10 February 2009

THE STEALTH HEALTH COUP

The present stimulus package contains provisions for electronic medical records, a good idea that was already started under Bush. However in this iteration it would be under the control of a federal board, which would set standards, grant permissions, etc. as a first step in taking control of the entire health care industry.

Never mind that many places already have begun this kind of system. At the hospital where most of my doctors are affiliated it is possible for doctors to look up tests, reports, etc. remotely via computer now. They are also responsive to Email.
The principle argument for a greater government role in health care centers on the fact that 40 to 50 some odd million lack health insurance and presumably care, even though many of these are in transition or refuse to buy it, so that the numbers are fungible. But let’s take the highest number; that still means 250 million already have good health care; so in order to accommodate 20%, 80% will find their health care degenerating into a Medicaid version of the British National Health service, with treatments, drugs, etc. dictated or denied by bureaucrats.

This is illustrative of a general left-wing principle: the notion that because some are poor or deficient, even though a minority, all of society must be upended for the worse in order to fallaciously accommodate their needs.

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