Obamacare: no money saver

So will universal coverage at least cut medical costs? Don't bet on it. One of the pillars of the wrongheaded idea of universal coverage is that since everyone will be insured, they won't wait for a medical emergency, which ipso facto will lead to an uptick in preventive care, thereby cutting medical costs by heading off major medical problems at the pass.

Yeah, right.

We've already got a doctor shortage in this country. A sudden deluge of patients clamoring for care (whether they need it or not - because hey, who doesn't like "free" stuff) is certain to overburden the system.

This point aside, studies have shown that American healthcare spending has been only slightly higher than socialized healthcare countries like France and Germany. The only nation with government-run health care expenditures significantly lower than those of the U.S. is England: a nation with a healthcare system that's notorious for denying and delaying care to patients until they are in dire health straits.

With all of the vast sums of money that this system would cost, I'm sure Obama is drooling over the idea of saving a few bucks by limiting access to care. Good luck getting an MRI or a PET scan unless you're at death's door.

The bottom line is that, in spite of the many assurances and platitudes offered by the president, there's absolute no proof whatsoever that his new healthcare system will make things better; but many examples that it will make things worse.

We can only pray that enough people in Congress can tear themselves away from Michael Jackson stories on CNN to see the flaws written on every one of the 1,000 pages of the Obamacare bill and vote it down.