Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Government-controlled health insurance may politicize health

Paul Hsieh, MD
Policy
March 25, 2010
3 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

During President Obama’s final push for “universal health care” legislation, his biggest obstacle was not Republicans but rather anti-abortion Democrats let by Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Michigan).

Stupak eventually reached a last-minute deal with the White House on federal funding of abortion services. But no one should be surprised that under government-controlled health insurance, medical coverage decisions will be based on political considerations. Rather, the recent wrangling over abortion will be a mere preview of special-interest battles to come as health care becomes a permanent political football.

Abortion has already been a political football in those sectors of health insurance under government control. In 1985, the Department of Defense denied abortion coverage for women with military health insurance unless the mother’s life was in danger. In 1988, the DOD issued additional rules prohibiting women from obtaining abortions with their own private money at military facilities overseas. President Clinton reversed this ban in 1993, but anti-abortion lawmakers reinstated it in 1995 through the defense appropriations bill.

Women covered by the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) have been similarly affected. Over the past thirty years, their abortion coverage has also swung from permitted to highly restricted depending on which political party was in power.

Nor will the problem of politicized health benefits be confined to abortion. ObamaCare gives the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) the authority to determine which preventive health services must be covered by private insurance. The USPSTF is the same group that recently issued controversial guidelines recommending that screening mammography be restricted to women over age 50, despite the fact that medical organizations such as the American Cancer Society have long recommended routine mammography beginning at age 40, based on years of scientific research.

Due to public outrage, the Senate later amended its bill to override the USPSTF guidelines — in this particular case. As with abortions for military families, mammography coverage under government-controlled health insurance was determined primarily by politics and lobbying. Similar lobbying will occur as Americans start demanding coverage for other procedures not approved by the USPSTF, such as virtual colonography (a new method of detecting early colon cancer which President Obama himself recently underwent).

Such lobbying is already a constant feature under the Massachusetts system of mandatory insurance in place since 2006, which was the model for ObamaCare. Under any system of mandatory insurance, the government must necessarily determine what constitutes an “acceptable” policy. This creates a giant magnet for special interest groups seeking to include their favorite benefit in the mandatory package.

Massachusetts residents must therefore purchase numerous benefits they may neither need nor want, such as in vitro fertilization and chiropractor services. Since 2006, special interest groups have successfully lobbied to include 16 new benefits in the mandatory package (including lay midwives, orthotics, and drug abuse treatment) — and the state legislature is considering 70 more.

Although I am pro-choice on abortion, abortion opponents should not be forced to fund another woman’s abortion. More broadly, individuals have the right to spend their own money for their benefit according to their values. ObamaCare would violate that right by forcing each person to spend his own money on terms set by lobbyists and bureaucrats, rather than based on his individual needs and values.

Instead of politically-controlled mandatory health insurance, we need free-market reforms that allow consumers to decide which benefits they wish to purchase. Such reforms include eliminating mandatory benefits, allowing insurers to compete across state lines, and allowing patients to use Health Savings Accounts for routine expenses, and low-cost “catastrophic-only” plans to cover rare expensive events.

Not only would these reforms reduce insurance costs by up to 50 percent, they would respect each individual’s right to make insurance decisions for himself.

Government-controlled health insurance will mean politically-controlled medicine — not only with respect to abortion but for health services in general. ObamaCare will turn medicine into a game of permanent political football, where the politically favored perpetually pound ordinary Americans without special “pull.” Until we replace ObamaCare with free-market reforms, Americans had better get used to being the permanent tackling dummies for special-interest groups.

Paul Hsieh is a radiologist and co-founder of Freedom and Individual Rights in Medicine at www.WeStandFIRM.org.

Submit a guest post and be heard.

Prev

Doctors need protected time away from the pager

March 25, 2010 Kevin 10
…
Next

Cancer side effects are being ignored by the media

March 25, 2010 Kevin 2
…

Tagged as: Public Health & Policy

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Doctors need protected time away from the pager
Next Post >
Cancer side effects are being ignored by the media

More by Paul Hsieh, MD

  • Why doctors should not ask patients about guns: A conservative case

    Paul Hsieh, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    How will ObamaCare affect prostate cancer screening?

    Paul Hsieh, MD
  • a desk with keyboard and ipad with the kevinmd logo

    My iPad and my hip fracture

    Paul Hsieh, MD

More in Policy

  • Unveiling the global pandemic threat: insights into risk factors and urgent measures for prevention

    Ton La, Jr., MD, JD
  • Why the WHO’s pandemic accord is critical for global health care

    Elizabeth Métraux
  • The revolutionary Kaiser-Geisinger deal: How health care giants are reshaping the industry and empowering patients

    Robert Pearl, MD
  • Unveiling the intricate link between housing costs and health care

    Harvey Castro, MD, MBA
  • Uncovering the truth about racial health inequities in America: a book review

    John Paul Mikhaiel, MD
  • Why affirmative action is crucial for health equity and social justice in medicine

    Katrina Gipson, MD, MPH
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the intricate link between housing costs and health care

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Breaking free from restrictive covenants to combat burnout

      Raya E. Kheirbek, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Breaking free from restrictive covenants to combat burnout

      Raya E. Kheirbek, MD | Physician
    • Fixing the system and prioritizing patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From medical student to intern: Discovering a deeper connection with patients

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the global pandemic threat: insights into risk factors and urgent measures for prevention

      Ton La, Jr., MD, JD | Policy
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 28 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Novel IDH1/2 Inhibitor Shows 'Dramatic Effect' in Low-Grade Glioma
  • Nivolumab-AVD Boosts PFS in Untreated Hodgkin Lymphoma
  • 'You Can't Yoga Your Way Out of This': What We Heard This Week
  • New Standard in Operable EGFR-Positive Lung Cancer
  • New Ovarian Cancer Drug Extends Survival in Resistant Disease

Meeting Coverage

  • Novel IDH1/2 Inhibitor Shows 'Dramatic Effect' in Low-Grade Glioma
  • Nivolumab-AVD Boosts PFS in Untreated Hodgkin Lymphoma
  • New Standard in Operable EGFR-Positive Lung Cancer
  • New Ovarian Cancer Drug Extends Survival in Resistant Disease
  • Neoadjuvant Chemo Flops Versus Upfront Surgery for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Physician entrepreneurs offer hope for burned out doctors

      Cindy Rubin, MD | Physician
    • Boxing legends Tyson and Foreman: powerful lessons for a resilient and evolving health care future

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Is chaos in health care leading us towards socialized medicine? How physician burnout is a catalyst.

      Howard Smith, MD | Physician
    • We need a new Hippocratic Oath that puts patient autonomy first

      Jeffrey A. Singer, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the intricate link between housing costs and health care

      Harvey Castro, MD, MBA | Policy
    • Breaking free from restrictive covenants to combat burnout

      Raya E. Kheirbek, MD | Physician
  • Past 6 Months

    • It’s time to replace the 0 to 10 pain intensity scale with a better measure

      Mark Sullivan, MD and Jane Ballantyne, MD | Conditions
    • “Is your surgeon really skilled? The hidden threat to public safety in medicine.

      Gene Uzawa Dorio, MD | Physician
    • Breaking the cycle of racism in health care: a call for anti-racist action

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Policy
    • Revolutionize your practice: the value-based care model that reduces physician burnout

      Chandravadan Patel, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the hidden damage: the secretive world of medical boards

      Alan Lindemann, MD | Physician
    • An inspiring tribute to an exceptional radiologist who made a lasting impact

      Kim Downey, PT | Conditions
  • Recent Posts

    • Breaking free from restrictive covenants to combat burnout

      Raya E. Kheirbek, MD | Physician
    • Fixing the system and prioritizing patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • From medical student to intern: Discovering a deeper connection with patients

      Johnathan Yao, MD, MPH | Physician
    • A physician’s typical day, as envisioned by a non-clinician health care MBA: a satire

      Jennifer Lycette, MD | Physician
    • Unveiling the global pandemic threat: insights into risk factors and urgent measures for prevention

      Ton La, Jr., MD, JD | Policy
    • Decoding name displays in health care: Privacy, identification, and compliance unveiled

      Deepak Gupta, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Government-controlled health insurance may politicize health
28 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...