If you don't have health transparency, Bunky, you're just plain opaque.

President Bush Discusses Health Transparency in Minnesota:

And so here are some practical ways to address the rising cost of medicine. These are ways that basically say, we want you, the consumer, in charge, that there is such thing as a market, and that markets function. You remember Lasik surgery, eye surgery? It's a place where -- it was a procedure that cost a lot of money when it first came on, and yet there was quite a bit of competition -- people said, look, I'm good at this, why don't you come to my shop, or you notice docs were advertising. All of a sudden the cost of laser surgery has dropped precipitously. It's now an affordable procedure. Markets work when consumers have got options to make in the marketplace.

Uh huh. And I can't wait for the colonoscopy commercials (Look! I'm good at this!), and - oh never mind, I don't even want to imagine that.

But what these guys mean when they talk about “empowering” health care consumers is, “every man for himself.” And I ask you. When you buy shoes, do you always buy the absolute rock-bottom cheapest pair you can find? When you eat, do you always eat the absolute rock-bottom cheapest food you can get your hands on?

And tell me, Bunky, if you need a little work done on your heart, are you going to shop around for the absolute rock-bottom cheapest surgeon you can find?

Assuming, of course, you have a choice.

Technorati Tags: Buffoonaria