Found In Translation

Has anyone really thought about why conservative Republicans haven't done any of the heavy lifting in healthcare reform? While some will point out - though not on any of the 24-hour news channels - that it was primarily Republicans that pushed and helped pass the Medicare Prescription Drug Act, it should be noted that this was nothing more than a nod to the drug companies and put wads of cash into the coffers of Republican politicians. The reason that it won't be mentioned is that it flies directly in the face of conservatives "anti-entitlement" mentality. And the last thing that Republicans want to have to defend is their actions that created any form of entitlement.

There are two things that conservatives continually and unflinchingly will claim: America has the greatest healthcare in the world and the currently proposed legislation will harm the economy and the American public. The only problem is the two fundamental flaws in these statements are simple to see. The former leaves out the reality of why sweeping change is needed in healthcare reform - far too many people can't afford it. And what they can afford ultimately isn't enough. The later continually makes members of the Republican party look like rank amateurs, as they can't craft any proposed legislation tha would accurately reflect their alleged ideals without wrecking healthcare even more.

The single most lauded form of healthcare reform is for "competition" - the ability for companies to sell their coverage across state lines. And while this sounds like a fantastic idea, it would ultimately create such mass deregulation that insurance companies that the level at which people would be insured would plummet. It would completely remove the mandiate that is supposed to dictate what providers have to cover.

And even though this deregulation would be harmful to the American public, conservative Republicans don't seem to understand this. Much in the same way that deregulation was one of the primary catalysts of the financial meltdown that began several years ago, deregulating the healthcare industry is precisely what the insurance providers want.

The larger question is whether or not Republicans realize that their ideals, their belief system, isn't able to me married with reform of healthcare or any industry that damages the nation. They don't realize that shopping for healthcare is in no way comparable to shopping for a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk on payday.

That is precisely why Republicans have literally done nothing to reform healthcare. It is precisely why they never will.