Don't Worry: The SCOTUS Ruling on Health Care Won't Be the End of Freedom as We Know It

I know several people who believe that the ruling handed down on the health care reform bill passed in 2010 is the end to freedom as we know it.

Honestly, though, there isn't a lot to be worried about. The first thing you have to realize about so-called "Obamacare" is that it isn't government-controlled health care. Don't worry; the government isn't going to run your health care.

You don't have to worry about the government telling you where to go, or denying you coverage. No, that power still rests firmly with the insurance companies. Corporate America is still responsible for rationing your health care, telling you which doctors to see, denying your coverage, and jacking up your premiums. (Don't kid yourself. Health care reform or no, the cost of health care will always go up. Premiums were rising at a rapid rate for years before health care reform, and costs will continue to rise even after. It's the way a for-profit health care system like ours works.)

Really, a public option would be nice. But we're not going to get it. For some reason, in our society, we seem to think that restrictions on our options by corporations are just fine. Laudable, even. However, once someone tries to give us additional options, like a health insurance plan that we can choose as an alternative to the lack of choices in the current system, we freak out -- because the government would be offering the insurance and requiring a sliding scale (based on need) premium. But I digress.

The point is that the new health care reform law doesn't really change the system in a very meaningful way. Some positive changes include no more denial for pre-existing conditions, and things like state insurance exchanges which could give self-employed people like me opportunity to find better deals, as well as a few other small improvements. However, it's not quite the sweeping overturn of freedom and order that many seem to think it is.

For most of us with health insurance already, it's really not going to change things. For those without health insurance, there is a requirement to purchase it; those with lower incomes will receive help. (If you are interested in learning what it means for you, the Washington post has a nifty tool. Hat tip: My buddy Steve at My Wife Quit Her Job.)

In fact, the idea of an individual mandate isn't all that new. A mandate on certain employers to purchase insurance for certain workers was passed in the very first Congress. Which, of course, included founding fathers. The first individual mandate for health care was passed 1798, and other individual mandates on other items have been passed. Honestly, requirements for the purchase of health care are as old as our nation and have even been considered by various leaders since -- including Republicans.

Bottom Line: Health care "reform" doesn't really change the system. Your health care remains safely in the hands of the virtuous corporations, and the totally incompetent and morally void government won't be interfering much with your actual coverage.

And you can take comfort in the fact that even the founding fathers passed laws requiring health care coverage.

Image source: Media Decoder

Republican for a Day

Most people know that I am unaffiliated in terms of political party. However, whenever a primary rolls around, I change my registration to Republican so that I can vote in the primary. The GOP primary is closed here in Utah, so you can only vote if you're Republican.

In many states, that's not a big deal. You just vote in a primary that's open, and will let anyone vote. In Utah, the options for open primaries are the Democrat and Constitution parties. And, in Utah, that means that maybe you have a couple of races to vote on (there was one race for the Dems, and two races for Constitution). Come November, a number of the people on the ballot in Utah, especially locally outside of certain areas, are uncontested Republicans.

Really, if you want to make a choice in Utah, especially in local races, your option is the Republican primary. And to vote in the Republican primary here, you need to be a Republican. Luckily, they'll let you sign up at the polls. On the day of the primary. So that's what I do. And then I go ahead and change back to being unaffiliated the next day.

Learning the Truth about the Current Political System

While a two-party system isn't specified in the Constitution, it's pretty ingrained in our society. A kid, probably 18 and voting for the first time, was there ahead of me. The poll workers were trying to explain to him how primaries work, and how not anyone can just walk in and vote for who they want to during the primary.

There was another guy there, recently moved from Wyoming, who was adamant about voting in the Democratic primary, and the poor kid, idealistic and unaffiliated, ready to just vote his conscience, didn't know what to do. He didn't want to be labeled as part of a political party, but he also wanted to vote in a primary where he could make a choice. So I briefly explained what I do. "It's a bit of a hassle," I said, "but if you want a choice, and want to be remain unaffiliated, it's worth it."

What do you think? Would you go through the trouble?

Disappointment and Perseverance

As Americans, we love stories of scrappy underdogs, and surprising comebacks.

This is not one of those stories.

My son is playing baseball this year. He played in a coach pitch league last year that wasn't very helpful in terms of teaching fundamentals. This year, though, he played in different league that was a little more advanced, and where kids pitched. Instead of giving five strikes, and letting everyone get a turn at bat (no outs), this year, kids were striking out and being thrown out.

Of course, we're talking about kids that are 9 and 10. So, really, the only way most of them are going to advance is by stealing on wild pitches. However, the ability to throw and catch was also very important in terms of playing the game. 

The five teams were put together by a method that I'm not entirely sure about. It was fairly clear that my son's team was made up of all inexperienced players. Only one of them had played in this league before. This fact became painfully obvious when they played their first game. As they played the other teams, it was clear that the Rockies were going to lose. Every. Single. Game. 

All of the other teams had a mix of players, and it was evident that they had practice at some of the fundamentals -- and that many had played in this league before. Anyway, their team is the only one left out of the playoffs, and they will finish the "season" without a win. (Well, I suppose they could win tomorrow, but I highly doubt it.)

But, throughout the season, my son has learned two valuable life lessons:

1. Sometimes life is disappointing: He already knew that we don't always get what we want. However, he had never really been part of a failed enterprise before. After feeling the great hopes of winning a game, they progressed to just hoping to get a few hits, and maybe play a few innings where they didn't have to rely on the 8-run mercy rule. All of the kids became acutely aware halfway through that they were no match for any of the other teams. The disparity in skill level was so large that no matter how hard the kids worked, they would never stand a chance.
2. Perseverance is important: Even though the season was clearly a lost cause, many of the kids still worked hard. My son practiced almost every day, working to improve. Many of the kids on his team showed marked improvement. It wasn't enough to win, but they did manage to get through some of the innings without requiring the mercy rule. They got a few hits, and they played to the end of the season. It would have been easier to just quit, but my son has learned the importance of finishing what you have started, and fulfilling your commitments -- even when it seems you won't receive the reward you would like.

In the end, my son did finally score a run (and they gave him the game ball for being the only person on the team to score that game). After a pitch hit him in the face, and after hitting the ball and being thrown out at first, and failing to steal a base at one point, he finally managed to make it home. 

Sometimes, we have to battle through failure and disappointment. It's not easy. However, in a world where too few kids grow up learning how to deal with failure, and how to weather disappointment, learning these lessons early is important. In fact, few kids these days are exposed to the lessons learned from failure and disappointment, and few have the will to persevere and try hard in the face of difficulty. It's just too easy to give up -- and too often others excuse the behavior.

While this baseball experience has been painful for me to sit through, as well difficult for my son, it's been valuable. And, later, my son will know how to handle life's downs, as well as enjoy its ups.