Re: [asa] health care

On Sep 26, 2009, at 7:05 AM, Alexanian, Moorad wrote:

> I think Rush Limbaugh said it right, if the government controls
> healthcare, then the government will control all aspects of your
> life-- what you eat, what is sold, what kind of car you can buy,
> what kind of car can be manufactured, and on and on. Is that what we
> want?
> Moorad

Or we can get what we have now with the latest Harvard Medical School
study -- http://www.harvardscience.harvard.edu/medicine-health/articles/new-study-finds-45000-deaths-annually-linked-lack-health-coverage
  -- where 45,000 people die per year for lack of health insurance.
That's at a rate of more than homicide and drunk driving combined. Or
once every twelve minutes. Talk about death panels. But that's just
statistics, let's put a human face on it.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/reported-swine-flu-victim-remembered-for-her-passion-315472.html

> OXFORD — Friends say the Miami University graduate who died this
> week after reportedly suffering from swine flu delayed getting
> medical treatment because she did not have health insurance.
>
> News of Kimberly Young’s death Wednesday, Sept. 23, came as a shock
> to those who knew the vibrant 22-year-old who was working at least
> two jobs in Oxford after graduating with a double major in December
> 2008.
>
> Young became ill about two weeks ago, but didn’t seek care initially
> because she didn’t have health insurance and was worried about the
> cost, according to Brent Mowery, her friend and former roommate.
>
> Mowery said Young eventually went to an urgent care facility in
> Hamilton where she was given pain medication and then sent home.
>
> On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Young’s condition suddenly worsened and her
> roommate drove her to McCullough Hyde Memorial Hospital in Oxford,
> where she was flown in critical condition to University Hospital in
> Cincinnati.
>
> “That’s the most tragic part about it. If she had insurance, she
> would have gone to the doctor,” Mowery said.

The "Christian" argument against insuring the uninsured usually goes
like this: charity is voluntary and the government should not compel
it. Scripture says otherwise. Contrast the degree of difference of
compulsion between these two passage:

Philemon 10-11
I am appealing to (or encouraging) you concerning my child, whose
spiritual father I have become during my imprisonment, that is,
Onesimus, who was formerly useless to you, but is now useful to you
and me.

1 Timothy 6:17-18
Command those who are rich in this world’s goods not to be haughty or
to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who
richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Tell them to do
good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with
others. [Note: Because of the length and complexity of the Greek
sentence, a new sentence is started at the beginning of v. 18.]

With respect to taxes the difference between the believer and
unbeliever is that the believer gives and pays his/her taxes joyfully.
They both can and should be generous -- particularly if they are rich
-- but they have a different attitude. So, Christians may seek to
change what they believe are unwise tax policies but on the other hand
would not be the ones not showing up at the "tea parties" to protest.
See Romans 13.

Romans 13:1-7
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is
no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that
exist have been instituted by God. So the person who resists such
authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will
incur judgment (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for
bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will
receive its commendation, for it is God’s servant for your good. But
if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain.
It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer.
Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the
wrath of the authorities but also because of your conscience. For
this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants
devoted to governing. Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes
are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is
due, honor to whom honor is due.

Finally, the government does have the right to compel generosity out
of the rich when the poor are being oppressed. See Nehemiah 5. There
Nehemiah the governor saw how the people were starving because rich
mortgage holders seized the collateral of their countrymen. He brought
the rich in and forced them to curse themselves before God if they did
not help the poor.

I don't have a dog in this hunt with respect on how to fix the system.
The WHO has ranked the U.S. system as number 37. If you look at the 36
countries in front of us they look very different from each other. The
British have socialized medicine, the Canadians single payer, and the
Dutch heavily regulated private health insurance providers. Where the
U.S. is unique is we are the only industrialized democracy who does
not have universal coverage and a majority of personal bankruptcies
caused by medical costs, even for those who have insurance. The U.S.
has the number one health care system FOR RICH PEOPLE. As in
Nehemiah's time the poor are dying for lack of generosity of the rich.
His response still applies:

Nehemiah 5:13
Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials swear
to do what had been promised. I also shook out my garment, and I said,
“In this way may God shake out from his house and his property every
person who does not carry out this matter. In this way may he be
shaken out and emptied!” All the assembly replied, “So be it!” and
they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised.

Rich Blinne
Member ASA

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Received on Sat Sep 26 10:34:08 2009