Health Care Commotion
Political double talk is now the law of the land. Patients, doctors, insurers, and employers begin taking positions. Make way for confusion.
A reader suggested that I may be drawing the wrong conclusions about the Health Care debate. I wrote that Americans were not in favor of it, by a wide margin.
The reader rightly pointed out that the reasons for the opposition cannot be assumed.
Being against the legislation may have nothing at all to do with States’ Rights, Constitutional Law, government meddling, medical rationing, skyrocketing taxes, or crippling government debt.
There is, in fact, a large contingent of Americans who actually want more benefits than the current Health Care legislation makes available.
They reject the program, because it doesn’t go far enough.
THE CODDLED MASSES
Realistically, I have to make room for that argument.
Investor’s Business Daily gave a Heads Up on this April 6 article from McClatchy Newspapers: Health Care Overhaul Spells Mass Confusion For Public.
My favorite quote from a licensed agent for eHealthInsurance.com: “They’re saying, ‘Where do we get the free Obama care, and where do we sign up for that?’”
Personally, I wouldn’t want to be the rep who has to explain that it ain’t free, you’ll probably get nothing before 2014, your costs go up immediately, and good luck sorting through the paperwork. None of the forms, regulations, or procedures have been written yet.
WILL THERE BE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?
The tougher problem: Who’s going to provide this health care?
I have previously written that surveys of doctors have been consistently negative. Almost half of the doctors who responded said they may consider retiring early if the Health Care legislation passed.
Now that the new Health Care program is law, a doctor here in Florida has already made national news with his response.
In an article titled Florida Doctor’s Sign Warns Away Obama Supporters, The Miami Herald reports that Dr. Jack Cassell has posted an attention getting sign on his front door.
It says, “If you voted for Obama, seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your healthcare begin right now, not in four years.”
Ouch.
RECRUITER’S VIEW
Here’s another roadblock, slowing critical job creation; unless, of course, your actual job is in HR or benefits. Employers may have unspecified legal and financial obligations coming at them quickly. Benefits plans will be directly influenced by the new legislation. Costs will go up soon. Complexity is here now. In many companies, the benefits and health insurance programs are arranged and administered by the HR department. That means HR will spend more time stewing over strategies and less time thinking about adding employees. Business leaders can only guess at the consequences.