Governor Ritter; same old politics…

The Denver Post has an article featuring insurance company executives that believe if the current federal healthcare bill passes, the system will collapse. And they are right since insurance companies will be forced to accept patients that have chosen not to pay for insurance but still cover their illnesses. So for example, I can refuse to buy health insurance, pay the penalty which is much cheaper than the insurance premium, and if I happen to get sick, the insurance company will have to sell me a policy to cover my illness. A recipe for disaster. For the record, I believe it is not only dangerous to have a federal mandated healthcare policy; it is unconstitutional and would not recognize it as Governor.

But our current Governor Bill Ritter is chastising the Insurance executives which is like shooting fish in a barrel, issuing this statement in the Post; “It is self-serving, untrue, desperate effort by the insurance industry to protect its excessive profits- and one that cannot be taken seriously.” Let’s unpack this with an eye toward the government’s role in this fiasco. First, my standard question is, do you trust the government to handle your health since their results are abysmal in every attempt they make at any program they create? Is it “self-serving” of big government advocates to take away freedom, choice, and individual opportunity when it comes to healthcare? I have to ask, when is the last time a politician was true to their word? Protecting “excessive” profits needs a definition of the word excessive so I ask, Governor Ritter, how do you define “excessive profits?” And finally, who is taking anything the government is saying seriously about the cost of this program?

It is easy to malign corporate executives but it is just as easy to turn the mirror in the face of politicians like Governor Ritter who believe in big government solutions over people driven solutions. He needs to understand that profits are not evil and are the reason this country can afford to be so benevolent. Insurance companies are not the entire problem but I agree the healthcare insurance business must change. Corporate executives and government bureaucrats both need to get out of the relationships between doctors and patients. This governor should be protecting our state from the out of control federal spending. But that would be a lot to ask for from a governor that finds solutions only in big government programs. After all he must stay lock step with the Democratic Party machine that cares about one thing and it’s not your health; it’s having power over you…