Its The Insurance Industry Stupid

First of all, Massachusetts should be commended that they actually tried to do something about their health care problem, one that affects every single state in this country. Unfortunately the problems of their individual mandatory insurance program for every citizen of the Bay State are starting to show and is evidence that it isn't just government involvement with the insurance companies that we need to address. The real issue is that we are dealing with and allowing the continuance of the insurance companies themselves. The problem is that they put profit ahead of patients' health and when the government starts to pay them instead of just the individual, it is obvious that costs will soar.

From RawStory:

Costs are soaring and Massachusetts lawmakers are weighing a dollar-a-pack hike in the state's cigarette tax to help pay for a larger-than-expected enrollment in the law's subsidized insurance plans.

But that hasn't dampened enthusiasm at the Statehouse. Leaders there boast that in the two years since former Gov. Mitt Romney signed the law with a choreographed flourish at historic Faneuil Hall, the number of insured residents has soared by nearly 350,000.

Along the way the law has been scrutinized by other states, sparked the ire of critics on the right and left, and drawn the attention of presidential candidates.

"It's the very first question I get when I'm with other governors," said Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. "I don't think anybody is prepared to say that what we have done here in Massachusetts is necessarily the formula for the rest of the country or for a national reform, but at least we are trying."

Yes Deval, it does show you are trying, but running on a treadmill isn't going to get you going anywhere except for working up a sweat. Hillary Clinton is proposing pretty much the same thing for the country and although we could pay for the massive program with the money that we throw away in Iraq, the underlying problem remains. Not only will people be giving their money to an insurance system that is wholly inadequate, we'll have the Federal government paying for it as well.

What we need is true reform. It is a shame that no one will step up and carry that flag on the political battlefield. Massachusetts did its duty as a state to try out a new way of dealing with health insurance, but trying something doesn't mean it'll end up succeeding.