Myth 22. “Health care reform” is a moral imperative
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 at 10:34PM In a telephone call to clergymen, also broadcast over the internet, Obama dismissed the concerns of opponents of his health agenda as “fabrications.” Dissenters were making up allegations about death panels, government funding of abortions, and a government takeover of medicine, he said, because they want to “discourage people from meeting…a core ethical and moral obligation…that we look out for one another…that I am my brother’s keeper” (Commentary by Star Parker 8/25/09).
“Forgive me if sermons about morality are a little hard to swallow from a man who supports partial birth abortion,” Parker writes.
She also notes that reform proposals would outlaw the voluntary Christian sharing communities through which 100,000 Americans take care of their own medical expenses, independently of government and insurance companies.
In contrast, government compelling taxpayer A to pay provider B for care of patient C is not the same thing as “looking out for one another.”
There are in fact core moral issues involved in “health care reform”: a radical change in the physician’s code of ethics. The New Ethics transforms the physician from a healer, who places his individual patient’s welfare first, to a tool of the state, sacrificing individuals for the good of the collective.
Rationer-in-chief Ezekiel Emanuel describes his ethics as “communitarian.” He blames the Oath of Hippocrates for the “overuse” of medical care, regardless of cost of the effect on others, and he favors the “complete lives” concept for allocating scarce resources. Those resources (including people’s earnings) are assumed to belong to the collective, to be appropriated and redistributed as the rulers think best.
The existence of “disparities” or of profits is taken as evidence of immorality. Disparities of concern are those based on “invidious” discrimination, as by race or gender. Allocation by age can be just and rational. See: Persad G, Wertheimer A, Emanuel EJ. Principles for allocation of scarce medical interventions. (Lancet 2009;373:423-431).
Disparities have not been eliminated by nationalized health systems; quite the contrary. Thirty years into the British National Health Service (NHS), an official task force (the Black Report) found little evidence that access to care was any more equal than when the NHS began. Almost 20 years later, a second task force (the Acheson Report) found that access had become even less equal. There is also pervasive inequality in Canada, with differences in per capita spending as great as seven-fold between urban and rural areas ( John Goodman, Cato Policy Analysis 1/27/05).
One of the features of the NHS that has persuaded the British of its social justice is “the difficulty and unpleasantness it throws in the way of patients, rich and poor alike,” writes Theodore Dalrymple. “For equality has the connotation not only of justice but of hardship and suffering” (Wall St J 8/8/09).
Additionally, the differences in health between the rich and poor in Britain are not only among the greatest in the western world, but they are as great as they were in 1948, “when health care was de facto nationalized precisely to bring about equalization,” Dalrymple continues.
The whole population has been pauperized in the name of an inalienable right to health care—in the dirtiest, most broken-down hospitals in Europe, writes Dalrymple in an earlier article (Wall St J 7/29/09).
“Morality is always the justification,” writes Mark Steyn. “Inaugurating Britain’s National Health Service on July 5th 1948, the Health Minister Nye Bevan crowed, ‘We now have the moral leadership of the world.’”
Roy Romanow, the Canadian politician who headed the most recent of numerous inquiries into problems with the Canadian system, defends the state’s monopoly on medical care by saying that “Canadians view medicare as a moral enterprise, not a business venture.” But Steyn asks, “What’s so moral about relieving the citizen of responsibility for his own health care?”
If the man who died of a ruptured appendix, after being turned away from a Quebec clinic for not having an insurance card (see Myth 17) had entered a business venture, they would’ve greet him with: “You’ve got stomach pains? Boy, have we hit the jackpot! Let’s get you some big-ticket pills and sign you up for surgery!” Steyn suggests. “But because it’s a moral enterprise they sent him away with a flea in his ear.”
But if disparities cannot be eliminated, profit surely can be. Government has consistently succeeded, if profit elimination was its purpose.
Additional information:
- “Grandma: Meet Public Health Care”
- “The Medical Professionalism Project and Its Physician Charter: New Ethics for a Political Agenda,” by Jerome C. Arnett, Jr., M.D., Medical Sentinel, summer 2002.
- “Medical Reform and the Events Leading to the Holocaust: a Comparison,” presented by Anna Scherzer, M.D., AAPS annual meeting, 1993.
- “The Pervasive Duty to Rescue,” by Donald J. Kochan.
Reader Comments (8)
As a practicing pediatrician for 30 years I can tell everyone that most physicians are not supportive of the public option . We do need more portability and elimination of preexisting condition clauses and tort reform. Obamacare is fiscally irresponsible and will result in massive egress from this fine profession!!!!
As a board certified Emergency Medicine physician with over 17 years experience, I can tell you that Obamacare will ruin the ERs of the country by enabling them to be used for non-emergent care. Also, those who are truly sick but can't wait for the bureaucracy to make them an appointment will also come to the ERs. I truly believe that Obamacare is a disaster in the making, even with the good intentions.
Finally, please know this:
I REFECT THE FALSE CHOICE THAT YOU ARE EITHER FOR OBAMACARE( HEALTHCARE REFORM) OR AGAINST IT . I AM FOR HEALTHCARE REFORM, BUT NOT FOR HR 3200.
The federal government need to allow insurance to be sold across state lines without mandates. They need to stop subsidizing pharmaceutical companies via the George Bush Medicare Prescription Drug Bill. They need to allow medicare physicians to compete with each other.
Also, they need to stop spending, stop borrowing from the federal reserve bank, and stop destroying the dollar. Our health care is too expensive because of the inflationary tendencies of the federal government to subsidize the special interest involved in the healthcare-government -industrial complex.
I have been a pastor for more than 35 years. I have a doctoral degree in theology and ministry. I am convinced that there is no "right to health care." Jesus, after whom all Christians (supposedly) model their beliefs and behaviors, did not recognize any such right, nor did he act to provide health care to all who needed it. He performed a number of healings, but those healed were a tiny fraction of all who needed healing, confined to one small country for just a few short years. You would read the Bible in vain to find any evidence for a right to health care. This does not mean that God does not have compassion for the sick. He even urges us to care for the sick and the helpless, but to argue that this constitutes a right to such care on the part of the sick, or a mandate to some government to compel those who are able to provide health care to do so, is an abuse of the Scripture, of Christian theology, of the example of the Lord Himself, and plain reason. It would make as much sense to argue that government should compel people to be converted and baptized, since God also urges us to preach the gospel, to go into all the world, and to baptize. What is a duty for God's people is not a duty for government - or are we prepared to utterly concede the work of the church to the state? Physicians can be urged to provide compassionate service to the sick, regardless of their (the sick ones') ability to pay - that is Biblical - but compelling doctors to provide care to those who can't or won't pay for it is neither Biblical nor reasonable, nor is forcing society in general to pay health care providers for the care of all. The early church came close to that, but it was voluntary, not forced, and it came out of their hearts, not out of law. The essence of Biblical theology is liberty of choice: a liberty so wrongly exercised by human beings that it led to the death of God on a Roman cross, but one which God, nevertheless, supports. Sickness and death are a part of the human lot. Nothing can erase that. No amount of health care can postpone death for more than a few years. All health care is palliative, and all health care is limited. The mortality rate is and always has been 100%. Not everything can be made available to everybody - it isn't possible, nor is it desirable. Getting treated is not the great need of human beings: coming to grips with our mortality is. We need more emphasis on healing and less on curing. We are giving away our God-given liberties, oppressing our health care providers, and mortgaging our childrens' futures for - what? - the government's imposition of a mandate that is already alive and well in the hearts of (most) physicians, that can never accomplish what it thinks to accomplish anyway. We are commanded by God to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. This can't be implemented by government fiat. The true immorality is pretending that it can.
The problem is still the same... People assume that ANY "reform" is the correct reform! Obama has NO idea what caused the problem, so he has NO idea how to reform it!!! In order to improve the situation he needs to actually study ALL of the history of health care systems, the public's needs, and ALL of the possible options for fixing the mess! The greatest problem is the lack of recognition that the problem began with greed insurance companies that see denial of care as the primary mechanism for profitability! (Reference he meeting between Nixon and Kaiser in 1972 when Kaiser stated exactly this fact!)
Obama is totally out of control and in debt to ALL of the special interest groups that got him into office... legally and illegally! We need to also remember that Obama is totally "Anti-Catholic" in terms of ALL of the vital issues! (He struck out with ALL five of them!) He has lied about his background! (He is NOT "black" but racially he is Arab and White!) He has lied about his philosophies! (He is Muslin Theologically, which is why he REFUSES to be photographed near a Cross!!!
He is aligned with the most liberal, radical, and anti-Catholic groups in the world! He has failed to "come clean" about his beliefs and continues to try to hide the truth! His allegiance is NOT to the people of the US of even Blacks!
We have an obligation to support Catholic beliefs NOT humanistic, antagonistic, pro-death beliefs! (Has anyone "bothered" to read Cannon 915??? Hmmm?) It would be nice if more of the catholic leaders would actually support Canon 915, too!) When only one-third of the Bishops supported the demands for NDU to follow the USCCB's demands for the denial of communion to pro-death politicians OR Canon 915, what is a devout Catholic supposed to believe???? How do we discover the truth?
I worked at high-level research for 18 years, including the White House. I was constantly disgusted by the immorality at the highest levels of government!! Over my years, I learned the political process that the different parties use to develop their future leaders. Anyone that loves the church would be disheartened by the TRUTH!! I invite anyone to look at the party platform in 1960 and the most recent in 2008! It would make you SICK to see how the Democrats have NO connection with their roots OR their Christian heritage! I am NOT interested in party politics per se, I am ONLY interested in (1) truth and (2) God's will, which is communicated via HIS church...The Catholic Church!!!
We must have faith in GOD"S will/Doctrines! We must NOT allow the secular humanists' demands for "tolerance of SIN" as acceptable!
God Bless!
Abqdad
David VanDenburgh said it so eloquently and truthfully. From a patient point of view, none of the arguments opponents make faze President Obama at all. I do not for a moment believe he is interested in "healthcare reform." He is a tyrant in the making taking one rapid step after another to control the private sector in this country. The United States under God, freedom, the rule of law, private property and capitalism has always been the most moral country in the world. The main reason our healthcare "system" is stressed is because of government intervention and control that already exists. We would not be at this juncture were it not for the voter penchant for blindly re-electing liberal politicians who will give them the most benefits. We are selling our last asset, our very liberty, to the devil.
I do not believe it is the government's "moral obligation" to provide healthcare for all anymore than it is the government's "moral obligation" to decide for me what and how much I eat, drink, smoke, where I live, what I drive, what type of radio or television programs I listen to etc., etc., etc.
This "health care" ploy is merely one more extraordinarily blatant attempt to coerce the entire country under the wing of the "save the world" mentality of the progressives/liberals/democrats. In their long, patient march throughout the years, the have finally reached the pinacle of their "success."
The progressive/liberal/democrat cadre are on the verge of literally taking over not only "health care" but the complete care and feeding of this entire country. The individual, formerly the backbone of this country, is about to be assimilated into the collective of the whole -- again under the guise of "Papa Government" taking better care of us than we are capable of doing ourselves.
In addition to being an extremely frightening possibility, it is an infinitely sad aspect to contemplate . . . that the strong, independent United States of America should come to this point.
I pray intensely our countrymen will come to their senses next year and make the correct choices to try to start to reverse the course of self-destruction on which "We the People" voted to set ourselves on 11/04/08.
2/26/2010
Wow, It was stated that Health care is not a moral issue,hmmmm
Please allow me to share a little story with you. As I watched my mom die from cancer, and Health care Insurance Companies dumped on her as if she was no more than a dog dieing on the side of the road, i dropped from and out of this system for over 30 years, and now because of system failure, the IT, has come into my life. As I watch Government Officials fight over this Health care Dollar, it reminds me of a bright sunny day in Tennessee while on a friends farm and a little bug flew in to the ground, and the chickens went plum off, boy oh boy the scawking and the feathers went shy high, so I reached down and I took this scared little Health Care Bug from Government Officials, and I have it safely in my hands. As I searched for a way to help, I asked God to help me build a Reform that is of a moral building block for the better good of man kind and to rebuild the National Security of the United states Of America. And you would never guess what God has allowed me to see. This little blog statement you will find true,
first;
I wish to give a great big thank you to all my new friends on the Internet for posting FASC Concepts in and for Pay It Forward.
This building block for a honest Health Care Reform has been a great experience and for any one who did not take part, you have truly missed out on what makes Americans Great. This diversity created by Government Officials has failed and now the eyes of 173 million American People watch as now, for the first time Government Officials sit down together as it should be. The out come is yet to be seen. But they know that a anomaly has been created and it is because of the restructuring of The Constitution, The Bill Of Rights, and The Declaration Of Independence, “has been used in it original created forum” as a factor of a peoples right to undo the amendments of Laws that protected Health Care Companies against the People, over a dollar.
And I wish to say i write what is needed in order that some how I can undo all the wrong I have done in hopes that the slate will be wiped clean....
Just because our children do not understand I wish to share this again,
“For days I worked the word diversity in my mind and it came to me that because of this it is not Americas weakness it is our greatest strength. And this is how I will show you.
Constitution-
Bill Of Rights -
The Declaration of Independence-
United under one forum, builds what is called the Trinity of the Protection Of Laws. This is because these Laws were built by people of faith who gave thanks to God for this wisdom. One would have to see and admire the simplicity of the three as one and at the same time they maintain their independence.”
On page 100 at our site is the early stages of what is called A Prime Directive for Health Care, so please drop on by and see 173 million peoples views in and for Health Care. And it should be known that this information on page 100 is true and documented in Law and History.
Henry Massingale
FASC Concepts in and for Pay It Forward
www.fascmovement.mysite.com on google look for page 1 American dream official site.
To see the true Health Care Tax forum you must stop thinking in 3-D,This multi tax forum is against a $100 Trillion Dollar system.. ...
To force pay into another system of failures within Health Care Insurance Groups.
This economy will not balance with this concept of a tax forum against the Health Care System. The issue of how to force pay into this system of Health Care may have worked but I am still troubled over the progressive tax forum within this Bill. It covers so many items and Countries that it only forces the system to adjust itself. In some areas, increases against the people and the troubled economy, and in other areas, less effects will be felt.
But this is my big problem, Government Officials seek help and they are to proud to ask us, “the true working force of Government.” It is understandable they have failed the People and within the United States Of America all we ask is to see us as who we are and not try to bring us into this world of the intellectual. I guess our Prime Directive is that of Star Trek, so it must be understood that for millions of people we are just as happy as can be making $13.00 per hour and we have no interest in this world of politics, and how to be a Enstine. Government Officials must understand that there is a level of people within different parts of this Country, that seek to be only that they find to make them happy.
As for this economy well, it is said that the U.S.A. Arms Division has created enough arsenal to destroy every last creature in the world 2 times over,built with tax dollars. This would be funny if not for the irony of it. And now as time has passed Government Officials keep failing. Before 9/11 all the way to today.
As it is in a world of a system, when employees continue to fail, one or two things happen, one; you get fired, two; if you see into a person a good, then it is political correct to implement a penalty or roll back in pay. But this implement of penalty is more favored in the course of action in the Federal Employment World. So how to fix the economy and unite it with the Health Care issue. It would be in the Countries best interest to implement a 10% per cent penalty against every State, County and Government Official within this Matrix of failures. Hey what is that old saying, what is good for the Goose is good for the Gander. I am serous about this, it is past due to show that our Government Officials they have failed, their system failure reaches into this world of warnings that they brush aside as if the information is not worthy noting. From Pearl Harbor to 9/11/2001 to 3/07/2010 of our tax system and Health Care Reform. This 10% per cent penalty should go into the Health Care Forum.
The big problem that Government Officials have is that they have no street credit. President Obama still has some but if he does not take his family and step away from these dueling Parties, that fight over this Health Care Dollar, and stand with Us he will lose all credit from the streets to the county.
President Obama, I would say to you, you have one last chance to regain the hopes and dreams of the American People. To reach out in a concept that states, if there is 250 million people in trouble because of these failures, I would give all my money to them and then I would say to all that I gave money to, “I have no money left, would you all please give me $1.00 back and then I would have $250. million dollars to start all over again.”
As for this $100,trillion dollar in site.............
Results 1 - 10 of about 685,000 for net worth of medicine development industry
Just to show how deep this Health Care Tax split petition reaches. The term split petition is used because of the Tax factor plan that is not seen because of the intent not to show a capital Taxing of close to a $100 trillion dollar package, a yearly system income, not profit.....
Some have stated that I clam to have spiritual in site or something of the sort. I assure you this is not true, so when I state that I asked God to help, it is my way of saying hey Bobby show me how to work on theses Chevy engines. But I do thank you for the consideration. Consider me a cross of Jethro Bodine from the Beverly Hill Billies with my 10th. Grade education and Vin Diesel from the move Pitch Black.
So drop on by and see page 100 at our site and follow the blue pill link
Health Care within a moral value, is to ,
{ GIVE LIFE TO HOPE WHERE THERE IS NONE }
Henry Massingale
FASC Concepts in and for Pay It Forward
www.fascmovement.mysite.com on google. yahoo, and Aol.com
please take the time and visit all my new friends on the net and if you wish to post with FASC Concepts you will be most welcomed. So join us and share your ideas as one in one voice.