Part 4. America: Is healthcare a right?

In Part 3 of this series, we saw that the current Healthcare/Health insurance debate is not exactly about a "right" as much as it is an "entitlement". That is, a subset of a Legal Right that is designated toward a particular class or group, not universally.

As an Entitlement, the conveyance of Healthcare Insurance to a broad class that does not currently have Health Insurance will require the expenditure of resources (recall from Part 1 we identified that all Americans currently have access to healthcare).

Where will those resources come from? This takes us to the true kernal of the proposals circulating in Congress. In the proposals currently under consideration, there is nothing of free-market proposals to expand the supply of healthcare insurance or to make healthcare insurance more affordable, thus expanding coverage.

No, the mechanism for expanding healthcare insurance coverage is massive redistribution of wealth. Through massive new taxes on "gold-plated private healthcare plans", income tax surcharges on higher earning individuals, taxes on medical devices (including condoms and tampons), the cost for increasing healthcare insurance coverage will be shifted to the most product parts of the economy. Huge fines and even the possibility of jail time are included as ways to force participation in the new government programs. In a very odd twist, the new taxes will start upon passage of the bills into law. The supposed "benefits" of new coverage will come into effect in 2013 or 2014. Thus, by taxing us for 10 years but supplying "benefits" for only 7 years, the sponsors of these hideously complicated pieces of legislation proudly trumpet that they are "defict neutral"

Healthcare, as currently supplied in America is already a right. The massive new programs envisioned by the Obama administration will turn it into a new, terribly expensive entitlement.

If are all to have the same type of healthcare benefits (not to apply to congress or federal employees of course), then why not some other "rights"?

*why should some folks have beach front homes but others don't

*why should some have big new cars, but others don't

*why should some go on cruises, but others can't

And on and on and on.......................