BCT Editorial – 1/27/06

This page was last updated on January 27, 2006.

Fear factor; Editorial; Beaver County Times; January 27, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“Here’s something about health care in the United States that ought to frighten everyone:

“Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services Group Inc. reports that a recent survey it conducted found that wealthy Americans are concerned that rising health-care costs will consume their financial assets.

“Thirty-six percent of the nearly 1,500 people surveyed agreed with the statement that ‘health-care costs will ultimately consume a major portion of my financial assets,’ and 42 percent cited Medicare insolvency as a possible threat their family’s wealth.

“What makes the results of this survey so unsettling is that the people PNC surveyed were among the most well off in the United States, people who earned $150,000 or more annually and had at least $500,000 in investable assets or were retired and had at least $1 million in investable assets. Be scared, America, be very, very scared.”

[RWC] As should be expected, the editorial doesn’t attempt to explain how we could come to this. Why? Because the answer is the same government interference in the healthcare industry promoted by the Times is the cause. The Times sees the problem and believes more of the same interference is the solution. That’s like claiming a man dying of poisoning simply needs more poison.