failure – Page 2 – Stephen Martino

Will the Entire US Healthcare system look like the current VA system in a few Years?

Will the entire US healthcare system look like the current VA system in a few years? Unfortunately, the trend is going that way, and there is absolutely no indication that there is any signs of improvement.

The first, real question each American should ask is why would the US government try to institute a massive medical overhaul with Obamacare when its track record in healthcare delivery is deplorable? The VA system has always had problems, but now under the Obama administration the situation has turned critical.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is facing mounting evidence that some of the hospitals it runs have been keeping two sets of books to make it look as if they were reducing waiting times to see a doctor. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is facing mounting evidence that some of the hospitals it runs have been keeping two sets of books to make it look as if they were reducing waiting times to see a doctor. More damning, the department is investigating the claims of a whistleblower doctor in Arizona that dozens of patients at one hospital died while they were languishing on a hidden waiting list without ever being given an appointment.

Richard Griffin, the department’s acting inspector general, admitted on Thursday that its review could lead to criminal charges. In the first political casualty of the scandal, Robert Petzel, the department’s undersecretary for heath, resigned on Friday.

The budget for the VA has risen from $73.1bn in 2006 to $153.8bn this year. However, the number of outpatient visits at its facilities has increased from 46.5m in 2002 to 83.6m in 2012.

While there have been reports for several years that the new waiting line system was being abused, the subject really began to gather steam three weeks ago when CNN interviewed Sam Foote, who had recently retired as a doctor after working for 24 years for VA hospitals in Phoenix, Arizona.

He said that as many as 40 patients had died after being placed on a hidden waiting list that could last for up to a year, while officials at the hospital shredded documents and faked evidence to make it seem as if waiting times were under control.

Since then, whistleblowers have alleged similar practices at least seven other VA hospitals around the country and claimed that officials at the hospitals were sometimes paid bonuses for reducing declared waiting times.

This is what the US government delivers to the nation’s finest—long waits and insufficient care. Unfortunately, this is what awaits the rest of America under Obama.

The Face of Failure: Kathleen Sebelius

When I conjure up a vision of total failure, many things come to my mind including the Dodge Pinto, Kathleen Harding and now appropriately the health and human services secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Though my criticism may seems harsh, I think it’s certainly apropos when looking at the facts. Though I don’t directly blame her for the heavy-faulted and crony capitalistic law, she along with Obama will forever will forever bear the scar of this ignominious Scarlet Letter.

Here are the Facts:

1. Insurance Costs Continue to Rise: One of the central claims made by the “central planners” was that insurance premiums would go down for buyers. However, the law actually mandates plans to cover more and more (“children” must be covered to age 27, “free” “women’s health” services), adds new taxes and fees, raising the minimum requirements and force high-risk patients into pooled-plans. So where does this money come from? That’s right, the consumer. Most with private plans have been hit with over a 100% increase!

2. Too Many Loopholes to be Effective: One of the problems with a bill written by lobbyists and bureaucrats, passed by people who never read it, and numbers in the 2,000s of pages is that it is too complicated and has too many loopholes. Take for example, employers have cut back hours or reduced staff to avoid hitting certain requirements—raising the unemployment numbers.

3. Leaves 31 Million Uninsured by 2023! How does this help our country? With 40 million already uninsured and many by choice, did we really have to disassemble almost 20% of the economy for these underrated, dismal numbers?

4. Program Costs Continue to Blow Past Initial Estimates: The CBO already conservatively estimates the 1 Trillion dollar allocated budget is almost another trillion dollars over budget.

5. The Program is Run by Government: This point speaks for itself. Plus, to make the matter worse, the IRS is implementing it. That’s like the Gestapo running the healthcare system of Nazi Germany.

6. The Web Site is a Failure: Don’t forget, the web site was and still is a failure. Plus, it cost over 3 billion dollars to create. That’s both grossly inefficient and absurd at the same time.

7. True “Benefits” Unclear: If you haven’t seen all the benefits promised since the passage of Obamacare, you are not alone.

8. Negative Employee Repercussions: In order to escape the heavy hand of government, businesses have been forced to follow the law as passed and find ways to avoid being negatively impacted. As a result of the law, businesses have been forced to drop full-time employees to part-time status, stop hiring altogether, and scrap plans for expansion.

9. You Don’t Get to Keep Your Doctor: Remember this flagrant lie by the president? Also remember how he promised premiums would go down by 2500 dollars? Lie and double lie!

10. 7.5 Million Sign Up: Obama is celebrating about the 7.5 million enrollees. However, when you look at these numbers most of them are from people who lost their insurance due to the law. And worse yet, most have not actually paid for the coverage. Lastly what about the other 32.5 million people?

Unfortunately, this list of failure will grow as our country’s economy shrinks.