Samuelson: Obama Would Increase, Not Reduce, Health Care Costs
Columnist Robert J. Samuelson, writing in this morning’s Washington Post:
It’s hard to know whether President Obama’s health‐care “reform” is naive, hypocritical or simply dishonest. Probably all three. The president keeps saying it’s imperative to control runaway health spending. He’s right. The trouble is that what’s being promoted as health‐care “reform” almost certainly won’t suppress spending and, quite probably, will do the opposite…
The president summoned the heads of major health‐care groups representing doctors, hospitals, drug companies and medical device firms to the White House. All pledged to bend the curve. This is mostly public relations. Does anyone believe the American Medical Association can control the nation’s 800,000 doctors or that the American Hospital Association can command the 5,700 hospitals?…
The main aim of health‐care “reform” being fashioned in Congress is to provide insurance to most of the 46 million uncovered Americans…But the extra coverage might actually worsen the spending problem.
How much healthier today’s uninsured would be with that coverage is unclear…
The one certain consequence of expanding insurance coverage is that it would raise spending…
It’s easier to pretend to be curbing health spending while expanding coverage and spending. Presidents have done that for decades, and it’s why most health industries see “reform” as a good deal.
