History Of Gov't-Run Health Care Is A Study In Skyrocketing Costs

IBD Edtorials ^ | July 29, 2009 | RUDY BOSCHWITZ AND TIM PENNY

[Kaslin]

In considering whether to expand the government's role in the delivery of health care or in health care insurance, it is worth looking at Medicare and Medicaid.

These two huge programs already make the government the largest player in the health care industry. The profligate nature of these two programs should raise lots of doubt about the Obama program doing anything but "busting" the budget.

In 1968 total spending by the federal government was $178.1 billion dollars. Forty years later in 2007, total spending had risen to $2,728.9 billion dollars. So the budget of the U.S. increased in dollar terms 15.3 times in that 40-year span.

But all programs did not rise in unison. Some rose more, others less.

Outlays for Social Security rose from $23.3 billion in 1968 to $581.4 billion in 2007, an increase of 25 times. So Social Security drove the budget higher at a substantially faster rate than the budget rose as a whole.

ObamaCare plans to expand the government's role in insuring the American people. The government is already the largest insurer in the health care business through Medicare. We are now told ObamaCare will save money.

What kind of impact did Medicare, the first large government health insurance plan have in budgetary terms? Medicare rose from $5.1 billion in 1968 to $436.0 billion in 2007 an astounding increase of 85.5 times over the 40-year period. Will Obama-Care be better?

[Kaslin]

[FreedBird]

Why should anyone believe what OBama says? He wants to live like a King and have more power.

[nomad]

What do you think of the planned demonstrations during the up coming congressional recess?For more info go to http://recessrally.com they also have a very good contact finder for your rep and senator with a past voting history finder for them.If anything,its a good resource for info and stats.