This is what happens when the federal government seizes control of our health care system. Sure, we will remain putatively “private.” But history tells us that once the government controls what services must be paid for, coverage inflation kicks in and regulatory mandates expand exponentially to fill all space.
Now, an influential advisory board has disregarded our budgetary meltdown and recommended that the Feds use the government’s draconian regulatory power under Obamacare to force all private and public policies to provide free coverage for a wide variety of health care services for all women of child bearing age. The proposal is being generally touted in headlines as being about free birth control. But that is the least bit of it. From the Reuters story:
A U.S. medical advisory group recommended providing women free birth control and other preventive health services under the nation’s healthcare overhaul. The Institute of Medicine report, commissioned by the Obama administration, recommended that all U.S.-approved birth control methods — including the “morning after pill,” taken shortly after intercourse to forestall pregnancy — be added to the federal government’s list of preventive health services...IOM also recommended free screening for gestational diabetes, testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) in women over 30, counseling for HIV and sexually transmitted infections, lactation counseling, screening for domestic violence and yearly wellness visits.
Are they kidding? There are, what, 75 million (roughly estimated) women of child bearing age in this country? And all of this free medical and non medical care is going to be paid for, how?
Remember, insurance companies are precluded from underwriting under Obamacare. But economics don’t change because of government fiat. And why should the FREE! FREE FREE! healthcare be limited to fecund women? It’s health coverage by fiat, so let”s add more goodies!
If we are going to have any hope of controlling health care costs, we are each going to have to be responsible for more of the costs of our own care—or we will never get a handle on the problems of over utilization and federally-mandated coverage inflation. But for Obamacarians, coverage is just so much fruit on a tree: All we need to do is pick it!
