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Yesterday's elections prove that American's (at least in NJ and Va.) agree with this.
Pelosi's Bill abolishes CHOICE and I think this horrifies people. At the end of the day, the Obama administration is trying to cram a bill down the citizens throats. People do NOT want this!!
I'm dying to know what a gubernatorial race has to do with national healthcare, while in an election that had everything to do with national issues found the GOP wanting despite having held the 23rd Congressional District since the Civil War and despite the national attention that the GOP poured into the district race.
But I am a patient man, so I will wait for an explanation.
Allow individuals and small businesses to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices, the same way large corporations and labor unions do;
Why cant we try that 1st?
Or this
Let individuals and families purchase health insurance across state lines;
Your question is a reasonable one and I will try to reply. In effect, you ask, why can't we let the free market have one more shot at fixing the health care mess? The insurance exchange idea and pooling ideas you suggest are another attempt to make the market work.
I could say alot in reply, I guess my major point is this: We've been relying on this "free market" to fix healthcare ever since I was born and I'm now 50 years old. What have we seen in this time? Healthcare expenditures that increase consistently at 3 X the rate of inflation. A pool of uninsured that has grown to 15% of our population or 47 million people. Without Medicaid and Medicare this percentage would be infinitely larger than it is. Even within the ranks of the insured, we have a huge problem. We have millions of these people in inadequate health plans that require the payment of huge deductibles to obtain care. There are many filings for bankruptcy among these people because even though they have insurance when a catastrophe strikes they can't afford to pay 10% of a $280,000 bill.
I have come to believe that the free market system is doomed to fail when it comes to providing us adequate health insurance no matter what reform is undertaken. To make a profit selling health insurance you have to sell insurance to the healthiest people. The people least likely to need health care. On the other hand, you'll lose money if you try to sell to the sick and aged population who are most in need of health. Who can blame the insurance companies for what they do under this system? I think its wrong, but from a profit/loss standpoint do I blame them? No, I don't. I just think the concept of relying on "for-profit health insurance" is a flawed notion that will never work if our goal is to provide everyone with decent healthcare.
People who continue to insist that some reform in the marketplace will "fix this system" are living in a dream world. This has been tried before and it never works. It reminds me of someone with an old car that is completely broken down that they can't bear to part with. They sink thousands of dollars into repairs, rather than facing the inevitable and getting another car that works.
The sooner we face this reality as a nation and adopt a universal healthcare plan the same way that every modern nation including the European Countries, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Canada have the better off we will be. We really have to ask the question "If UHC is so bad, why has every other modern country in the world adopted it?" What is our excuse for not doing so? A belief that we are right and everyone else is wrong?
The GOP plan does provide for insurance for those considered high risk. It mandates the formation of high risk pools in each state, with guaranteed coverage and rate caps. It also offers incentives for states based on the rate/number of uninsured.
-Tax credit when does this junk stop? Provide for yourself
-It is still very new but do you see gov spending in there?
-Even the democrat plan doesnt cover 100% of americans
Neither plan will be even remotely effective. The Republican plan will do very little because the freedom of individuals to choose on something thats pretty essential has no effect on the policies of large corporations. Also I see nothing in Boehner's article about preexisting conditions or affordability for low income families. The Democrats plan has been gutted and made too complex by both Republicans and members of their own party through amendments and other BS.
Lets just get used to nothing happening and stop complaining about it and just bask in the current inefficiency our jalopied patchwork system.
In fairness though, excessive tests because of lawsuits is a big problem.
My plan
All medical expenises are tax deductable.
You can get insurance across state lines
All lawsuits for medical costs are capped at 1 million.
Encourge and allow doctors to work out plans with patients without interference from government. ( doctors insurance plans)
Start a national lottery and half the proceeds of the those playing the lottery via choice cover those who dont have insurance. The winner if you CHOOSE to play is a national lottery based on Social Security number. All welfare and medical care costs will be funded via this charity.
If you win your looking at 350 million tax free for life. Government keeps half of the 1 dollar you spend a week on the national lottery. This is a CHOICE LOTTERY not a tax. These will reduce the costs of services and prices.
Allow Americans to buy any drugs they choose from other countries tax free and without govenrment intervention. Government put these laws in place years ago its time to get rid of them. Prices will drop once more market choices are made.
No new government programs, no money to spend of which we dont have, and in fact money comes into the lottery via choice which is how medical care should work. Government stays out of healthcare, doctors take control and help patients find ways to pay for coverage. Insurance companies are still needed but prices and services and lawsuits are under control. If you have NO insurance you will be required to sign up for the government insurance program funded by the national lottery. Resources will be tight and money will not be unlimited so this also keeps prices down and you dont get a open check book.
Remove all taxes and regulation that slow down innovation, charties and anything to do with helping other people live with diseases, and medical issues. The people who care about helping people and curing diseases and other medical conditions need to be the ones in charge not the government.
Allow individuals and small businesses to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices, the same way large corporations and labor unions do;
Why cant we try that 1st?
Or this
Let individuals and families purchase health insurance across state lines;
Your question is a reasonable one and I will try to reply. In effect, you ask, why can't we let the free market have one more shot at fixing the health care mess? The insurance exchange idea and pooling ideas you suggest are another attempt to make the market work.
I could say alot in reply, I guess my major point is this: We've been relying on this "free market" to fix healthcare ever since I was born and I'm now 50 years old. What have we seen in this time? Healthcare expenditures that increase consistently at 3 X the rate of inflation. A pool of uninsured that has grown to 15% of our population or 47 million people. Without Medicaid and Medicare this percentage would be infinitely larger than it is. Even within the ranks of the insured, we have a huge problem. We have millions of these people in inadequate health plans that require the payment of huge deductibles to obtain care. There are many filings for bankruptcy among these people because even though they have insurance when a catastrophe strikes they can't afford to pay 10% of a $280,000 bill.
I have come to believe that the free market system is doomed to fail when it comes to providing us adequate health insurance no matter what reform is undertaken. To make a profit selling health insurance you have to sell insurance to the healthiest people. The people least likely to need health care. On the other hand, you'll lose money if you try to sell to the sick and aged population who are most in need of health. Who can blame the insurance companies for what they do under this system? I think its wrong, but from a profit/loss standpoint do I blame them? No, I don't. I just think the concept of relying on "for-profit health insurance" is a flawed notion that will never work if our goal is to provide everyone with decent healthcare.
People who continue to insist that some reform in the marketplace will "fix this system" are living in a dream world. This has been tried before and it never works. It reminds me of someone with an old car that is completely broken down that they can't bear to part with. They sink thousands of dollars into repairs, rather than facing the inevitable and getting another car that works.
The sooner we face this reality as a nation and adopt a universal healthcare plan the same way that every modern nation including the European Countries, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Canada have the better off we will be. We really have to ask the question "If UHC is so bad, why has every other modern country in the world adopted it?" What is our excuse for not doing so? A belief that we are right and everyone else is wrong?
I would say no we really havent when i am limited to only 1 or 2 insurance companys that I can pick from instead of 500 companys
Actually countries are also moving to other means of healthcare then just uhc.
Example Canaday they have more private clinics popping up each week why would they be doing that if uhc is no needed
Why is Germany looking for reform also.
Our gov cant run medicare , get vaccines, run cash for clunkers why would I want them to run my healthcare
medicare denies more treatments then private insurance companys
Yesterday's elections prove that American's (at least in NJ and Va.) agree with this.
Pelosi's Bill abolishes CHOICE and I think this horrifies people. At the end of the day, the Obama administration is trying to cram a bill down the citizens throats. People do NOT want this!!
You really believe this huh? Do you also believe Alice in Wonderland is a real story?
The reason that NJ and VA voters voted for the GOP candidate in governor's races was two-fold: 1. Local issues; 2. Concern about the direction the economy is taking. Voters have a right to be concerned about the economy. Our economy went off the rails last autumn and getting back on track is going to take more than a few months.
To translate this vote into a referendum against Obama's healthcare plan is plain delusional. What is even more delusional is to believe the the GOP plan which relies on the "good old free market" to magically fix the health insurance problem through health insurance exchanges, tort reform (only 1% of all health care expenditures if you eliminated the whole system), and some other snake oil will accomplish anything.
Its the GOP that ought to go back to the drawing boards with their "sell out" health reform plan.
You think I am in "Wonderland"?
Quite the opposite.
Well... time will tell. We shall see what happens 1 yr from now.
Keep guzzling that Kool Ade.
I'm dying to know what a gubernatorial race has to do with national healthcare, while in an election that had everything to do with national issues found the GOP wanting despite having held the 23rd Congressional District since the Civil War and despite the national attention that the GOP poured into the district race.
But I am a patient man, so I will wait for an explanation.
Republicans have a much better plan - Other Views - MiamiHerald.com (http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/other-views/story/1314865.html - broken link)
This is the part about government run healthcare nobody is paying a lot of attention to:
"It will require tens of thousands of new federal employees."
Once you get them working for the government, they will vote their annual paycheck increases and vote Democrat. Also, the cost of them will be buried in the Treasury appropriations bill evey year.
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