My Left Nutmeg passes along some news from a Working Party rep:
Senate Bill 1371, An Act to Establish the Connecticut Saves Health Care Program, passed through the Government Affairs and Elections Committee of the General Assembly. The bill passed with virtually no discussion and a 9-2 vote.[.]
The bill was introduced in the Insurance Committee, where it passed 12-7. Last week, the Office of Fiscal Analysis estimated the bill’s cost at between 11.8 and 17.7 billion dollars a year. This figure is significantly lower than the US Department of Health and Human Services estimates for our state’s current healthcare expenditures; DHHS estimates that in 2004 Connecticut residents and businesses spent around 22 billion dollars on healthcare costs.
I see an implicit logic error. The author of the blurb seems to be attempting to imply that there would be a net reduction in health care costs from $22b to not more than $17.7b. I have a very strong suspicion that a significant portion of that cost is actually additive.and that we’re heading down a path where the state is going to need to double its revenues in order to pay the medical bills.
Don’t get me wrong - I think the idea of universal health care is a wonderful one. I just have extreme skepticism in our state or federal government’s ability to provide such care efficiently.and I the prospect of some of the debates that will surely arise if anyone ever remembers fiscal displine and looks to cost control could be rather ugly, and something the American public and its politicians aren’t ready to face.
Why does the phrase, “bread and circuses” come to mind?