Responsible planners would be punished

I am writing in response to Froma Harrop’s column in the May 21 edition of the Daily Herald. Her article clearly shows her bias toward “Big Brother Government” protecting all of us whether we would like that protection or not.

She states that although some Americans have our financial lives in order, and save for retirement, budget for unforeseen expenses, “Other, perhaps most, Americans don’t do those things.” So rather than encourage everyone to take more responsibility for their own future and present, she advocates expanding the government dole to provide coverage for even mundane routine care at a limited or zero cost to the recipient.

However these costs must come from somewhere, and we all know that somewhere is the wallets of those who have our financial lives in order, save for retirement, and budget for unforeseen expenses.

She illustrates how healthy people currently roll the dice, not purchasing health insurance with the rest of us footing the bill. She fails to note that although the goal of the ACA is to have everyone purchasing insurance, the fine for noncompliance is minimal, and projected premiums, especially for young healthy adults are expensive.

The temptation to forego health insurance is even larger under Obamacare, thus defeating that goal, and leaving the uninsured right back where we started. Her preference for our health care is to discourage physicians from referring patients to “expensive specialists” by taking away their financial incentive with a system where providers “would be paid a set price for soup to nuts care for a particular condition.”

Does she think that attorneys will cease their pursuit of physicians who don’t order adequate tests for the benefit of their patient? I would have to disagree that this financial incentive would be very effective, and personally, I want to see an expensive specialist for my best health care alternative.

Ken Grooms Jr.

Lake Zurich