They didn’t get it. And, now it may be too late.

They didn’t get it.  The democrats scared the republicans into passing a bill which will so enrage the people about the changes coming in health care that socialized medicine just took a giant leap forward.  This bailout bill was piggybacked on a ‘mental health parity’ bill, presumably because that bill already made it through committee.  What is a ‘mental health parity’ bill, you ask?  Think lipstick in 5 gallon pails.  (let me quickly inject that the mental health system needs a huge makeover, but this is not how to get it done) What the bill (now law) says is that all group policy health plans that cover mental health must cover it at parity with other illness and injury.  Have you ever looked at the mental health coverage of most health plans?  It usually covers reimbursement at a lower rate and for a limited time or number of visits.  That’s because aside from being very expensive, there are no hard definitions of the ailments that are quantifiable so they can be faked and stretched out.  The end effect of all this is that insurers and employers will have two options, raise rates catastrophically (funny term, but if my rates continue to rise faster than my paycheck I may have to drop it - catastrophe) or drop mental health coverage all together.

Let’s see.  Raise rates dramatically, or drop coverage.  What a choice our congress has just given us!!! Anger enough people and they’ll start calling for government health care - and they’ll look to the democrats who just pushed them into it.

Don’t be fooled, there are no good intentions here.  I know mental illness.  I have a daughter who is bi-polar and an ex-wife who has a bonafide mental illness as well.  I’ve sat in hospital emergency rooms at 3am while they try to find an open bed at a psychiatric facility.  I’ve been to the group therapy sessions, seen and felt the anguish - fear, anxiety, anger - with the other visitors watching our loved ones speak about their treatment.  But the intentions of this bill are not pure or helpful.  There are ways to bring mental health mainstream, but not by forcing the hands of insurers and employers in one of two both terrible and disparate ways.  The only goal here can be as I said earlier:  Artificially decrease coverage or raise the prices to anger the electorate enough to succumb to the socialist end.

They didn’t get it.  The add-on’s to this bill (now law) are unpalatable.  Tax breaks (wooden arrow makers?) and all the other crap stuffed into this pig with lipstick bloat what might have been at least good intentions.  The senators and representatives that let this happen need to go.  They’ve proven themselves unworthy to hold the titles, the honor, the trust of the American People.

I’m going to do my part and publicly state in this auspicious venue that I will not take my seat on the Republican Executive Committee on Dec 1st.  The party has failed, their members are corrupt and it is time to work to break the two party system.

Please take a look at Bob Barr, the libertarian candidate for president.  You can find information at bobbarr2008.com or countless interviews and speeches at youtube.com.  I’ll bet there is less on his platform that you disagree with than either of the two mainstream parties.

James Tall
Practicalamericans.com

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