Fight Government Encroachment into Healthcare!
19. Jun, 2009 
13 Comments
by Rep. Ron Paul
With a faltering economy, and skyrocketing costs, healthcare continues to be a critical issue for all Americans. Unfortunately government encroachment into the doctor/patient relationship is poised to exacerbate our problems with healthcare.
As an OB/GYN with over 30 years of experience in private practice, I understand that one of the foundations of quality healthcare is the patient’s confidence that all information shared with his or her healthcare provider will remain private.
And yet, the Federal Government plans to undermine this trust with establishment of mandatory electronic medical records collections and “unique health identifier” numbers assigned to all Americans.
Funding for this program was among the numerous provisions jammed into the stimulus bill rushed through Congress earlier this year.
Electronic medical records that are part of the federal system will only receive the protection granted by the federal “medical privacy rule.” This misnamed rule actually protects the ability of government officials and state-favored special interests to view private medical records without patient consent.
Aside from those concerns, the government’s ability to protect medical records is highly questionable. After all, we are all familiar with cases where third parties obtained access to electronic veteran, tax, and other records because of errors made by federal bureaucrats.
We should also consider the abuse of IRS records by administrations of both parties. What would happen if unscrupulous politicians gained the power to access their political enemies’ electronic medical records?
For these reasons I have introduced the Protect Patients’ and Physicians’ Privacy Act, HR 2630, which allows patients and physicians to opt out of any federally mandated, created, or funded electronic medical records system. The bill also repeals sections of federal law establishing a “unique health identifier” and requires patient consent before any electronic medical records can be released to a 3rd party.
I have also introduced the Coercion is Not Health Care Act, HR 2629. This legislation forbids the federal government from forcing any American to purchase health insurance, or conditioning participation in any federal program on the purchase of health insurance.
Forcing Americans to purchase government-approved health insurance is a back door approach to creating a government-controlled healthcare system. Congress would define what policies and coverage requirements satisfy their mandate.
Does anyone then doubt that what conditions and treatments are covered would be determined by who has the most effective lobby? Or that Congress would be capable of writing a mandatory insurance policy that fits the unique needs of every individual in the United States?
With these conditions in place, I foresee the eventual imposition of price controls and limitations on what procedures and treatments that are covered.
This will result in an increasing number of providers turning to “cash only” practices, making it difficult for those relying on the government-mandated insurance to find healthcare – the exact opposite of the desired result! Consider the increasing number of physicians who are already withdrawing from the Medicare program because of the low reimbursement and constant bureaucratic harassment from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Congress should put the American people back in charge of healthcare by expanding healthcare tax credits and deductions, increasing access to Health Savings Accounts, respecting privacy and the doctor/patient relationship.
Further politicizing and bureaucratizing of healthcare will only increase costs and reduce quality, as demonstrated by most other countries with socialized medicine.
Ron Paul is a republican member of Congress from Texas.
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I wonder how many people would be willing to throw you in jail if you didn't want to participate in their mandatory national health plan…….American freedom at its finest, right?
We need to get liberals to understand what the individual mandate is all about. Real health care reform will involve getting out of the inflationary spiral produced by traditional insurance schemes. It won't involve insurance companies The individual mandate is a crass attempt by the insurance lobby to shut down such reform by herding everyone into their pen through force of law.
I haven't been following this issue as closely as I should. By individual mandate – do you mean some kind of legal requirement that each person has health insurance? And they get fined for not buying something – kind of like Mitt Romney's program in Mass?
Yes. Obama campaign opposed to this proposal, but is already equivocating and indicates now that he will not veto a bill featuring such a provision. Of course that's exactly what the insurance lobbyists, and thus Congress, have in mind.
Yes. Obama campaigned opposed to this proposal, but is already equivocating and indicates now that he will not veto a bill featuring such a provision. Of course that's exactly what the insurance lobbyists, and thus Congress, have in mind.
Well, isn't that a surprise, right?
I guess that's just what we'll get when we allow the government to have such massive power over these issues. Then all the leeches, the lobbyists, and everyone wanting a handout or a kickback start pressing for "change"
As distasteful as it might be, we need to enlist the aid of the socialists in opposing this provision. There reasons may be different from ours, but they will be opposed to any bill that enriches corporation at the public's expense. We need to show them that that is exactly what this is. We should seize the common ground and buy some time for more sensible reform strategies.
The good news today is that the "Obamacare" mess is stalling badly and may well fail.
I sure hope you're right, Trouble, or I'm sure we're going to have to start pushing state legislators to issue legislation refusing to abide by this unconstitutional monster.
By the way, if you haven't seen Ron Paul's video on this subject, it's definitely worth a few minutes of your time.
[youtube foXQbmZxWYY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foXQbmZxWYY youtube]
Very nice article. I agree that EMR is the important in health care it has many benefits but putting people behind bars because they don`t bend to the willingness of govt is wrong way to go.
John, I like your perspective on this. The use of force and jailing people for not wanting to go along with every new program that they throw at us is clearly repugnant to the ideals of a free society.
These crooks need to learn a lesson. What we need to do is ban together and seek to recall these Senators who are pushing this unconstitutional health care tax on all of us. We need to show those that think they’re in power that the power rests with the people and that those who would abuse their seat will be held accountable. Anyone interested in working with me on this please contact me at dgleads@yahoo.com
Damon- you might be on to something…we certainly need to build bridges and, as Sun Tzu so rightly stated long, long ago – "The enemy of my enemy is my friend"