Upon debating the new government health insurance reform bill (ObamaCare) then Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stated; "We have to pass the bill to know what's in the bill". Scary stuff from an elected official who has the ability to run roughshod over our liberties. But as it turns out, she was right. The most recent affirmation happened this week when it was revealed that starting August 1, 2012 birth control pills for women will be free. Insurance companies will no longer be able to bill you for the pills nor charge you a co-pay. And it wont count against your deductible either. Great news, right? After all who doesn't like free stuff. Hell, our whole country is built on free stuff paid for by others. (Look up "social justice") Well, free may not exactly mean free. At least not in the end.The cost of providing free contraceptives to women (but not men, Hmmm) will cost you a bundle in increased insurance premiums. The insurance companies will take a financial hit in the billions. Did you expect them to just absorb such a loss? Uh, no. They will pass on the cost to you, me and if you have a job - your employer. But it's worse than just that. Since the cost of providing health care insurance to employees will rise, one has to wonder how many employers will be eager to hire new personnel knowing the additional costs they'll incur. More job killing legislation.
But why stop at free birth control? Why not free aspirin? Or free ACE bandages? Maybe even free valet parking at your next Dr's visit. And make the evil insurance companies pay dearly for it.
There is such a thing as the cost of unintended consequences. Apparently, our illustrious leaders in Washington aren't familiar with this notion. Or maybe they are. The idea has been floated that the whole idea of the feds massive intrusion into the health care system was its eventual complete takeover. Sound crazy? Well hold on. Barack Obama stated in 2006 that he would like to see a single payer (government) system. But acknowledged that it would be too difficult to implement in one fell swoop. So it would have to be implemented "incrementally". In fact, many on the left were not in favor of the ObamaCare legislation precisely because it didn't offer a single payer option. Once the government controls your health care, they've got it all. When combined with your retirement (Social Security) they will have you dependent on them for nearly everything. And they'll be no other option for you once they eliminate private competition. The feds can crush private business either through legislation like this or by competing with them directly with a government plan. Since the feds can run massive red ink and a private company can't... say goodbye to private insurance. If you think private insurance has its problems (mostly because of government mandates & regulations) wait till the government controls it and they're your only option. They've done such a great job with everything else.
In countries such as Canada where health care is the exclusive domain of the government, patients cross the US border to have procedures performed here rather than wait for months and months for surgery. The wait time for a mammogram in Italy is 6 months. In England you must be seen by a doctor within 1 hour of your arrival. But the clock doesn't start till you actually enter the hospital. So ambulances are stacked outside in the parking lot. And to pay for this magnificent privilege of government run health care, the average wage earner gets to pay massive taxes.
There is no free lunch. Everything costs something and you usually get what you pay for. Unless of course you're talking birth control pills. And why no free condoms? This smacks of sexism to me. Sometimes additional lubrication might be required. Why not free K-Y jelly? It only makes sense if your mandating free birth control. Sound crazy? Well, Washington is the home base of crazy and the White House is it's current epicenter. If only Barack's Mom had access to free birth control.
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