Is Trump on Thursday Announcing Another Awful Health Care Executive Order?
No, Thank You
For honest conservatives and less government fans, President Donald Trump’s Administration has been a most pleasant surprise.
Trump has been the most conservative chief executive since at least Calvin Coolidge.
(Yes, Trump’s tenure is way more conservative than Ronald Reagan’s. Reagan did nothing about regulations. And there was no serious thought put into the choice of judges and Justices - See: Sandra Day O’Connor.)
And I certainly understand Trump’s frustration with the festering, inert cesspool that is Congress.
As a lifelong non-politician, Trump had to actually accomplish things. And any honest assessment of his career - says he accomplished more than a little bit.
Now, Trump stares down Pennsylvania Avenue at a bunch of talentless, thirty-term know-and-do-nothings. A 535-person violin orchestra - fiddling away while America burns.
So I get Trump’s desire to do things all by his onesies. And if his Executive Orders (EOs) are within his office’s Constitutional confines - and the policies he enacts are good - then all is well. And very, VERY often has been.
However, Trump has already once WAY missed the EO policy mark on health care.
After years of being exactly right about foreign subsides of - and price controls on - prescription drugs…
Two Years Ago Trump Video: ‘Foreign (Drug) Price Controls…Global Freeloading…Very Unfair’
…Trump signed an executive order demanding we import the “global freeloading…very unfair…foreign (drug) price controls.”
Which - amongst very many other terrible things - cuts off at the knees our drug creators. Who - because of the planet’s “very unfair…global freeloading…foreign (drug) price controls” - are the just about the only drug creators on the planet.
That’s really not good if you’re hoping for more drugs to be created.
The US health care system is (slightly) less collectivist than the health care systems of the nations of the rest of the planet. Importing their bigger government - or emulating it - is never a good idea.
On Thursday, Trump will be appearing in North Carolina:
“President Donald Trump will visit Charlotte on Thursday to discuss his healthcare policies, according to a White House official.
“President Trump is expected to discuss his administration’s action and vision in delivering quality healthcare at low costs….”
Most unfortunately, little birdies have informed me that a key component of Trump’s presentation - will be announcing a new Executive Order that will impose the awful, anti-freedom, anti-doctor, price-controlling, Big Insurance cronyism known as Surprise Medical Billing (SMB) “reform.”
What is Surprise Medical Billing?:
“‘Surprise medical bill’ is a term commonly used to describe charges arising when an insured individual inadvertently receives care from an out-of-network provider.
“This situation could arise in an emergency when the patient has no ability to select the emergency room, treating physicians, or ambulance providers.
“Surprise medical bills might also arise when a patient receives planned care from an in-network provider (often, a hospital or ambulatory care facility), but other treating providers brought in to participate in the patient’s care are not in the same network.”
It is absolutely terrible when you need immediate and serious medical attention, and you find out after the fact that your ambulance crew and surgeon were covered by your insurance - but your anesthesiologist and rehabilitation providers were not. So you don’t get covered for those services - you get billed for them.
But our health care system and its insurance coverage are this ridiculously balkanized - because there is already too much government clogging the arteries.
So far, DC’s attempt to address SMB - have added more government…in the awfullest possible ways.
Oh : And it is a big wet kiss - to big crony Big Insurance.
‘Crisis!!!’: Congress Should Practice #SocialDistancing from Socialist Medicine:
“What retiring Tennessee Republican Senator Lamar Alexander is attempting to insert into the US Senate’s China Virus “Crisis!!!” bill – is not arbitration.
“It is Socialist price setting – to benefit huge insurance companies.
“And oh look: From 2013-2018, Alexander’s top donor – by far – was huge insurance company Blue Cross-Blue Shield.
“So as Alexander leaves Capitol Hill – and sails off into the prospective K Street lobbying sunset – it appears he’s giving a titanic goodbye present to one of his biggest benefactors….
“Government (would be) setting ALL (health care) payment rates…predicated upon insurance company benchmark rates.
“Government would use the numbers the insurance companies want to be paid – as the baseline numbers they impose upon the marketplace.
“This is the harmonic convergence height of Socialism and Cronyism.”
This awful idea - has been kicking around DC for quite a while:
“A Terrible Surprise Bill from Congress – For Christmas. Ho Ho No
“Because bad ideas never die – they go to Congress and college campuses.”
And now, I am hearing Trump is about to unilaterally impose all of this awfulness - upon every health care provider that takes Medicare patients. Which is just about every health care provider.
But as a lifelong non-politician, Trump may be missing a key component of the brilliant republic our brilliant Founding Fathers bestowed upon us:
Often Congress doesn’t get something done - because those somethings are awful.
Washington, DC: Don't Just Do Something - Stand There
Our governmental system is designed to allow We the People to stop Congress from inflicting terrible stuff upon us:
“Congress shall make no law…prohibiting…the right of the people…to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Sometimes a bill doesn’t become law - because it’s terrible.
As is the case with DC’s SMB “reform.”
Trump shouldn’t give this idiocy life.
He should allow it to die the death We the People have time and again said we wish for it.
This first appeared in Red State.