Health Insurance is Not a Right

Today on The Five, Bob Beckel driveled about healthcare being a civil right. His specious argument consisted of his contention that it was  guaranteed by the Constitution under the "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" clause I guess. I chuckled at the idea that he's turning twisting himself up like a pretzel trying to make the case it's in the Constitution but denies that the Founding Fathers expressly considered gun ownership a right even though it says it clear as day...but I digress.

This is not a new tack by the left who are pro-Obamacare. they make this argument but generally in comfortable settings where they will never be called on it; places such as CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, etc. There's absolutely nothing in the constitution about healthcare and was it was never intended to be.

You have a right in my opinion to stabilizing treatment and basic care but nothing gives one the right to have all healthcare costs covered. Health care came about as a perk for companies to offer employees when hiring and for unions to bargain for. Then the lawyers entered the picture and drove up costs for medical professional by suing over every supposed instance of malpractice thus causing doctors to get insurance for malpractice and raising their fees and it became a downward spiral.

But we haven't seen anything until O-care kicks in. The lawyers--major backers of Obama and the Democrats--will have a field day because they just got 30-million new potential clients.

So back to the argument about health care being a right. If someone refuses to take care of themselves--say they are obese--is it a right for them to get treatment for a condition wholly caused by them? No. What a bout a sick child, is it a right for their parents to have insurance to pay for the child? No again. There are options currently out there but they require one to get and hold a job. In other words, a perk offered by their employer that is part of the benefit package. And enough of the argument about people being without insurance, Medicaid was the last great healthcare debacle and it ended up being a mess that forced Obamacare on us. But Medicaid is out there and is an option.

This is nothing but a step towards universal healthcare along the Canadian model. The days of seeing a doctor the day you need one, getting a knee replacement without prior consent and charging the best pharmaceuticals to your insurance are over. Sarah Palin was belittled by saying we'd see "death panels' but indeed we will someday and that day gets a lo closer when O-care kicks in.