Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

10 ways United States health reform may fail

Richard Reece, MD
Policy
January 26, 2010
Share
Tweet
Share

One, develop a plan that the presently privately insured Americans, estimated at 200 million, pay more in premiums, and to just make sure you succeed, immediately starting raising taxes by $400 billion over the next decade.

Two, alienate those over 65, the most dependable voting bloc, by promising to cut Medicare by $500 billion over the next ten years with the false promise, which you know you cannot fulfill, of not cutting benefits.

Three, turn young voters, who supported you in droves in 2008, by mandating they buy insurance or face financial penalties of $750 or more, or 2% of their incomes, to be enforced by the Internal Revenue Service, or by a new bureaucracy.

Four, ignore polls of the American people, which now, on average, run +12.6 percent against your plan, as they now understand it, and dismiss those who attend tea parties, mass rallies, and marches on the Capitol as “misinformed,” “liars,” or “fascists.”

Five, exclude the political opposition from the debate, vote against their amendments, hide their alterative suggestions from public view, call them the party of “No,” and remind them they have no voice in a matter of such “historic” and “moral” magnitude.

Six, dominate and control the debate through pronouncements from intellectuals, policy wonks, and ivory tower dwellers, of known political persuasions, and through media filters and denial of media access, as if there were no other legitimate or credible points of view.

Seven, mandate everything in sight – from individuals, to employers, contents of health plans, to market options for obtaining coverage – to assure the government remains in the catbird’s seat and to make sure it is your way or the highway.

Eight, create the illusion, even the reality, that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely by buying votes or promising permanent political favors that Congress persons cannot resist, even if those favors lose elections for recipients of those favors and drive up federal deficits, already at a record high.

Nine, defy the wishes of Founding Fathers, the American Culture, and the Constitution, all designed to create checks and balances against an overly authoritative federal government run by the intelligentsia and to the elite and to give more power and a greater say to common people.

Ten, pay no attention to evidence that America outperforms socialist countries in medical innovations, market developments such as retail clinics and worksite clinics, superior results in treating cancer, heart disease, other life or lifestyle threatening disorders, and to health empowering information technologies.

Richard Reece is the author of Obama, Doctors, and Health Reform and blogs at medinnovationblog.

Submit a guest post and be heard.

Prev

Are doctors ready to accept remote medicine?

January 26, 2010 Kevin 6
…
Next

Extended military deployments to combat areas increase stress, anxiety and depression among families

January 26, 2010 Kevin 1
…

ADVERTISEMENT

Tagged as: Public Health & Policy

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Are doctors ready to accept remote medicine?
Next Post >
Extended military deployments to combat areas increase stress, anxiety and depression among families

ADVERTISEMENT

More by Richard Reece, MD

  • What matters in an optimal consumer health care market

    Richard Reece, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Medicaid is Obamacare’s sleeping giant

    Richard Reece, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Ebola: We suffer from unrealistic expectations

    Richard Reece, MD

More in Policy

  • Did the CDC just dismantle vaccine safety clarity?

    Ronald L. Lindsay, MD
  • Direct primary care in low-income markets

    Dana Y. Lujan, MBA
  • Why medical organizations must end their silence

    Marilyn Uzdavines, JD & Vijay Rajput, MD
  • The flaw in the ACA’s physician ownership ban

    Luis Tumialán, MD
  • The paradox of primary care and value-based reform

    Troyen A. Brennan, MD, MPH
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    Deaths in custody highlight crisis in Philly prisons

    Kendall Major, MD, Tommy Gautier, MD, Alyssa Lambrecht, DO, and Elle Saine, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The Silicon Valley primary care doctor shortage

      George F. Smith, MD | Physician
    • The ethical conflict of the Charlie Gard case

      Timothy Lesaca, MD | Conditions
    • Preserving your sense of self as a doctor

      Camille C. Imbo, MD | Physician
    • Understanding the hidden weight bias that harms patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The ethics of mandatory Tay-Sachs testing

      Sheryl J. Nicholson | Conditions
    • The geometry of communication in medicine

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why you should get your Lp(a) tested

      Monzur Morshed, MD and Kaysan Morshed | Conditions
    • Rebuilding the backbone of health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Direct primary care in low-income markets

      Dana Y. Lujan, MBA | Policy
    • The dismantling of public health infrastructure

      Ronald L. Lindsay, MD | Physician
    • The flaw in the ACA’s physician ownership ban

      Luis Tumialán, MD | Policy
    • Stop doing peer reviews for free

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • Why modern dentists must train like pilots [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why you need a GLP-1 exit plan

      Holli Bradish-Lane | Conditions
    • Why midlife men feel unanchored and exhausted

      Kenneth Ro, MD | Physician
    • How medicine reflects women’s silence

      Priya Panneerselvam, DO | Physician
    • Why not all ADHD generics are created equal

      Ronald L. Lindsay, MD | Conditions
    • Early Alzheimer’s blood test: Is it useful?

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 14 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The Silicon Valley primary care doctor shortage

      George F. Smith, MD | Physician
    • The ethical conflict of the Charlie Gard case

      Timothy Lesaca, MD | Conditions
    • Preserving your sense of self as a doctor

      Camille C. Imbo, MD | Physician
    • Understanding the hidden weight bias that harms patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The ethics of mandatory Tay-Sachs testing

      Sheryl J. Nicholson | Conditions
    • The geometry of communication in medicine

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why you should get your Lp(a) tested

      Monzur Morshed, MD and Kaysan Morshed | Conditions
    • Rebuilding the backbone of health care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Direct primary care in low-income markets

      Dana Y. Lujan, MBA | Policy
    • The dismantling of public health infrastructure

      Ronald L. Lindsay, MD | Physician
    • The flaw in the ACA’s physician ownership ban

      Luis Tumialán, MD | Policy
    • Stop doing peer reviews for free

      Vijay Rajput, MD | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • Why modern dentists must train like pilots [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why you need a GLP-1 exit plan

      Holli Bradish-Lane | Conditions
    • Why midlife men feel unanchored and exhausted

      Kenneth Ro, MD | Physician
    • How medicine reflects women’s silence

      Priya Panneerselvam, DO | Physician
    • Why not all ADHD generics are created equal

      Ronald L. Lindsay, MD | Conditions
    • Early Alzheimer’s blood test: Is it useful?

      M. Bennet Broner, PhD | Conditions

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

10 ways United States health reform may fail
14 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...