Did you know that Whole Foods is run by a right-wing whackjob? He's vehemently against Unions, and now he's come out against healthcare reform. His list of alternative measures we should be taking for healthcare reads like a Republican wishlist.. It sounds nice, but accomplishes nothing other than giving corporations more money.
Repeal all state laws which prevent insurance companies from competing across state lines. We should all have the legal right to purchase health insurance from any insurance company in any state and we should be able use that insurance wherever we live. Health insurance should be portable.
You know why we don't do this? Some states like to regulate insurance companies to make sure they're fair and selling useful policies instead of complex plans that don't cover anything but generate higher premiums. Other states don't. In other words, this would make health insurance companies unaccountable to anyone.
Enact tort reform to end the ruinous lawsuits that force doctors to pay insurance costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. These costs are passed back to us through much higher prices for health care.
"Tort Reform" is another favorite. Its failed everywhere it's been enacted. Doctor removed the wrong lung? It's the 5th time this year he's done it? Sorry, you can only collect $250,000 even though your medical bills going forward will be in the millions of dollars. But doctors and insurance companies save money!
But lets get to the heart of his plan to fix healthcare:
Finally, revise tax forms to make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to help the millions of people who have no insurance and aren't covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program.
Many promoters of health-care reform believe that people have an intrinsic ethical right to health care—to equal access to doctors, medicines and hospitals. While all of us empathize with those who are sick, how can we say that all people have more of an intrinsic right to health care than they have to food or shelter?
Yes, that's right. His plan for fixing heathcare? Add a checkbox to the 1040 tax form with "Would you like to donate $3 to charity healthcare?", just like how you can donate to presidential campaign financing.. What could go wrong with voluntarily paying extra for other people's healthcare once a year? Not to mention missing a major point of healthcare reform: Uninsured people go to the emergency room, who are legally required to treat them. Hospital charges full retail prices, uninsured person declares bankruptcy, and their bill gets passed along to everybody else..
I'm selling my stock and shopping elsewhere until they find a new CEO.. Most supermarkets are unionized, I'll patronize them.