It only took more than 75 years, and probably longer, for at least a somewhat comprehensive national health care legislative act to get passed by Congress. The final legislation leaves much to be desired and is highly imperfect.
The nation basically had three choices on this critical matter: maintain the status quo and largely do nothing; opt for the best solution, a single payer system; or do something in between but probably not half-way to what was needed, which is what it seems we have ended up with this legislative package.
I do not foresee gloom and doom with this legislation being enacted like others do, but it is only a start in a process that will only continue to evolve and mature into something far different than what we have now. Many insurance corporations will all but disappear this decade (2011-2020) with then a small oligopoly of providers remaining that inevitably within time decrease further in numbers; and eventually all will go belly up and get swallowed by the government creating the single payer system which is about the only cost effective way to have a functioning system for everybody, particularly the massive fast growing numbers of baby boomers now just entering into their years where their health will require much greater attention and huge financial outlays to be paid for.
By 2025 this will be the reality and everyone will be anteing up about 4% of paychecks, all other compensation, and any and all investment dividend revenue to pay for this system to come. The legislation enacted is grossly inadequate and lacking in prescience to provide for the needed funding and revenue required in the near future, to say nothing of what is down the road in 20 to 30 years and beyond when the nation is made up of a citizenry that consists of 20 % octogenarians and older, with some states over one-quarter in that population demographic. All the illegal immigrants here and that will be inevitably arriving in the coming years will not be enough to provide enough financial counterweight for all the coots, geezers, grannies, and turkeys needing massive care and the funds to pay for it
And even these changes that I envision are likely to be insufficient. Although unlikely, a darker scenario may emerge where the youth and less powerful force into existence a system where the older and more infirm may just have to deal with no system they get to participate in unless they are moneyed and financially blessed. It would not be surprising to see lots of newly old boomers and Gen Xers dying slow deaths everywhere in the next two to four decades without much in the way of medical care available. Walmart, Target, and Walgreens may get heavily involved in the area of assisted suicide across the nation to relieve the country the burden of all these soon to be unproductive geezers slowly and painfully wasting away in places everywhere. Given the certain financial collapse of the US in the next decade (2011-2020), a horrific scenario like this is not out of the question.
Count me in as one of those destined for a less than desirable fate if the worst case scenario even eventuates partially. Barring a financial miracle or an instance of incredibly unforeseen fortune, I will be there. Excuse me for believing it would be better for me to go suddenly in the next several years rather than meander painfully for an indeterminate period of time in the years ahead beyond that in a state that is largely unimaginable and completely painful beyond belief.
In conclusion, the legislation enacted this week will stand much to the chagrin of those who wanted to maintain the status quo of a health care system based on class and wealth, which is at the core of most all disputes and controversies domestically in the last century. There are simply a lot of people who do not want to be mandated to share; but volunteerism and charity does not work anywhere adequately enough and is significantly unjust. The changes made this week are imperfect, but better than what many were being forced to deal with for the most part in the last generation -- unless one is wealthy, privileged, or is loftily employed in a Fortune 10000 corporation.
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