First off, I'm a little on the fence with my opinion about the health care bill being passed. On one hand, it's definitely a great thing that everyone can get coverage, and everyone agrees that our current system is pretty damn terrible. However, I think there are several problems that make me dubious of the newly passed health care reform bill:
1) Starting in 2014, it will be mandatory for all US citizens to buy the government health care. If you don't, you will be fined and possibly worse, depending on the situation. I think this is terrible and pretty damn unconstitutional. What if I don't want the government health care? What if I don't want a plan that covers maternity leave or drug abuse treatment, but I still have to pay for it all? What if I don't have the money for it? I'm not saying I'm not going to purchase the government plan (I'll have to), but there is definitely something wrong with forcing everyone who doesn't want to take part to do it anyway. That's not very fair.
2) Vaccines will also be mandatory. In the case that anything similar to swine flu comes out in the future (which it definitely will, but that's another barrel of fish) everyone will have to get vaccinated. It will be compulsory vaccination under the guise of volunteer based vaccination. Those who refuse the vaccine can (and likely will) be put into quarantine. This gives the government the power to essentially imprison those who don't follow their rules. And with all the bad shit surrounding vaccines in the past (the avian flu vaccine scandal, for example) I don't think I want to be vaccinated, but I certainly don't want to be quarantined. This illusion of "choice" also conflicts strongly with both my personal morals, and the whole idea of "American freedom."
3) Doctor-patient confidentiality is going to be essentially non-existent. Because health care will become a government run operation, this forces the health care system to share information with other government run operations. This probably won't effect you or me (hopefully), but it will effect a large amount of people. Say the FBI or homeland security decides that schizophrenics are at risk for committing terrorist attacks, or are just a general threat. This means that the FBI, now having access to all medical records, can simply put all schizophrenics on an FBI watch list. Does that sound constitutional to you? Just because someone has a mental disorder doesn't give anyone the right to tap their phone.
I'm sure there are more things that others are in an uproar about, but these three are my main concerns. I am glad that we'll have a better health care system, but is it worth it? I for one was definitely one of the people who would have liked to see the bill changed. I guess it's too late.
Related Links
-I wonder what will come of the states suing the feds over the bill.
-The fact that Obama, his senior staff, and congress are the only people NOT required to purchase the government plan makes me really fucking suspicious.
-Fact sheet about the health care bill.
