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We had great insurance options; the vast majority insured by super employer plans. Most with out of pocket maxs at a negligible portion of total cost of medical procedures/meds needed.
We are a Free Market economy, and the Dems instead tried to destroy that, when 6 in 7 Aericans were already insured. Not participating in their experiment in socialism was the moral and wise thing to do.
No we are not......free market economy's do not bail out failed businesses. Free market economy's do not manipulate interest rates. How was TARP anything but a massive socialist program?
When the republicans were in power what did they do about it? The cost has been going up and up way before most of us heard about Obama. They did nothing!!!
I hope we get universal health care.
Which we can't have until we scrap Obamacare. And then we will not get it for who knows how long because of the mess that is Obamacare. After Hillary's debacle in the 90's it was a long time before anyone could touch health care. The (D)'s had a great opportunity to do something positive but instead decided to institute a program to keep their party funded at the expense of the sick.
Yes, the (R)'s suck but so do the (D)'s.
Obama could have easily got things passed like pre-existing condition and offspring staying on policies until 26 and he would have been extremely popular. He wouldn't have lost the House and Senate. He would have had control for years and would have been able to slowly move us to UHC. He blew it.
Sadly, most who want UHC like myself will still defend his actions. Will still defend him throwing away trillions and thousands of lives in his 5 wars. Money that could have been used to provide health care here.
Very, very, very few could afford cancer treatment. Treatment for a heart attack, etc
You moving the goal post here? Nobody was arguing that point. The point was that health insurance should be for catastrophic situations (which are what cancer, heart attack, and many other major illnesses are), not numerous smaller things that people can pay out of pocket. A broken bone, minor surgery, various check ups and exams, etc.. all should be out of pocket. In fact, we used to pay those things out of pocket because they were not ridiculously expensive. They are expensive these days because government collusion with insurances and the excessive nature of the regulations and bureaucracy have increased the prices to absurd levels, making even the most simplistic procedure beyond reasonable cost.
Remove government intrusion into the system, remove the handouts that government gives to the insurance companies and the people, and let a free market truly be free to compete and prices will plummet, health care services will become competitive and cost effective to where only the lazy and honestly poverty stricken will be unable to afford.
You moving the goal post here? Nobody was arguing that point. The point was that health insurance should be for catastrophic situations (which are what cancer, heart attack, and many other major illnesses are), not numerous smaller things that people can pay out of pocket.
No, the argument was that by having UHC you are ceding control over your health care to the government. If you have insurance you are ceding it to the insurance company. They will also decide what they will pay for and what they will not. Also a large number of people couldn't even afford a minor bill.
I had a minor case of Shingles recently. I went to a Quick Care place where they misdiagnosed me (the rash hadn't exhibited itself yet) but of course still wanted their money (a few hundred dollars). I then had to make another appointment with my regular doctor.
The GOP rejects anything and everything that benefits the public. At some point the lunatic right will wake up and take notice and then the Republican Party will get the beating they so richly deserve. But we're not there yet.
The future of health care is single payer and the health insurance industry needs to go the way of the dinosaurs. We'll get there and the sooner the better.
Republicans tunnel vision. I know the narrative is to repeal ObamaCare and get rid of it. I think we are too far along now.
Instead of just towing the line, why not just sit a minute a think about it... ask some professionals who work in the industry, and see if there is a way to make what exists work for people. I think they need to offer something - and make the Democrats reject the changes.
Because when ObamaCare fails, single payer legislation is in the on deck circle. It may be a better option for everyone to use their heads and make this work.
But Obama knows the GOP in Congress won't do that - which will quicken it's demise and usher in single payer. I don't think the Republicans in Congress have any other ideas once ObamaCare fails. And even if they did offer changes to what exists, Obama and the Dems would likely reject it. But I think they should go through with the process.
President Barack Obama on Thursday called for Republicans next year to pass legislation to repair Obamacare. The GOP response? No.
Democrats have long held out hope that with a new president, the political winds would shift, creating an opening to pass badly needed legislative repairs.
This is a failure on both sides... which means it is on all of us since we put them there.
" I know the narrative is to repeal ObamaCare and get rid of it. I think we are too far along now."
What you "think" means NOTHING.
Maybe, just MAYBE, if the dems had read ALL of it before passing it, THEY could have done a better job of writing it.
Sometimes it is easier and cheaper to tear down a dilapidated old building then trying to renovate it.
Some things just CAN'T be saved.
I find it odd that when the dems and Obama were writing this colossal piece of junk, the refuted ANY attempt by the repus for input which is why not ONE SINGLE repub voted for it.
NOW that everybody knows it is a piece of junk, they want the repubs to fix the mess THEY created.
Why doesn't Obama just use EO's and EM's as he has done with a LOT of the bill, exemptions, delaying dates specifically written into the bill, etc., to fix what is wrong?
Tuning such programs is standard. And in the end the Republicans will have to work a deal.
Note that 90% of the US populations is now covered by insurance. That is the highest ever.
And any attempt to roll back the ACA will have to get to similar or better coverage and also deal with no preexisting conditions or life time limits.
Basically this is one of those you cannot go back situations.
I am personally a big loser in all this. I had a lifetime Cadillac plan which I lost to Medicare. The result is we now spend $12,000 a year for health care as opposed to the 0 of our private retirement plan. And then the fine dental plan was replaced by one thst pays for two cleanings a year and effectively nothing else.
So I would like to see Medicare adjusted to equal what ones private plan was...but I will not hold my breath.
A little old but still relevant:
"(CNSNews.com) -- A new Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report says that under the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, 30 million non-elderly Americans will remain without health insurance in 2022. One of the main arguments the Obama administration made for passing the Affordable Care Act was that it would provide coverage for the uninsured.
Currently, accoriding to CBO, there are 53 million uninsured persons in the United States, including uninsured illegal aliens. The CBO estimates that in 2022--8 years after the Affordable Care Act has been fully implemented--30 million people will remain uninsured. Under Obamacare, 8 percent of legal U.S. residents will remain without health insurance in 2022, according to CBO."
Obama and the dems kept saying that there were 30 million, (sometimes they said, 40 million and 50 million) so even when fully implemented the number will NOT CHANGE.
There's more than one way than just giving money to people. The cost structure is too high. A 10 minute doctor visit should not cost $100-$200. Something needs to be done to bring costs down.
" A 10 minute doctor visit should not cost $100-$200. Something needs to be done to bring costs down."
I have NEVER EVER only had 10 minute doctor visit. Have you ever?
Are YOU willing to work at a loss?
How many business have you owned?
I doubt you thought this through very much.
Where do you live?
What is the cost to rent a space, pay a receptionist, nurses, electricity, telephone, oil, taxes supplies, etc.
" Malpractice Premium Spending
Your physician spends 10 cents on malpractice insurance from every dollar you pay for health care, according to Diana Furchtgott-Roth, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Furchgott-Roth notes that premiums vary from $20,000 annually in low-cost states to $200,000 annually in high-cost states."
Adopting a universal healthcare system like Germany has without also adopting the infrastructure reforms and creating clinics and poli-clinics will be a disaster.
Note that it is the price of medical care that determines the price of health insurance.
Work to lower the cost of medical care and you'll make medical insurance affordable.
.
Husband spent a night in our local hospital ( a part of an enormous healthcare system) recovering from a surgery.
Valet parking. Lattes in the lobby. Private room/ bath. . Premium cable WIFI. 24/7 Room Service. Premium coffee. Ability to order in from local restaurants. Therapy animals. Massage. Beautiful art. High thread count sheets. Recliners in every room. Everyone encountered was my husband's new best friend.
All of this swell stuff is a part of the hospital's overhead and the kind of stuff that patients give high ratings to.
Only things missing are Trip Advisor Reviews and/ or Hyatt getting into the healthcare business. All of this swell stuff increases the cost of hospitalization, thus the cost of healthcare insurance. What does any of it have to do with healthcare outcomes?
Most US hospitals are private not for profit businesses. A qualified Not for Profit is not precluded from earning profit. Some report $ hundreds of millions in annual profits a year. They simply cannot use those profits to pay dividends to shareholders. Instead, those profits are used to build the brand, marketing/ advertising, buying medical practices ( pipelines for future business) destroying or acquiring the competition and expanding, always expanding and improving the patient's experience.
So while the rest of the developed world that has Universal Healthcare generally achieve similar or in some cases, better healthcare outcomes at less cost, the private US healthcare systems focus on the swell stuff because they are competing for doctors and patients.
What's any of it got to do with healthcare?
Next time you see a commercial for a healthcare system, Cancer Treatment Center or a medication you are urged to ask your doctor about, know that you insurance premium is paying for direct consumer marketing to you and you won't find this anywhere else.
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GOP Rejects Obama's Plea to Fix Health Care
