Thursday’s broadcast last week featured a conversation between Tony Perkins (president of Family Research Council), our own Senior Vice President Tom Minnery and myself on the topic of managing the nation’s healthcare. As you may know, the nation is engaged in a vigorous debate whether or not the government should step into the health care arena—or leave health coverage to private providers.
It strikes me that regardless of whether you come down on the side of handing 
the healthcare system to the government or keeping it privatized, we need to acknowledge there aspects of the current system that require our attention. I have friends who have had, for example, a catastrophic illness which wiped them out financially. Others who have contacted us at Focus on the Family describe how they had to sell their home or file bankruptcy due to enormous medical bills in the wake of an accident.
There’s got to be a better way.
Part of the health care reform debate centers around these key questions: If the government were to get involved . . .
- Will pro-life taxpayers be forced to pay the medical bills of those who are pro-abortion?
- Will those who oppose euthanasia be required (through their tax dollars) to subsidize the physician-assisted suicide of others?
- Will the elderly be denied medical treatment because they have outlived their “productive lives”?
Beyond these issues are the implications for the doctors, nurses and other medical professionals. If the government were to take over the healthcare system, some believe these providers might be required to compromise their beliefs—a pro-life doctor, for instance, could be required to offer abortions or perform an assisted suicide.
As you might imagine, the broadcast prompted a lively exchange with our listeners who weighed in on the conversation via phone and email. One upset caller said we had “broadcast a bunch of lies”—but offered no specifics as to where they thought we were wrong. Another listener believes there needs to be an “alternative to those who want to get out of privatized healthcare” because in his view the private sector is responsible for the crisis we face.
This is such an important topic, I’d love to hear your perspective. If you missed the broadcast, LISTEN HERE and then get in touch. And, pray that our elected officials exercise wisdom as they consider the options.
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