Power Play on Health

       I have to agree with James C. Capretta on his article called, “The Anatomy of a Hostile Government Takeover.” In the article Capretta discusses the Obama administration after six months. Capretta begins to claim that the Obamacare is a government takeover on American Health. Capretta begins discussing the letter from secretary Kathleen Sebelius of the Department of Health and Human Services also known as HHS sent to insurers.  Capretta uses the letter sent by Sebelius as a form of evidence to justify his claims over the takeover. In the letter Sebelius makes a clear threat that if the insurers do not accept to the agenda set by the administration then they will be shut out entirely from the government-managed insurance marketplace. I have to agree that the threat by Kathleen Sebelius shows exactly what Capretta is talking about in the hostile takeover.

      Also Capretta discusses the involvement of Dr. Donald Berwick being head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Capretta states that Dr. Berwick is an “ardent government-takeover enthusiast, and is prepared to use all of the levers at his disposal to advance that objective.” So for the next eighteen months Berwick can use his new powers demanding that doctors and hospitals agree with the views on health care, and is only accountable to the president. You can start to agree to Capretta’s view on a democratic hostile takeover. Obviously the two points Capretta makes can only lead people to think logically that a hostile takeover is happening.  I have to agree, when I read about the power plays made by the government. The government is using force with these new healthcare reforms and giving ultimatums, and this shows a form of hostility. You can get a since of trust with Capretta because he is a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He was an associate director of the Office of Management and Budget from 2001 to 2004.

Health Care Bill to Move Forward

In recent developments, the Obama administration is in a very tough situation regarding the president’s health care bill that will be effective in 2015. According to Fox News several states including Texas, have filed a lawsuit stating that the bill is unconstitutional. The main argument has dealt with the section that states, “Individuals have the health insurance or face tax penalties and require states to pay additional costs”. The first cause of concern is that the bill deals with Americans who do not have the health insurance, are they required to pay for insurance they cannot afford? If not, does congress have the power to hold states accountable to pay for people who are not covered? This is important because how much power can the federal government have over state government.