Health Care Comments
May 05, 2009
*On the May 2-3, 2009 edition of U.S. Farm Report, host John Phipps commented on health care in rural America - perspective that generated quite a bit of viewer response. We are posting John's comments in full, followed by the viewer reaction...
John's World Commentary:
THIS WEEK I HAD A VISIT ON OUR FARM FROM AN OLD FRIEND PASSING THROUGH. HE USED TO BE MY FERTILIZER AND SEED SALESMAN BEFORE HE MOVED BACK HOME TO BE CLOSER TO HIS FAMILY FARM.
NOW HE AND HIS BROTHER ARE BOTH WORKING OFF-FARM JOBS AND TRYING TO GROW THEIR OPERATION. IN DESCRIBING THEIR PLANS, HE CASUALLY SAID SOMETHING THAT NEARLY BROKE MY HEART. WE'RE HOPING TO ADD SOME RENTED GROUND SO WE CAN BRING DAD BACK TO THE FARM, HE SAID. HIS FATHER, WHO IS ABOUT MY AGE, HAD TO LEAVE THE FARM TO WORK IN A FACTORY TO GET AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE AFTER HAVING HEALTH PROBLEMS.
THE DEVOTION OF THE BROTHERS WAS PROFOUNDLY TOUCHING, AS WAS THE PREDICAMENT OF THE PARENTS. INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INSURANCE IS BECOMING ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO OBTAIN AT ANY PRICE AFTER AGE 50. BEING GROUPLESS CHAINS TOO MANY TO OFF-FARM JOBS. STATE PROGRAMS TO ASSIST SUCH UNINSURABLES ARE OVERWHELMED.
I FAVOR FREE MARKET SOLUTIONS AS A RULE, BUT THIS MARKET IS BROKEN. AS THE NUMBER OF UNINSURED GROWS AND EMPLOYER COVERAGE DECREASES, THE LINKAGE BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT AND HEALTH INSURANCE BECOMES MORE UNWORKABLE.
AMERICA CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS. WHILE I OPPOSE FIRST DOLLAR COVERAGE AND SINGLE PAYER PROGRAMS, HEALTH CARE REFORM, INCLUDING COST CONTAINMENT AND UNIVERSAL ACCESS SHOULD BE A TOP PRIORITY FOR FARMERS AND NON-FARMERS ALIKE.
*Viewer Comments:
I believe you are right that health care needs repair. However I believe that it has to be a overall that makes sense. First we need to have a meaningful tort reform. When we have 10 lawyer commercials to 1 on health products their is a problem. With that we need some control on profits by drug companies, hospitals, doctors and other health care services. I do not want the government to run banks, car companies and health care. They are not very efficient. I hope they leave this to meaningful thought.
Delwyn E Larson
Phoenix, AZ
Glad to see john can use an isolated incident to promote socialism
the health industry would not be served if we had to go through a bureaucrat to get an appointment to see a doctor----and can you imagine how much graft would be built into that industry if the politicians were allow to infiltrate it???
Don Beaver
We are farmers here in central Ohio and our OPPOSED to a Government run health care system !! We are on Medi-Gold and it is an EXCELLENT health care system !! If Obama gets a government run health care system it will be VERY COSTLEY and will be POORLEY RUN !!! KEEP the Government OUT of health care !! People from other countries with Gov. run health care come to the U.S. when they can NOT get treated in their country !!!
Joe Fox family
Lancaster, Ohio
John, are you a conservative or a liberal? If this is your first time to comment on national health care, what took you so long? First Lady of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton was trying to do something 16 years ago in January 1993. The conservatives killed it with the "Harry and Louise" television ad. Shame on them!
I know and you probably know of people our age waiting to get surgery done after they are old enough to get it paid for with Medicare. You and I should be mortified to live in the wealthiest country in the world with this poor of national health care.
We should immediately support a Medicare buy in for those of us over age 50. A rate similar to the cost of health care at a very large profitable corporation health group would be fair. Eventually something like this should be available to everyone. Medicare is not perfect, but I don't hear many conservatives attacking it. This could be done without raising taxes!
Chuck Gensler
Shullsburg, WI
