Huckabee on Pre-Existing Conditions

After receiving criticism over his (misunderstood) comments about the Obamacare and pre-existing conditions, Huckabee has released a statement through HuckPAC.

I can relate with those who criticized (if not with their colorful choice of words). As a young husband navigating the health insurance world for the first time this past year, the elimination of pre-existing conditions was the one thing I kind of liked about the new health plan. Huckabee's comments struck me as odd — and perhaps politically unwise — even though I saw his logic. Regardless, I was glad to see him comment.

His statement is both clarifying and typical Huckabee — genuine, common sense, and refreshing. It reminded me again of why I so appreciate his approach to politics:

Contrary to published reports I believe that there is a way to cover people with pre-existing conditions. I have said that from a practical standpoint, it doesn't make sense to demand that every private health insurer be required to cover all people with pre-existing conditions. Forcing companies to take on uninsurable patients is no different than what we did in forcing banks to give mortgages to people who they knew couldn't pay them back, and look where that got us. However, what does make sense is to separate the uninsured from the uninsurable. There are people who are uninsurable through no fault of their own.

In fact, I am very familiar with the challenges of getting insurance in the face of pre-existing conditions since my own wife had cancer when we were 20 years old and just married - she was uninsurable for the next 10 years.

I truly believe those people should be covered and can be covered by individual states creating pools that provide coverage for people in high-risk categories.

What I said at the Value Voters Summit was that in today's economy we must take a realistic look at demanding that private companies provide coverage that will put them out of business. I have said for many years that the key to providing affordable health care for individuals is working to get people into healthier lifestyles. For example, obesity among our children is a growing epidemic. Thirty and forty years ago children were not fat because they played outside, rode bicycles, and didn't eat much junk food or sit in front of the computer playing video games. For the first time in our history, children will have shorter life spans than their parents and grandparents - and that's sad.

Right now, our system is a treat-the-snake-bite system. The system doesn't cover a $40 pro-active health screening, but the system does cover a $400,000 quadruple bi-pass. It's upside down and nonsensical. Instead of covering the health screening that might have caught the heart problem, our system is designed to help you only after you're sick.

I oppose Obamacare because the Democrats have tried to make the American health care system the enemy. It isn't - poor health of the American people is the real enemy. What's truly necessary is a cultural transformation in the way we eat, exercise and use our leisure time. Given the state of the American economy and the growing size of our deficit, realistically we have to know that we can't possibly sustain the type of system that became law in March.

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