Pass the Ketchup and Mustard, but can we please hold and stop the Rationing of Health Care path

"Although administration officials are eager to deny it, rationing health care
is central to President Barack Obama’s health plan. The Obama strategy is to
reduce health costs by rationing the services that we and future generations of
patients will receive." - Martin Feldstein

The Wednesday, August 19, 2009 edition of The Wall Street Journal features a story titled, ObamaCare Is All About Rationing. For more on health care reform, read Institute Brief: A Healthcare Prescription for Iowa.

Ketchup / Catsup History
Original ketchup contained no tomatoes

"But do Americans really want government bureaucrats
dictating access to care based on their perception of one's worth to society?
This question goes to the heart of the problem with rationing: A stranger far
from the scene decides who gets care and who doesn't. The person making these
decisions knows neither the patient nor the health care provider, yet he or she
is charged with the responsibility of allocating scarce resources among a
demanding population rather than providing the best possible care." - Ken
Connor

Ken Connor: Elderly should keep a close eye on health debate - Tallahassee Democrat

A Washington Times editorial on Aug. 18 criticized the claim that private
insurers “ration” care: “There
is no more rationing by private insurance companies than there is rationing at
the grocery store. In a private system, consumers can buy more
expensive health insurance plans if they want better benefits. Similarly, in a
grocery store, if you want more food, you pay more money. There is no rationing
in either case.”

CNN Devotes Six Minutes to Health Care 'Rationing' Proponent -Business Media Institute
At one point in the segment, Roberts asked why rationing is a “dirty word” in the health care debate when it already “goes on all the time in the corporate ...

A key component in a quality health care system is choice. Here are recommendations from the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center:

• Create Value
  Improve patient health outcomes and satisfaction with U.S. health care. Decrease medical errors, costs and waste. Read details.


• Coordinate Care
  To increase value, patient care services must be coordinated across people, functions, activities, locations and time. Patients must actively participate in this process. Read details.


• Reform the Payment System
  Change the way providers are paid in order to improve health and minimize waste. Read details.


• Provide Health Insurance for All
  Provide guaranteed, portable health insurance for all individuals, giving them choice, control and peace of mind. Read details.

peace