Healthcare Clarification? Or more confusing questions?

Aside from being the first Presidential address to joint congress since February 24 of this year, nothing of undiscussed news for President Obama's healthcare proposal was heard.

What was heard loud and clear -- for maybe the first official time nationally -- was the strongly divided isle of politicians.

It was clear from tonight's address that the President was primarily directing his speech towards reassuring the American people, while entertaining a group of congressman and women who either stood in support, or held up their signs which proclaimed "What Bill?" But can the promises that President Obama made tonight stand with truth in the coming years?

The proposed bill would require individuals to sustain some sort of healthcare insurance. (I've never seen John McCain smile with such sincerity towards the president in my life). According to the President, Americans who are uninsured currently and either cannot afford health coverage, or find it of little importance, would be required to maintain an affordable insurance plan at little or no cost. Here are the options he gave:

• Individuals who are unemployed when the bill is signed into law would be covered under a public healthcare option.
• Individuals who are employed when the bill is signed into law, but do not have health coverage, would receive health coverage from their employer. For small and less profitable businesses who cannot afford to provide healthcare coverage to all employees, would be required to "chip in" to the medical expenses of their employees.

As of 2007 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that only 82% of Americans had adequate healthcare coverage. While the numbers have probably decreased tremendously since, President Obama claims that current health insurers will not be able to change any policies that would counteract the benefit of patients once the bill is put into law. Citizens who have healthcare coverage would continue to have the option of choosing doctors, and would not have benefits dropped, or healthcare coverage increased due to pre-existing medical conditions.

The estimated budget of this plan is $900 billion over the next 10 years, making costs lower than the Iraq war.

"I will not sign a bill that adds a dime to the country deficit," Obama claimed, stating that the money spent on this healthcare plan would come from the excess money that is currently being spent for healthcare costs across the country.

But how does this healthcare plan break down to certain individuals and groups?

In addressing not only the American citizens, but the joint Congress as well, the President took a stand-of-defense in efforts to "clear up" false controversy surrounding negativity of this bill. If you tune into any cable television network, you're apt to see at least 10 commercials per day saying that Congress plans on taking $500 billion dollars away from primary senior healthcare plans such as Medicare and Medicaid. "Medicare remains a sacred trust that must be handed down from one generation to the next" President Obama said, stating that "not a dollar of the medicaid trust fund would go towards the cost of this plan." The phrase "divided isle" never held such literalness, while the left followed Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker of House Nancy Pelosi in a standing ovation, leaving behind the right who held up copies of their own proposed healthcare reform.

And it didn't stop there.

On the subject of illegal immigration the President stated that no illegal immigrant would be covered in any way shape or form under the new healthcare bill; this caused an uproar of disagreement which was almost inaudible based on the right-wing boos, and the left-wing cheers and claps. South Carolina Representative Joe Wilson could be heard yelling "you lie" as the crowd came to a still. Is the President lying?

Sick or injured, insured or penniless, hospitals do not in fact turn people away. Who would be paying for their medical costs? President Obama failed to mention that.

Finally, President Obama stated that under his new healthcare bill, unjust annual and lifetime limits on health coverage would be eliminated and illegal. Ring any bells? The late Sen. Edward Kennedy joined a bipartisan group of Senators in 1996 to enact the Mental Health Parity Bill which was directed towards the same issues.

On a personal note, I can only wonder how this will affect the annual 200,000 Americans who lose a limb. As an amputee, the health coverage I receive is, exactly as the President put it, unjust; in fact, it is simply preposterous. "One Prosthetic per Lifetime" as many health insurers state in their policies, is like saying you're allowed one shoe per lifetime.***

Will the $900 billion dollars -- which the President claims will only come from excess health coverage costs -- be enough over the next 10 years to cover the some 50 million uninsured Americans?

Will doctors be able to reform their malpractice coverage in order to avoid "defensive medicine?"

Will senior citizens be able to maintain equal and adequate healthcare under Medicare or Medicaid?

These are an iota of questions that the President answered through ambiguous tactics tonight. Maybe the American people need to decide.

***The Prosthetic I currently wear costs $20,000.

© Jeff Kelleher

September 9, 2009

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