Bentzen’s Blog

Today’s Letter to Congress
by Brian Bentzen

Since joining DownsizeDC.org, I’ve been trying to send 3 letters every day on issues that are important to all of us as Americans.  Our future will depend on our actions today.  Sitting back and watching the TV as our Congress overregulates and overtaxes us into failure is not a good option.  Get involved in one way or another.  Run for office locally or on a state level.  My action is letter writing, and hopefully they will be counted.

Please oppose increased government involvement in health care. Please work to reduce government involvement in health care.

As an anesthesiology resident set to graduate and start a job in a private hospital in 2011, I’m concerned about additional government intervention into health insurance and payment for medical services. 

 Health care is not a right.  I am free to deny my services to anyone and cannot be forced to provide care, except in life threatening emergencies, in which I am both professionally obliged and glad to help.

Health care is the responsibility of the individual, not the government.  A patient who actively maintains their health through diet, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications is less likely to have chronic illnesses than those who engage in more risky behaviors like overeating, smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, unsafe sex, or abusing drugs. 

Medical services rendered require payment.  The healthy patient who takes care of himself should pay the same rate (which is different from total amount) as the chronically ill patient who became sick due to poor decision-making.  The chronically ill patient, however, would utilize care more often and thus accrue a larger bill.  Medicare underpays.  Hospitals make up the difference with payments from private insurers and federal funding.  End the funding.

Insurance companies aggregate data from millions of individuals and can predict cost of medical services for an individual or group.  They price their plans accordingly, so they can invest premiums and make a profit.  The unhealthy patient pays more for premiums because their care costs more.  You wouldn’t suggest that everyone should pay for gasoline by the number of miles they traveled, so why should health care be paid for by the number of years lived?

Funding for health care should be spread amongst all individuals, not disproportionately placed on the rich and businesses.  This practice will lead to job losses for obvious reasons.  If I make $1 million a year, I’m probably a business owner.  If I’m now forced to pay $54,000 in health care tax, I will not be hiring a new employee for the same amount of money.  I may even work less to drop myself under the $1 million mark to avoid paying an unreasonable tax. 

End government involvement in health care.  Start taxing health insurance plans.  Don’t force employers to provide insurance.  Deregulate health insurance across state borders.  Due to competition, the result will be more affordable health care plans that include coverage for what individuals want: basics and emergency care. 

If there must be health insurance regulation, require that individuals obtain basic insurance on their own, or part of a group.  Health care is not a right.