Say Anything Blog

Of course, the big lie in that poll question is that government health care would actually be cheaper.  And to what extent will the government be meddling in our health affairs?

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A new national poll indicates that most Americans are receptive to having more government influence over their health care in return for lower costs and more coverage.

Sixty-three percent of people questioned in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Friday said they would favor an increase in the federal government’s influence over their own health-care plans in an attempt to lower costs and provide coverage to more Americans; 36 percent were opposed.

First, government health care isn’t cheap.  Go to Canada.  Look at what things cost there.  Everything is a whole lot more expensive there than here.  That’s because Canada has a big, expensive nationalized health care system to pay for.  That’s why anyone living within 100 - 200 miles of America’s northern border knows all about Canadians taking weekend and holiday excursions into America to buy up as much stuff as they can to bring back across the border.  Because things are so expensive up north that driving hundreds of miles to shop is a viable alternative to just paying what Canadian businesses have to charge.

As for greater government influence, “influence” is a rather vague term.  It’s easy to say that you’re for more influence.  It’s a much different matter when you’re 70 years old and the government won’t let you get cancer treatment because you’re considered too old to be worth fixing.  Or when you’re 40 pounds overweight and you’re told you’re too fat to get a hip replacement.

Once the government started making those decisions for us - and remember that those decisions are already being made for people in places like Canada and Great Britain - I think a lot fewer people would be in favor of it.

And let’s remember that America is the great pressure relief valve for nationalized health care systems all over the world.  Canadians can always opt out of their crappy health care system and come to America to get all the care they need.  Britons can pay less for their prescription drugs under government price controls because the companies that make them can make up the difference by charging more in America.  If America turns to nationalized health care, the repurcussions will hit more than just Americans.