http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/05/opinion/down-the-insurance-rabbit-hole.html?_r=2&hp
Down the Insurance Rabbit Hole
By tovarichpeter Follow Thu, 5 Apr 2012, 5:25pm 685 views 2 comments
In South San Francisco CA 94080
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I'm confused. This story is from Massachusetts, where health care reform occurred years ago and on which Obamacare is modeled. Why would Obamacare help when the very similar MA reforms did not?
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The author writes from Massachusetts, the story is from California. But I wonder why the people involved don't just move to Massachusetts, if RomneyCare/ObamaCare is their "best hope."
Waking up quadriplegic is among the scariest scenarios imaginable, so of course the NYT covers this isolated anecdote as if it were representative. They have been banging the drum for ObamaCare since it was called Hillary's Plan. If the insurance $ had instead gone into a safer car, then the unlucky lady might have walked away from the accident; sadly she chose insurance instead, and now can't walk. Personally I carry an Advance Healthcare Directive to reduce this risk; my biggest worry is if the hospital corporation "misplaces" the AHD and bills $100k+ for "saving" me like it probably did to this woman.
It's sad that people react to overpriced medical care like hostages to a kidnapper: they simply panic and look for someone to pay more ransom. From a public policy perspective, many other factors are more valuable to health than is medical insurance: clean potable water, a healthy diet, safe transportation and working conditions, vaccines, etc. Unfortunately ObamaCare elevates medical insurance at the expense of all other priorities.