Should We Repeal Obamacare?

Let's get one think straight first, the U.S. has one of the best, if not THE best, health care system in the world. We lead the pack on advances in medicine, research and generation after generation, we are living longer and healthier lives. That being said, our health INSURANCE system is tragically flawed.

As it stands, affording health insurance is a difficult task for many Americans and their families. So, what needs to be fixed is not so much the quality of the care we receive but rather, access to that care and the the ability to afford it. If anyone disagrees, I'd appreciate your input.

I attempted to read H.R. 3590 but there were so many references to other bills, amendments and laws that I either couldn't find or didn't want to read, that it was nearly impossible for me to comprehend. I have a child to raise, a family to take care of, school to attend... let's just say I gave it my best shot. What I ended up doing was a side-by-side comparison of the important points from each side of the political fence. I was willing to give H.R. 3590 the benefit of the doubt but after everything I read, from both Republican and Democratic websites, the bill still came up lacking.

Look, I'm not totally against a government run program, but only as a last resort. Our health insurance issues go beyond just making doctors and insurance companies care for the uninsured. Additionally, I have issues with the provision that makes it mandatory that everyone purchase health insurance by 2013 or you are assessed a fine by the IRS. About the only thing I found that I liked was the provision making insurance companies cover patients with pre-existing conditions. As a person with a pre-existing condition, I found it difficult to find affordable medical insurance and when I did, they refused to cover anything that had to do with my pre-existing condition, preventative or otherwise. As a previously self employed person, it became so expensive to pay for my insurance and my expensive prescriptions (despite my doctor and the Rx companies help) I had to go out and get a "real job." However, this doesn't mean I am necessarily in favor of Obamacare.

Obamacare doesn't account for the actual issues we have with health insurance.

•         Tort actions are a large reason our doctor bills are so high. Doctors have to pay exorbitant premiums and mostly choose to settle out of court in order to avoid trial. Doctors order many expensive (and sometimes unnecessary) tests in an effort to avoid a law suit.
•         Portability is something I've been researching and the more I research, the more I like it. Portability will allow a worker to take their insurance with them when they leave a company. With portability, the employee can negotiate a reasonable wage to cover their insurance premiums or negotiate with their new employer to have them pay a percentage of their health insurance premiums. That way the individual is in charge of what kind of plan they have and how much they choose to spend.
•       More focus on Health-Insurance Savings Accounts. An employer could contribute a certain dollar amount into a HSA and if the employee needs to go to the doctor for any reason they would pay the doctor directly from that savings account. HSAs eliminate the necessity of a billing department and eliminates the wait for payment for the doctor. Cutting out the billing middle-man cuts down on the doctors overhead, thus passing the savings on to the patient.
•       Allowing insurance companies to do business in other states. This issue is what I believe to be the biggest problem with our current health insurance system. As it stands, if you live in a state where there exists only one health insurance provider, you are limited to using that provider and paying what they dictate are the necessary costs. If the costs are too high, the employer will pass those costs on to the employee. If the state borders are opened up, and health insurance companies are allowed to compete the way car insurance and home owners insurance companies compete, health insurance companies will be forced to become more competitive, thus lowering costs to the patients.

As I have done in previous posts, I pose questions. My questions are meant to stimulate conversation and, quite frankly, to get some answers. I don't have all the answers and I'm not so close minded as to think that sometimes, on occasion, my opinions are wrong. With that being said, here we go:

   1.) If Obamacare is such a great plan, why do over 1,000 companies now have vouchers exempting them from participating?
   2.) If the above bullet points are the major culprits for the high cost of health insurance, why aren't those issues addresses in Obama's health care bill?
   3.) Why is there a penalty assessed by the IRS if an individual does not purchase health care insurance? Isn't that technically a tax?
   4.) Why jump straight into a government run system when there are such obvious issues with Medicare and Medicaid?
   5.) When has the Federal Government ever been able to run a national program efficiently? Is it truly possible for Obama's health care plan to save the average tax payer money?

Now I am seeing that Michelle Bachman found $105 BILLION mandatory spending fund hidden in the bill. I'm not sure if this has been substantiated yet, but if it turns out to be true, can we afford this? We are currently struggling with a 1.3 trillion dollar deficit.

Again, keep it clean and civil. I'm looking for answers, not enemies.