The Nutcracker and Healthcare Reform

I had the honor and privilege of playing the role of the father in this past weekends' performances of Topeka Ballet's Enchanting Nutcracker. My daughter did a wonderful job dancing as one of the flower buds.

This is, of course, the tale of a fantasy carried out on Christmas Eve in which a young girl's Nutcracker that she was given by her godfather comes to life to fight mice and then take her on a journey into a fantastical land full of dancing and merriment.

I'm afraid the fantasy of healthcare reform will be foisted upon us on Christmas Eve, but we won't be rewarded with dancing flowers. If the problems they're trying to fix are so huge, complex and weighty, why have the Dems imposed this crazy deadline of Christmas? It's clear the American people want no part of it, but they are going to go over the cliff with it anyway.

Their proposed bills fix the wrong problems, and will cost us all when most of us are generally satisfied with the quality of our care. It needs to be tweaked, to be sure, but throwing it all out is nonsensical.

In this past issue of TK, I interviewed Mike Eichten of People's Insurance and Benefit Group, and we discussed the real problems that need to be fixed: increased competition (which drives prices down, forcing the creation of improved products and services), and the easy availability of information. Consumers can use the internet, consumer protection agencies and other consumer reports as comparison resources before they make a purchase in pretty much all other aspects of our economy -- but not healthcare! When it comes to medical information, federal and state regulations limit the amount of information that can be shared and makes it nearly impossible for any of us to compare the costs of services to be sure we're getting the best value.

I just had a medical procedure done. I went to the surgeon that my primary care provider referred me to, and didn't really have much opportunity for comparison shopping. I may have significantly overpaid -- I have no idea!

And, of course, where is tort reform in all of this legislation? The dems are too beholden to trial lawyers to fix an obvious area that spikes the cost of healthcare -- frivolous medical malpractice suits. And don't get me started on forcing the majority of Americans who are opposed to abortion to pay for abortion coverage!

If only we had a magical nutcracker in Washington DC. We may need an army of them to crack those nuts in DC before our fantastical nightmare begins on Christmas Eve.