Constitutional Libertarianism

Constitutional Libertarianism

Friday, November 29, 2013

How Government Regulations Cause Unnecessary Cost Increases

Most people understand that there are certain benefits to government regulations in the marketplace.

First and foremost is the need to prevent unnecessary injury and damage to others while practicing or engaging in endeavors of one's own choosing.

For example, building codes are there to make sure that one house doesn't burn down and take the houses around it down with it.

However, the government almost always, goes too far in it's attempts in regulation by overly politicizing it and by pandering to civil and labor groups.

For example, there is no "need" for electrical wiring to be installed by a licensed electrician (who is also pretty much required to be in the union.)  The same safety check can be made by having a licensed electrician inspect the work to make sure it was correctly/properly done/installed by whomever might have done it. If it's not correct, having the inspection done before it goes "live" will make sure that neighbors are unharmed.

But no,  the government doesn't leave it at inspection.  They intrude on individual liberty by establishing unnecessary requirements as to who and how the installation is done.

This is the same problem with health care.  The federal government began heavily regulating both the health industry as well as the insurance industry back in the 50's and 60's.  Their influence has only increased since then.

Of course, this isn't the only problem that affects health care access and costs.  Tort law has been in dire need of going over and has largely been ignored by every congress and president intentionally.  That's another post for another day though.

So called "Big Pharma" and "Big Insurance"  have been in bed with politicians to make sure they get what they want in regards to funding and "meathooks" for decades.  They lobby politicians to make sure that only certain products and items are used in hospitals and clinics, even though they aren't necessary.  And of course, those become part of the overall "regulations"  and increase the cost instead of letting the providers and trained professionals decide what they need and what will keep patients/customers safe while in their businesses.

Let's not forget that Doctors, hospitals and pharmacists are businesses.  They are providing products and services in order to make a profit.  "Patients" are customers.  They are the ones providing demand for these services and products, they are the ones ultimately in control of what they want.

This is important to remember.  The individual is in control and has the final decision of what products and services they want provided by the health care providers, NOT the doctors and insurance agents.

People like to hold doctors in high regard, considering them to be highly respected and valuable as they can and do "save lives".  They can and do do those things because they saw a demand for the service and had a personal interest in doing that work.  They are ultimately bio mechanics.  They do for the human body what the guy at the garage does for your car.

Just because your auto mechanic says for best results, you should do X  and purchase Y that you MUST do those things.  It's their educated advice, but it's your decision.  They cannot make you do anything you don't want to do or pay for.

Neither can doctors or any other health professional.  They work for you.

This is where the U.S. federal government has regulated the health care industry into an artificial power regime.  They have made it so only doctors have the ability and authority to prescribe medicines for individuals regardless of what the individual, the paying customer, decides for themselves.  That is wrong my friends and violates our most fundamental, inalienable rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

Because the federal government has accomplished this via regulation of the system, health care businesses have had to create entire process and systems to administrate the processes and control channels.  This creates unnecessary expenses that are passed on to you the customer who now has no say as to what medicines and treatments you get or don't get.  The doctor has the say so, not you and you still have to pay for it.  Nope, very, very wrong.

 Obama and the other wannabe power wielding elites have gotten people convinced that health care is a basic right yet do not educate people to realize that they always had the right to handle their health care as they choose based on those inalienable rights in the founding documents.  They are trying to tell you they can give you what you always already had.

We have the right to handle our health care as we so choose.  We can hire or pay any trained service or health product we so choose in the event we feel it is beyond our personal ability to identify and treat the problem.

Be it housing regulations or health care regulations or any other regulating the government does, it is their number one tool to grab power and authority from the public that grants them their authority.  They use it to grab the authority under the table and hidden behind platitudes and insincere and corrupt philosophies.