ObamaCare Ignores Previous and Present Failures At Universal Health Care

President Obama continues to bring feelings to a fact fight. He pontificates that mandated universal health care will control health care costs and is good for a failing economy. Yet, he lived in Hawaii which has failed at mandated universal health care coverage making one wonder, just how bad was his cocaine usage?

In 1994, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton declared, “The only place that has achieved nearly universal coverage and has less of a cost burden on its system is Hawaii.” The Clinton administration was so impressed with Hawaii, it got Congress to fund the QUEST program for the 2% uninsured most of whom were suffering from expensive chronic problems that private insurers avoid. Unfortunately, Ms. Clinton’s words contrast with the inconvenient facts because Hawaii’s employer mandate had a significant “cost burden” on small businesses and consequently on the uninsured. Since 1993, Hawaii has not been able to control premium inflation and in 2002 the uninsured levels in Hawaii were reported to be 9.7 percent. The small business problems have existed since the 1990 economic recovery evidenced by Hawaii’s 49th ranking in income growth, 43rd ranking in employment growth rate, the worst business bankruptcy rate and new business growth ranked 48th.

Massachusetts's universal health proponents felt mandating health insurance would cut premium costs 35-45% because the healthy 18-35 population would be contributing with minimal claims and the newly insured poor would forego ERs for cheaper access to primary care. Again, the inconvenient facts have struck liberal land and premiums are growing 7-13% annually and the insured poor are still using the ER rather than a primary care physician at a high rate.

Maine's Dirigo Health based its universal health success on eliminating "charity and bad debt" with a state run insurer not seeking profits or employing high salaried executives. It had one of the nation's "25 Most Powerful Women In Health Care" leading the effort but Dirigo Health has failed to insure the 135,000 it promised, has restricted enrollment, can not controlled costs and insures less than 9000 individuals.

These failed efforts at universal health care are the inconvenient facts that the Democratic Party, President Obama, the New York and Washington media quietly ignore. Not until health care reform focuses on reversing the costs projectory by inspiring the health care delivery system to be in the constant pursuit of excellence will health insurance premiums be affordable. And government mandating affordability through price controls and mandates is the fastest projectory to hyper inflation in health care.