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Medicare is very similar to Canadian style medicine. The only difference is the Canadians use Medicare for their entire population. Is it perfect? No. Are Canadians happier with their health care system than we are? Yes, no doubt about it. Do Canadians live longer on the average than Americans? Yes, they do. Although the healthcare system is only one component of life expectancy.
It is true that you if a medical problem in Canada that is not life threatening you may wait longer for treatment However, if you have something seriously wrong that needs immediate attention, you go to the head of the line and you will get it.
Its not true that the Canadians don't do organ transplants and other specialized procedures. They do plenty of them. The city of Toronto in the province of Ontario has one of the leading organ transplant hospitals in the world.
A single-payer healthcare system may not be what we want in this country. However, if we want models of reform that actually work, the system in Canada is worth considering. I am tired of all the dumb people who use words like "socialist" without undertaking any more analysis of what they are talking about.
. . . . because Medicare has worked so well. Then, why do people think the same kind of plan for everyone will not work as well as Medicare has worked for its clients?
I don't see anyone dropping Medicare for private insurance and one of the big scare tactics by the private insurance lobby is to tell seniors the proposed plan will cut their Medicare.
Yeah, I'd say most people are quite happy to receive Medicare.
The public is enraged and terrified because they've been told by pathological liars on daytime radio that it is government-run health care. But it's not.
It is single payer health care, with the government entrusted to assess the premiums and pay the benefits without grabbing a sizeable profit off the top for themselves. The medical community would continue to deliver the health care to the patients, who between them, will run health care.
It's not single-payer healthcare unless it's the only plan available in the country.
We have plenty of government run programs that work just fine. I'm sure people are somewhat happy with their police and fire departments, and those are government run, just two examples of many.
People don't trust government, and they are listening to Republicans who are telling them that all government things are bad. Whats wierd to me is that Republicans were telling people the exact opposite for the last 8 years, and the same idiots who are scared of a public option listened to them to. They say they don't trust the government, but they trust the Republican party? Give me a break already. Read the bill, it doesn't take that long, an hour or two at the most, decide for yourself.
If I told you to listen to a fat drug addict, and he would tell you what to believe, you'd call me nuts. However, people are listening to Rush Limbaugh, who is a fat drug addict.
I've seen that there is a problem, the status quo isn't going to work. Our healthcare costs are going to continue to rise until most folks can't afford it. Something needs to be done. The bill that was passed by the house needs work done to it, but Republicans aren't helping out. They want more deregulation, which might be a part of the process, but not the complete picture. TORT reform didn't work in Texas, and I strongly doubt it will do anything to curb costs nationally either.
What people need to do, is pay attention to whats going on. There is some truth out there, and I've even heard some of it from politicians. However, the tag lines, and the fear rhetoric needs to stop, now.
Many Republicans who come out against health care reform really have a hidden agenda. The elephant in the room is the fact that they hate the Obama Administration. Health care reform is just an issue that they smell blood in the water and feel that by defeating it they can bring down the current administration. The lowest common denominator, IMO.
For me, I have great difficulty getting on board because the Reformers have taken tort reform and drug pooling for medicare off the table with reform bills. These actions would immediately help the average citizen and do so at no additional cost to the government. The inability to take on these "sacred cows" of health care has discouraged me from believing in any real reform.
On the other hand I do believe that we need to put a government leash on the health insurance industry. For too long the industry has had an open checkbook with patients money.
We have plenty of government run programs that work just fine. I'm sure people are somewhat happy with their police and fire departments, and those are government run, just two examples of many.
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You're absolutely right, and I was going to make that point myself.
Based on their personal expeirnece, in terms of trusting the disclosure of terms and the honorable compliance with those terms, how many people prefer their cable company over the government? Or their cellphone provider. Or their mortgage lender. Or their auto mechanic. Or the oil companies. Or, for that matter, their health insurance company?
What, in your personal experience, has led you to believe that a US government agency would treat you more unfairly or deceptively or arbitrarily than your health insurerer?
I'm sorry, I have to rephrase my previous post.
Can any educated, informed advocate of the current health care reform measures give me a straight, honest answer as to why the reform bills do not include tort reform and drug pooling?
Tort reform would change for the positive the way doctors practice medicine and would provide instant financial benefit. Government pooling of all drugs for medicare and medicaid would instasntly lower the cost to the patient with no cost to the government. Why are these two reforms off the table except for political payoffs and the inability of the current administration to stand up to these sacred cows?
Will someone please address these questions for me? I am one of the fence sitters who you need to swing in your direction.
I'm sorry, I have to rephrase my previous post.
Can any educated, informed advocate of the current health care reform measures give me a straight, honest answer as to why the reform bills do not include tort reform and drug pooling?
Tort reform would change for the positive the way doctors practice medicine and would provide instant financial benefit. Government pooling of all drugs for medicare and medicaid would instasntly lower the cost to the patient with no cost to the government. Why are these two reforms off the table except for political payoffs and the inability of the current administration to stand up to these sacred cows?
Will someone please address these questions for me? I am one of the fence sitters who you need to swing in your direction.
The bill is about spreading coverage to more of the population and controlling cost. Tort "reform" does neither. Malpractice costs account for about 1/2% of medical costs.
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