Dick Cheney will not have to worry about the bill for his latest hospitalization. He is eligible for Medicare, no doubt has ample supplemental insurance from various sources and could certainly pay the tab himself if necessary.
Nor is it likely that any insurance company would drop him from coverage, but ordinary mortals might be told, “Five heart attacks! Pre-existing condition, and we cannot afford you anymore.”
A healthy individual with no indication of heart problems might do well to phone a local hospital and inquire about the cost for bypass surgery, angiogram, angioplasy, atrial fibrilation. He/she would be shocked. I am in no position to judge if these costs are justified, still less when they might be necessary. And we may all be grateful that such procedures have greatly cut the rate of death from heart disease in recent years. But can we afford than if we have no insurance?
Sen. Mitch McConnell wants to “start over” with health legislation. The time to start over for the Republicans was 16 years ago, just after they gleefully trashed the Clinton proposals. They then had the votes, the economy was relatively strong and we were not paying for two wars. They had every opportunity to write their own bill.
They did nothing. Sixteen years later costs have soared, more people are in need. It is time for Republicans to get behind the president’s proposal and suggest adjustments, but not to try once again to destroy what we all need.
