Allen County Commissioner David Lee worries “big government” is preventing private practice physicians from setting up office.
“We’re forcing doctors to have to come and work in these organizations whether they want to or not. We are creating a socialized medicine situation,” Lee said at Tuesday’s commission meeting.
Lee was referencing the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas and the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center, both of which receive federal and state funds.
Local veterinarian Darrell Monfort understands the nuance.
“Veterinarians are coming out of college $250,000 in debt. For doctors and other professionals, it’s just as expensive,” Monfort said in his address to commissioners. “To get them into our communities, I hate to say it, but government support is what it’s going to take.”
If the resources are available, loan forgiveness is a handy carrot to entice prospective physicians to work in rural America. Otherwise, they’ll flock to metro-based operations with deep pockets.
In other words, Monfort assured commissioners, it’s to our advantage we have government funds helping secure these investments in healthcare.
The concern of being overrun by “socialized medicine” is nothing short of fearmongering.
The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas and the Southeast Kansas Mental Health Center receive government funds.
Raise your hand if you haven’t.
From broadband initiative grants to crop insurance and subsidies, Social Security benefits to Medicare, public education to public roads and highways, we all rely on federal money to get through the day. Does that make us socialists?
Of course not.
In the case of our local healthcare centers, they are not government-run entities. Neither their facilities nor their employees are under the government’s umbrella.
The closest this country comes to having “socialized medicine” is its VA, Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Medicare and Medicaid are single-payer programs that most Americans pay into through payroll deductions. Even then, they are managed by private entities.
The VA hews closest to socialized medicine, in that the government provides the coverage, owns the facilities, and employs the staff.
Does that make our veterans “socialists” because they subscribe to a government-provided health service?
Once again, no.
Though we are a long, long way from having the government provide our day-to-day healthcare affairs, its presence has been a lifeline to our regional care.
