Now We Know . . .

In the last couple of days, as more information has come to light about the “Stimulus” Bill, we finally see how it will create some new jobs -- the new federal infrastructure to monitor and control health services in America.

Using Tom Daschle’s book as a blueprint, the new department will access all medical records for every person in the U.S. The same party that railed against monitoring phone calls from Al Quaeda suspects to people in the US as an invasion of privacy now wants federal office workers checking out your weight, blood pressure, and medications. It doesn’t take much to imagine “accidental” leaks of embarrassing information, given the proper situation.

Other functionaries will keep tabs on the physicians to be sure they quit acting like solo practitioners, concerned only with the health of their patients, and train them to accept the federal guidelines for practicing medicine. Direct intervention by the government in the management of every patient will be easy with the records available online.

Statisticians will be employed to figure out the cost effectiveness of each treatment on each patient. If the cost compared to what they decide is your expected longevity is too high, then the proposed treatment will be denied.

In other words, the emergency "Stimulus" Bill brings us socialized medicine by stealth.