Better Than Obamacare

During the entire debate as to the absolute necessity of America’s government to provide healthcare for all, the most oft repeated axiom used to justify the need was, “every other civilized and modern country on Earth has insurance for its citizens, therefore we must catch up to the rest of the world”, and “the need to cover the more than 30 million uninsured is so grave”. Rather than tout the exceptional care available by our system of private insurance and healthcare and without a mention of the countless number of people from those same nations which currently provide universal care coming to our shores to have their ailments cured, the onerous, intrusive and in my opinion unconstitutional law was thrust upon us .After five of implementation most of the promised benefits have not been realized, and the ultimate fate of the Affordable Care Act is still unknown.

The larger issue, individual insurance coverage, begs the question as to who the provider of that indemnification should be. Constitutionally speaking and irrespective of what politicians tell us, the federal government is not in the running. Some may say the states, then, must have the priority role in bestowing this “right” upon us. The inherent inefficiencies of bureaucracy, impersonal intrusion and the micromanagement which follow should also disqualify this legislative body.

If government or one’s employer is not the provider of insurance will people go uninsured? Perhaps it is but a distant memory, but there was a time when an individual sought and obtained coverage and healthcare through his own efforts. A novel concept indeed, but all who sought insurance found it and those who obtained it could afford it.

The industrial revolution in the 20^th century brought with it innovation, prosperity and entrepreneurship which the world had not experienced prior. The modernization of man and the benefits derived from the progresses made bestowed the title of “leader” on America, and her citizens became the envy of people across the globe. Wealth and success was available to all, and happy days were abundant. But that jubilance and fortune birthed pride, arrogance and the loss of humility, once the common thread of our daily lives.

The accomplishments of our industriousness brought forth a healthy competition by the business community. To gain an advantage over the competition a company had to attract the best and brightest talent to their ranks. The era of corporate perks began as a way to recruit executives and sometimes “entice” them away from their current employer. In short order, a benefits package was not only for those at the top, but employees at every level demanded some form of enhanced compensation. Wages and benefits became a normal addendum to every help wanted ad regardless of the open position.

But is the insurance provided adequate to cover all the ills we all have? Thus far even the top CEO at the largest multi-national corporation with his golden parachute is still lacking a basic provision in his policy. Moreover it is one that is not offered by insurance companies and most likely will never be offered. Is it an oversight on their part or the result of a dark conspiracy with the secret known only to a select few, or is it the cost? After all we know corporations and insurance companies are in it for themselves to “just make money”.

Well guess what, it’s none of the above. After all the accountants put away the slide rules they will scratch their heads and wonder why a benefit which costs nothing to purchase, nothing to administer and asks no co-pay of the beneficiary is not one they can afford. Although there is no ledger entry for such a benefit, once offered, accepted and implemented the bottom line of the business is sure to be positively impacted. This defies the lessons of business 101 and the marketers have yet to find a Madison Avenue message to sell it.

With medical, dental and retirement all covered what could possibly be left out? Christians call it soul insurance and they agree that government should not provide it, and businesses are not obligated to offer it. Even as the policy was written centuries ago, no riders to date have been attached. Unlike the ACA, one size does indeed fit all and the price is right. But is belief in God, Heaven and an afterlife any different than insuring one’s automobile against the errant other driver? Just as the demand for perks at work are the backstop to catastrophe happening to one’s physical body, one should at least self-insure against harm to the spiritual nature as well.  Surely there has been and will be debate as to the necessity of and protection afforded by a policy of faith. But for the price, I’ll buy the contract, just in case.