A condition that you have likely seen, but aren’t aware of, is mural dyslexia. Mural dyslexia: failure to read the writing on the wall. I am frequently reminded of this condition, especially when I witness pundits, politicians and soothsayers discussing America’s health care policies.
In his opinion published in the January 2nd edition of The Rockford Register Star, Illinois State Senator Dave Syverson appropriately bemoaned the ridiculously high premium increases that now go into effect for people enrolled in policies associated with the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, a program he describes as a “failed healthcare experiment. ”This should prompt a question from the uninsured: what healthcare insurance experiment was a success?
The senator has introduced a bill that would permit Illinoisans who purchase individual ACA plans to fully deduct their premiums and all out-of-pocket health care expenses on their state income tax returns. That’s what I read in the paper. What I read on the wall is: the described tax benefit is a drop in the financial bucket compared to the dollars that would have been spent in the first place.
My basic understanding of the ACA was that it aimed, when first passed in 2010, to provide something for millions of people who had nothing. But even the ACA couldn’t fix a fundamental problem: there is no right way to do a wrong thing. And not providing free, basic healthcare is a wrong thing.
The only true solution—in my opinion—includes free, basic care and commercially available supplemental care. Medical bankruptcy should be no more. Senator Syverson wrote it “is time for Congress to act and provide real long term healthcare solutions.” I couldn’t agree more.
