profit insurance companies administering the program, we can make it work. But then, that's to easy.
No, such a plan will not work. There is no limit to one's desire for services when one pays none of the bills directly. Such childish whims as universal health care will inevitably result in longer waits, fewer doctors, physicians working longer hours, under-served remote areas, more services being provided by non-physicians, fewer innovations and fewer life-saving drugs.
Health care is not a right. People do not have a right to the services and labor of another person. A right requires the participation of no other person for you to be able to exercise it. Here's how you can recognize if something is a right. Pretend you live alone on an island. Anything you can do, by yourself on that island, is a right. You have a right to the largest boat you can build. You have a right to all the food you can acquire. You have a right to all the health care you can perform on yourself.
In short, grow up. If you are so inadequate an individual that you need the rest of humanity to provide for you, then apply for the charity and humble yourself to the goodwill of others. But don't foist your bad choices or laziness onto your fellow citizens or enlist the heavy hand of government to rob your neighbors you are too cowardly to rob yourself.
By
Anonymous, at 10:13 AM
democurmudgeon said, If everyone had health care, with the state collecting the money, and non-profit insurance companies administering the program, we can make it work. But then, that's to easy.
No, such a plan will not work. There is no limit to one's desire for services when one pays none of the bills directly. Such childish whims as universal health care will inevitably result in longer waits, fewer doctors, physicians working longer hours, under-served remote areas, more services being provided by non-physicians, fewer innovations and fewer life-saving drugs.
Health care is not a right. People do not have a right to the services and labor of another person. A right requires the participation of no other person for you to be able to exercise it. Here's how you can recognize if something is a right. Pretend you live alone on an island. Anything you can do, by yourself on that island, is a right. You have a right to the largest boat you can build. You have a right to all the food you can acquire. You have a right to all the health care you can perform on yourself.
In short, grow up. If you are so inadequate an individual that you need the rest of humanity to provide for you, then apply for the charity and humble yourself to the goodwill of others. But don't foist your bad choices or laziness onto your fellow citizens or enlist the heavy hand of government to rob your neighbors you are too cowardly to rob yourself.
By
Anonymous, at 5:31 PM
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