Healthcare responsibility

It is not the government's (taxpayers) responsibility to provide for an individual's health care. The "general welfare" clause in the constitution is just that - general. Providing for an individual’s long-term welfare via taxation, government mandates and control impacts the general welfare of the nation; it does not improve it. Increased taxation only makes the people, in general, poorer, even many of those who think they are benefiting from government largess. They just do not realize it until it is too late.

Furthermore, health insurance should be just that insurance. Many people believe that every doctor's visit should be paid for with insurance. What should happen is that the insurance policy contains incentives for undergoing routine medical and dental check-ups, wellness activities, etc, through reduced premiums, etc., but health insurance should not pay for every trip to the doctor; it should cover catastrophic events, just like any other form of insurance. To expect otherwise is sheer folly. It will be impossible to improve healthcare without changing that fundamental premise. With that change, price transparency also has to occur. Just like any other service, price, quality and convenience should be major factors in choosing a service provider. We, as a people, need to stop pretending that the theft of other's people's money will solve all our problems. All it will do is allow the Evan Bayh's of the world to prosper while we continue to fight over the crumbs, while wondering why our quality of life worsens.