SmallGovTimes.com

By: SGT News | Published on 09/17/07    

New York Senator and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton announced her health care plan this morning, estimating it would cost the American taxpayer $110 billion dollars.

Clinton's plan also mandates that every American must hold health insurance, preaching to a crowd of supporters that people are dying because they cannot afford health coverage.

Clinton said that America is ready for change – a pretty expensive change.

To pay the bill, Clinton said she would rescind the Bush tax cuts for those making more than $250,000 a year and also cap the amount that employers can exclude from taxes for health care benefits – again, for those making over $250,000.

Both Barack Obama and John Edwards mildly praised Clinton's health care initiative, but added that their own plans go further than hers. Edwards' plan would cut off all health care for the president and Congress if Washington fails to implement universal health care by 2009.

Rudy Giuliani took the opportunity to compare Clinton's health care plan to Michael Moore's film, “Sicko”. “If you liked Michael Moore's 'Sicko,' you're going to love HillaryCare 2.0,” he said.

“Senator Clinton's latest health scheme includes more government mandates, expensive federal subsidies and more big bureaucracy -- in short, a prescription for an increase in wait times, a decrease in patient care and tax hikes to pay for it all,” Giuliani added.

Governor Mitt Romney said Washington lawmakers should take their inspiration for health care from the American people, not European bureaucracies. “Hers is a plan which I think underscores the fact that she fundamentally does not believe in markets and in the states. And I believe that our inspiration should come from American families.”

Critics of socialized medicine routinely cite the inefficiencies of government involvement in the health care process. The National Center for Policy Analysis once said in a 1991 report about nations with similar programs:

“While more than 50,000 people wait for surgery in New Zealand, at any point in time one in five hospital beds is empty and one in four is occupied by a chronically ill patient using the hospital as an expensive nursing home.”

“While more than one million people wait for surgery in Britain, at any point in time about one-fourth of all beds are empty and another one-fourth are being used by nursing home patients.”

“While more than 250,000 people wait for surgery in Canada, at any point in time almost one in five hospital beds is empty and a fourth of all beds is being used by nursing home patients.”

While many proponents of socialized medicine believe health care is a right, opponents and small government believers are quick to point out that no such right to health care is present within our Constitution, which is the document that our federal government is supposed to derive all power.

Original URL:
http://www.smallgovtimes.com/story/07sep17.hillary.health.care/index.html