Posted by
Locutisprime on Saturday, July 18, 2009 10:06:32 AM
White House wants more power to set Medicare rates
It's amazing to behold IMO. It wasn't a year ago when the media and
their liberal legions were bemoaning the supposed power and authority
that had been granted to the Bush White House unchallenged. From the
Patriot Act, to the interrogation of prisoners, to the interception of
phone calls and emails of foreign nationals communicating with others
in known enemy countries.
In each instance those powers were held out to be abuses of power of
the highest order and completely unwarranted. What a difference a year
makes.
Here we are just barely past six months into the Obama administration
and the level of powers that have been assumed and being sought after
by this White House are unprecedented.
We now have a presidency that has assumed control over the banking
industry, the auto industry and now wants to assume control over the
health industry.
And just what does this White House request to limit medicare payments
actually represent. Simply put, it means price fixing. Which on the
surface may seem to be a rational approach and one that certainly
appeals to the less than astute minds that believe life should be a
free lunch. But in reality what it truly represents is that the power
to regulate and control free enterprise, will be further enriched,
regulated and controlled by government.
But more importantly, it will have the exact reverse effect on the
people that it is supposedly designed to help. (sort of like the no new
taxes pledge that was made before the election.)
It's a simple cause and effect calculation for anyone who cares to have
a look. Once the government steps into to freeze and determine
"reasonable costs" for medicare and medicaid payments? The result will
be that many doctors and hospitals will simply refuse to treat medicare
and medicaid patients under the existing pricing regulations.
In essence, the government can mandate the price of a commodity? But
they cannot mandate either the sale or consumption of that commodity.
The market always has an always will make those determinations. And all
the socialism crammed down the throats of the people can never change
that fact.
Just as those in communist countries have always found a way around
oppressive government regulation, so too will Americans have to find a
way to deal with what is presently being foisted upon them under the
auspices of fairness and improvement.
Socialism is an oppressive and smothering form of government and the
American people are about to learn that lesson in a terrible fashion.