First, the CBO director says the budget is unsustainable.  From his blog:

Under current law, the federal budget is on an unsustainable path, because federal debt will continue to grow much faster than the economy over the long run. Although great uncertainty surrounds long-term fiscal projections, rising costs for health care and the aging of the population will cause federal spending to increase rapidly under any plausible scenario for current law.

Next, the director testifies before Congress that the health bills, in either house, will only make the budget scenario worse.  When Senator Conrad asked if the bills would “bend the long-term cost curve,” Elmendorf said:

No, Mr. Chairman…On the contrary, the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health-care costs.

It’s hard to imagine the above figure looking worse.  Democrats will only look for more ways to pay for the spending with new taxes and higher rates.  But as I’ve written before, higher rates doesn’t necessarily lead to higher revenue.  Democrats are saying that the CBO isn’t giving enough credit to their “preventive care.”  I’m still waiting to hear what all this preventive care will be and how it will work.  I’ve heard of early detection, but prevention is a little different.

Who goes to the doctor when they aren’t sick?  Do they want to require that every American attend the doctor on a regular basis to prevent illness?  Doctors diagnose problems and help resolve them.  They aren’t fortune tellers.  Maybe they are going to impose diet restrictions.  Anyone know?  And how would requiring people to attend the doctor reduce spending on health care?

I think everyone would agree that making Americans more healthy would lower spending on health care.  Personally, I think giving people more control over their health insurance, not less, would lower spending.  For example, as I try to decide whether to choose the health insurance Duke offers for my family, I find myself frustrated that if do take Duke’s insurance, I will be paying for coverage of psychotherapy, elective abortion, alcoholism, drug abuse, ADD, ADHD, etc.  These are things that I’m not particularly worried about, but it obviously adds expense to my premium.  Unfortunately, I can’t call anyone and say what I do and don’t want covered (because of state insurance agencies).

Finally, I’d probably find the illustration below to be humorous if it wasn’t so frightening.

Last 3 posts by Taylor

• Obama's Second Act - Very Very Scary - July 16th, 2010
• No Politics in the Goldman Sachs Enforcement Action? - April 20th, 2010
• Moral Relativity Reigns...except - April 9th, 2010