Mike, I suspect that the Dems think that SS is THEIR program, and they don' wan' no steenkin' Repubs fixing it. If the Bush plan had been introduced by a Demo Prez, we'd be well on our way to private accounts by now. Then, of course, there's the problem of all that power they'd give up by losing control of all that money.
On the healthcare thing, I'm not convinced that healthcare costs really ARE out of control. I recently had some blood work done, and I got a bill from the lab for about $130. That bill also went to my insurance company, and they allowed about $20 for the work, and paid the lab $17. My co-pay was $3. So, even though the lab tried to bill $130, their "real" charge was $20. Now, if I could get bloodwork done for $20 myself, I wouldn't need health insurance.
The problem, to my way of thinking, isn't healthcare costs, it's healthcare CHARGES by the providers. If providers would charge individuals what they accept from the insurers, we wouldn't need insurers. |
