One thing is sure: Health program costs in the United States are soaring. But is the big spending at taxpayers’ expense assuring better health?
We usually think of food, housing and clothing as the really big cost necessities of life. But last year, spending for medical care took a total of 17.3 percent of our whole national economy, the government reported.
That’s a record high.
Federal and state spending on Medicare and Medicaid was responsible for a nearly 10 percent one-year jump in medical spending.
The cost was reported to be about $2.5 trillion!
We all want all of our people to have whatever medical care is really needed. But the sudden jump in spending through government programs should make us ask how much of the increased spending really improved health care, and how much of it may not have achieved real health benefits.
While the 2009 increase in medical spending was a record one-year increase, President Barack Obama and the Democrats in majority in Congress are demanding even more spending through ObamaCare.
Is much more spending really justified? Is “government” the right agent to assure health improvements?
Remember, whatever programs government adopts must be paid for by the American taxpayers, either currently or through greatly increased debt, plus interest. Our federal government already is running far more than a trillion dollars in the red each year.
Obviously, the higher costs of medical care need to be carefully examined, and the effectiveness should be honestly evaluated before an additional trillion-dollar burden is imposed upon the American people.
Politics should be set aside for consideration of real medical benefits, real best methods, real economics — and real taxes.