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Right to Healthcare
In the last election, a majority of voters in Oregon chose to add a right to affordable healthcare to the state constitution, the first state in the nation to do so. It is short and simple:
SECTION 47. (1) It is the obligation of the state to ensure that every resident of Oregon has access to cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care as a fundamental right.
(2) The obligation of the state described in subsection (1) of this section must be balanced against the public interest in funding public schools and other essential public services, and any remedy arising from an action brought against the state to enforce the provisions of this section may not interfere with the balance described in this subsection.
It must have been written by trial lawyers. There will be endless litigation. There was already a movement in the state for statewide single-payer health care. This will inevitably lead to it. I predict it will cost the state untold billions of dollars. California can afford expensive, crazy stuff because they get so much money from Silicon Valley billionaires and millionaires. Oregon can’t. The tax burden will fall on the middle class.
I am a fifth-generation Oregonian and I love my state, but I can’t abide the direction it has taken. I stay only to be close to my family (generations six and seven). I can only hope that I die before healthcare goes totally in the toilet.
Published in Healthcare
Citizens United is what gives the citizenry a voice.
Excellent points. A pox on this proliferation of “rights”, which demonstrate a misunderstanding of what a “right” is.
Apparently so, whether it’s the covid inoculation or abortion or euthanasia.
Seems like this got moving at high speed when Obama started babbling about “positive rights”.
Even California can’t afford universal health care. All efforts there have failed due to the enormous price tag
I’ve lived in the NW my whole life (30 yrs in OR, 13 in WA). The one thing that is 100% predictable is that a majority of voters will vote for anything done in the name of healthcare and education. They will also pass any gun restriction on the ballot. 100% of the time. everytime. There is a critical mass of voters in the state that vote via feelings (read: D and D leaning independants).
Most Democrats I know believe strongly in the concept of HIPPA rights. However, a few years ago here in WA state voters happily forced gun owners to waive their HIPPA rights for life if they purchase a gun. At any point now until I am dead the dept of health and human services can check my mental health records without my consent anytime they want. These are feelings voters. Even though these initiatives have not reduced violent crime in WA state (quite the opposite), don’t be shocked when the next gun restriction passes to prevent the thing the last 10 restrictions haven’t. You can’t reason these people out of their feelings. As someone once said you can’t reason one out of a position they didn’t reason themselves into.
Same thing with healthcare in Oregon. It feels good to vote for universal access to HC into the constitution, even though it will not lead to positive HC outcomes in Oregon.
The only people who don’t have access to healthcare in Oregon are those without the necessary money.
You left out the crucial part: The competitors of the hospital seeking a certificate of need get to weigh in against it. The same competitors who are making big contributions to the politicians making the decisions.
Government Is How We Steal From Each Other™
The IRS would probably point to the 16th Amendment, but I don’t think that forces one to work as it just gives congress the right to steal the fruits of your labor.
I hope not. There are some who would like to compel “dignity in dying”, which is sold as healthcare.
This.
(I’m pretty sure that Oregon hasn’t required doctors to accept medicaid.)
Oregon: “Hold my beer.”
Aborted infants are subjected to mandatory reproductive health procedures. And the covid inoculations were mandatory (or technically, coerced) as well.
How is that legal? HIPPA’s a Federal law – State law can’t overrule the Federal law.
Exactly.
Exactly.
I1639 requires a waiver of HIPPA rights to purchase a handgun or gun classified as an assault weapon. When I bought my last handgun I had to sign one to complete the purchase and the ‘expanded’ background check. There are better sources than wikipedia obviously, but heres enough to get you started if your curious. passed 60%/40% btw.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Washington_Initiative_1639
It shouldn’t be legal, and it may someday get struck down by the Supreme Court. But then maybe not, they only pick up a few cases a year. This happens all the time in America. There are many unconstitutional laws passed that stand until a court takes up a challenge, and many of them are never taken up. WA state constitution has a strong guns rights ammendment as well. it doesn’t matter if no one respects it. Which is what happens today. Democrats in WA state care about rights that don’t actually exist, like abortion, Healthcare, food, etc. Actual enshrined rights they attack. But hey democra y; majority rules
Except of course the majority isn’t supposed to be unconstitutional. That’s one reason why it’s supposed to be a Republic. “If we can keep it.”
I of course agree. In reality though the US is quite majoritarian, especially in areas that skew heavily in one direction (states, college campuses, etc). the Constitution or any law for that matter only holds so long as anyone actually respects it. I’d wager most Americans know nothing about their charter documents.
But they “discover” them real fast if anything they don’t like is done.
https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp_textbook.cfm?smtID=3&psid=1199