In Case You Haven't Had Your Daily Vomitfest Yet

Ken Blackwell (Ohio's Secretary of State) really knocked my socks off with his plan to "Cover all Ohioans", but after a moment of reflection, my socks are firmly back on. Duh, just more Republican double speak here. In their minds, the problem with the uninsured is that they just don't want to be insured and its up to the government to force them to take care of themselves. Which last time I checked, didn't seem to be a very GOP take on life.

My take on it is that this is his way of running the poor and (middle class) out of town. Pass an unfunded mandate and watch them flee. But in reality, what is going to end up happening is the same thing that happens with car insurance. The rates of insurance/uninsurance vary from state to state. The rates of uninsurance for cars (mandatory) and health insurance are about on par with each other by state. The percentages rise and fall based on, duh, the level of poverty for that state. The higher the % of people making it on poverty wages goes hand in hand with the uninsurance rate.

Of course there are big differences with car and health insurance. Driving a car is not mandatory. It makes life a hell of a lot easier, but you can live and not drive a car. Getting sick is not an option, at least not for any human being. Secondly, it is much easier to identify someone without car insurance. You get pulled over, and asked for proof of it. When you renew your license plates, you are asked for that same proof. How is Blackwell planning on making this mandatory health insurance thing work? How would one even go about enforcing such a thing? I mean with car insurance, you have jobs (police, BMV agents) that take on the responsibility of checking that as a part of their job. Who will take on the role of verifying proof of health insurance? Doctors? And what kind of penalties would he suggest imposing on already poor sick people who are looking for medical treatment?

And then there is the insidious comparison with Massachusetts who has for DECADES been working on health reform efforts, as well as expanding Medicaid, in order to lower the # of uninsured people in their state. The Mass plan also includes subsidies to help pay for premiums for those who can't afford it. And even though Romney (R) publicly came out to support Blackwell's plan, the reality is that they are starting from a very different place then we are in Ohio. Romney himself said:

The goal, was not to save money, but to find a way within existing spending to get all of his state's residents covered.

In fact, in the Akron Beacon Journal's coverage of the release of his "plan" Blackwell states that he would like to PRIVITIZE Medicaid. Sound familiar anyone? "Wither on the vine," "Part D"? Sorry, maybe I was the only one affixed to CSPAN when the Medicare debate was happening, but its all too familiar for my tastes. Anyways, see for yourself:

Blackwell's five-point proposal would:

• Create the Ohio Health Financing Commission to coordinate health-care policy and expenses for all state health-care programs.

More Government?

• Create the Buckeye Health Plan to cover uninsured Ohioans by matching them with existing health-care programs, including the eventual transfer of all of Ohio's Medicaid programs to private insurance programs.

Riiiiight, our uninsured problem is simply that people don't know how to access existing health care programs. I suggest to Mr. Blackwell that he try to get into AccessHealth Columbus and see what happens (a great program by the way, but one operating in 6 zip codes in a large metropolitan area with many doctors willing to take one or two uninsured patients at a time.) And did you catch that last line? THAT will cut costs for sure!! We all know how administratively efficient private insurance companies are. Ask your health care professional today! (Or at least her office staff) Oh, and by the way.... we already have a Buckeye Health Plan here in Ohio. Might want to learn a bit about things before going gung ho with a major overhaul of our entire state budget.

• Reform Ohio's Medicaid system by further implementing recommendations of the Ohio Joint Commission to Reform Medicaid.

Now that is a worthy goal, but I'm guessing they aren't talking about implementing all of the recommendations, but more of a pick and choose kind of thing.

And the scariest statement of all (and this is coming from an oft "consumer" of health care)

``My plan is consumer driven and allows for consumer choice,'' Blackwell said.

I shiver when I read that. Because once again it is doublespeak. Let me translate for you: let the free market handle health care costs. Because health care is just like any other commodity. It's just like an Ipod right?

Oh, and here's another great line:

Romney, a Republican, said the Massachusetts plan was worked out in a bipartisan fashion and was supported by his Democrat-dominated state legislature.

Oh yes, I can see it now: the Dems knocking down Blackwell's door to work with him. Yeah, that strong Democratic legislature that we have here in Ohio.