Romney Praises Israeli Socialized Medicine

Last updated on 2012.07.30

If the results of the Presidential election are a function of the economy, then sure, Obama-Romney race is a toss-up. (But note, Dr. Blanchard: the President is leading in the battleground states.)

But if the election is driven by things the candidates themselves do and say, then Romney is doing himself in with gaffes of Palinesque proportions. Consider his praise in Jerusalem yesterday for Israel's health care system:

...our health care costs are completely out of control. Do you realize what health care spending is as a percentage of the GDP in Israel? 8 percent. You spend 8 percent of GDP on health care. And you're a pretty healthy nation. We spend 18 percent of our GDP on health care. 10 percentage points more. That gap, that 10 percent cost, let me compare that with the size of our military. Our military budget is 4 percent. Our gap with Israel is 10 points of GDP. We have to find ways, not just to provide health care to more people, but to find ways to finally manage our health care costs [Mitt Romney, quoted in Sarah Kliff, "Romney Praises Health Care in Israel...," WashingtonPost: WonkBlog, 2012.07.30].

Yes, Mitt, we know how you'll say anything to make the people you're with like you. But you do realize you're praising socialized medicine, don't you?

Israel created a national health care system in 1995, largely funded through payroll and general tax revenue. The government provides all citizens with health insurance: They get to pick from one of four competing, nonprofit plans. Those insurance plans have to accept all customers—including people with pre-existing conditions—and provide residents with a broad set of government-mandated benefits [Kliff, 2012.07.30].

The Israelis out-Romney RomneyCare. They out Obama ObamaCare. (Oh, never mind, that's redundant.) They control costs with strong government influence. And there are no Israeli death panels. L'chaim!

Paul Krugman notes that Romney's only error here is telling the truth:

The truth in this case is that America's uniquely privatized system is also uniquely expensive and inefficient; health care is one area in which the public sector does it better than the private sector, and in which free-market doctrine is just a dangerous fantasy.

But of course Romney can't admit that [Paul Krugman, "Look Who's Praising Socialized Medicine," New York Times: Conscience of a Liberal, 2012.07.30].

I am pleased to see Romney agreeing that socialized medicine in Israel works better than private health insurance in America. But Romney's not getting my vote; after all, I'm in on the secret Obama plan for a full-scale Marxist revolution during the magical second term when points are doubled and anything can happen. ;-)

But woe betide conservatives trying to make health care an issue in this election. We liberals don't even have to rebut the Tea Party health care freak-outs; Romney keeps knocking the legs out from under them for us. Just three months to go, Willard Mitt: keep up the good work!