American Health Care...Stupid is, Stupid does

Why is it that the American Government can’t mandate health insurance for those who visit the United States on vacation? I know that this insurance is available for travelers, but it’s not mandatory. If the Government is looking for ways to make money, there is one sure way to get. Tax the foreigners coming in, or make them buy mandatory American insurance. We can call it the, “You want to visit America tax.” Or even “American Mandatory Insurance.” Or maybe, just “America’s Luxury Tax.”. Because that is what it is to be able to visit America, a luxury.

Did you know that of the 60 million people that visit the United States each year, most are not screened for Tuberculosis before they get here? We wonder why we are in the hole when it comes to our medical care and we have to borrow money from China; Poor management and poor decision making. The President in his infinite wisdom thinks that American’s should be forced into accepting his Health Care Bill but, we will let ailing foreigners in our country to make us sick. This sounds a little backwards to me. Ill foreigners, equals ill Americans. We seem to create a lot of our own problems here in America.

In 2007 alone, 82 percent of the identified TB cases were from foreign born patients, according to the Center for Disease Control. So why do we continue to screw ourselves in America. Americans are afforded freedom because they are just that, Americans. Foreigners are just that, foreigners, if they don’t like our restrictions, don’t come here. Can we not control what comes in and out of our own country?

I find it disheartening that Florida taxpayers have to pay an estimated 500,000 for an individual that’s not even a United States citizen to treat his lethal strain of Tuberculosis. This drug resistant strain has never been seen in the United States. That is until we allowed it to come here for a visit. I wonder how many people he incidentally infected in the process. I’m all for helping those in need and clearly this gentleman was in need, but we allowed it. Maybe Congress should take a reduction in pay and foot the bill for his medical care since they had the means to stop it and didn't. If it's predictable it's preventable. Isn't that how that saying goes?

The Center for Disease Control lists what is required for visiting other countries. Even though Yellow Fever is not a disease risk in China, if you are visiting China from countries where yellow fever is present, you are required to present proof of yellow fever vaccination. The United States only recommends that you are up to date with your vaccinations. Again, what the hell are we thinking? We recommend, we don’t insist. We want to be the leader of the world; well we need to start acting accordingly.