Kansas Health Care Freedom Act

Providing health care for all is a noble cause, but if that was the mission of the health reform measure the House just signed, why wouldn't they just do that instead of messing around with everyone's health care?

They say there's going to be a trillion in savings? Sure, because Medicare and the other government health programs are run so efficiently, right? Doctors are dropping Medicare patients now because the reimbursements are less than the cost of the service.

If you insure 30+ million more people, there's going to be a greater demand for health services and thus you'll need more doctors. If doctors are getting paid less that the cost of service, you're not going to get more doctors in the market -- you'll get less, and the remaining doctors may not be the great ones.

There's just too much to hate about this bill to blog about it here. Blogs are supposed to be pithy, and I could rant for pages. Just a dark day in this nation's history if you ask me.

Listening to Obama speak on it earlier and hearing his adoring fans applaud to everything he said reminded me of the words of the great sage, Padme Amadala, who said "So this is how liberty dies...to thunderous applause."

In related news, Americans for Prosperity-Kansas state director Derrick Sontag issued the following statement:

“Today, the Kansas House sent a resounding statement to the White House and Congress in support of every individual of our great state by passing the Kansas Health Care Freedom Amendment. With this amendment, the Kansas Legislature hopes to fend off a dangerous Congressional bill that attacks the very fabric of which this country is made: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

“The Health Care Freedom Amendment does not deny any Kansan the opportunity to take part in a federal plan. Rather, it protects their individual right to make that decision from an ever-expanding and intrusive government.

“Hundreds of thousands of Americans have asked Congress to keep government out of our health care decisions by signing AFP’s “Hands Off My Health Care” petition. Millions of Americans oppose this government takeover of our health care system, and we applaud the members of the Kansas House who recognize the need to preserve our right as individuals to make our own health care decisions, and we encourage them to vote for this amendment during tomorrow’s final vote.”

House members tentatively passed the amendment 76 to 44 during today’s debate. For final approval, the amendment must pass out of the Kansas House with 84 votes in favor.