Let's talk Health Care Reform...

[Summering]

I'm afraid of that in our state of PA.......( other states as well)
I kept hearing today." People, you can BUY it." " We will have it available for you to purchase"...Well, many people I know could not buy into a health plan. With the cost of their home , taxes, food, and utilities......and some sort of transportation along with home and car insurance. That is it for them......... So now, these people...what do they do? If they are one dollar and ten cents over they will not get Medicaid. That happened with someone I know personally.......very sad.

[Summering]

Originally Posted by Slammin' Scrannin'

Rick Santorum is lying.

A political speech by a determined enemy of health care reform is not a trustworthy source of information. Frankly everyone should know the difference by now. If you want an informed understanding, you should read Ezra Klein of the Washington Post's "Health Reform for Beginners" Series.

Oh your too funny. I don't need a" beginners" form of information.
I don't take any sides. I am neither a Republican or Democrat or other.
I listen to all sides on CNN, Fox and other New York stations......
Glenn Beck last night talking about the "roots" of this project.
I'd like a newspaper that is not so one sided also.

There are reasons I'd like to keep my health care in PA just as it is.
It has served us well for two major operations and then some. It takes
care of our pharmacy needs.

But, I would like to see the expansion of health care in some minor way to cover uninsured. No one should be out on the street when it comes to their health.

Maybe a luxury tax to cover the uninsured. Maybe we should just take the huge pharmacy profits and put that into helping our poor. Ok, I'll vote tomorrow to do that.

[Slammin' Scrannin']

Originally Posted by Summering

Oh your too funny. I don't need a" beginners" form of information.

Really? Suck up your pride and admit-- all of us-- that we aren't very informed about the health care reform debate. It's enormously complex and there's a lot of disinformation out there (death panels?) by determined opponents such as Rick Santorum and Glenn Beck. Most of us simply don't have the time to understand how it all works. I highly doubt you (or any of us) understand beyond one or two sentences:

• the employer tax exclusion;
• the differing "public plans" offered;
• the difference between socialized medicine, single-payer health care, and what we'll be getting;
• the relationship between quality of care and spending;
• health insurance exchanges (the most important part of reform);
• "rationing;" and
• administrative costs in health care.

Get informed.

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” -Socrates

[roxxy38]

Originally Posted by Slammin' Scrannin'

Really? Suck up your pride and admit-- all of us-- that we aren't very informed about the health care reform debate. It's enormously complex and there's a lot of disinformation out there (death panels?) by determined opponents such as Rick Santorum and Glenn Beck. Most of us simply don't have the time to understand how it all works. I highly doubt you (or any of us) understand beyond one or two sentences:

• the employer tax exclusion;
• the differing "public plans" offered;
• the difference between socialized medicine, single-payer health care, and what we'll be getting;
• the relationship between quality of care and spending;
• health insurance exchanges (the most important part of reform);
• "rationing;" and
• administrative costs in health care.

Get informed.

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” -Socrates

Well maybe we think we have enough information that is needed to make a decision about healthcare reform. I am not in a position to read the entire bill when it is made. I will however hope that it will be explained in laymans terms so that all can understand just what is in the bill.

Yes there have been many things said that is so stupid that I cannot believe that any intelligent person would believe...what comes to mind is the death panels...lol...things of this nature are said to make people suspicious...and they suceeded in doing this!

[Summering]

Ok back to something that really might work. Thus leaving everyone who has health insurance, with their plan that was negotiated by their unions.

"Maybe we should just take the huge pharmacy profits and put that into helping our poor. Ok, I'll vote tomorrow to do that tomorrow" ( just my own quote )

I'd be first in line to vote for that and for a luxury tax that goes towards health for those in need.
Then everyone is covered.

I agree with roxxy, no one I know believed in the "death panel" thing.

I don't want to pay for a health plan I retired with and bargained for already......thats done.
I did hear Obama say we " can choose which one we want".......

My husband having two major surgeries would never be covered....Or if we had to now pay...it would be enormous in cost. I'd probably be living on the street at that........
BTW..........I just know that if we don't relate this to our own PA and NEPA that we're going to be moved to general......Thus, I bring up Santorum.

[roxxy38]

Well lets say that we do have health care reform in the US, how will this effect NEPA residents?

I dont know many without insurance in NEPA because most of the people I know that live here are retired and/or over the age of 62. So they recieve either health care through a union or through Medicare.

I do however go to school with a couple of people that dont have any healthcare. Two were laid off and couldnt afford COBRA and another that is paying through the nose for COBRA, only because she didnt know that Pres. Obama made payments into COBRA easier for people that are unemployed (which is the only reason to have it). They now have to pay 35% of the amount, which is good if you can afford it!

I think that healthcare reform will help the people of Scranton/NEPA area and might even bring jobs to the area, hopefully. There are probably alot of negative things that will be said about my post but I really dont care! Only time will tell, maybe I am naive, so be it!!!

[greentown]

Originally Posted by roxxy38

Well lets say that we do have health care reform in the US, how will this effect NEPA residents?

I dont know many without insurance in NEPA because most of the people I know that live here are retired and/or over the age of 62. So they recieve either health care through a union or through Medicare.

I do however go to school with a couple of people that dont have any healthcare. Two were laid off and couldnt afford COBRA and another that is paying through the nose for COBRA, only because she didnt know that Pres. Obama made payments into COBRA easier for people that are unemployed (which is the only reason to have it). They now have to pay 35% of the amount, which is good if you can afford it!

I think that healthcare reform will help the people of Scranton/NEPA area and might even bring jobs to the area, hopefully. There are probably alot of negative things that will be said about my post but I really dont care! Only time will tell, maybe I am naive, so be it!!!

In any of this health care reform, do you see any mention of additional doctors and nurses or incentives for them? If not, how exactly are all the additional people being covered by the free healthcare going to be seen in a reasonable amount of time, along with the current patients. If I need to see my doctor, it takes me 6-8 weeks now to get a routine visit scheduled.

Also, can anyone provide a figure of how many of the uninsured are actually eligible for free or low-cost care, but don't choose to sign up for it? I know when the issue of the CHIP program came up a few years ago, there was mention of how the program was being underutilized because parents simply didn't sign their kids up for it.

There are private health insurance companies that provide low-cost coverage for individuals based on income. I know this because we used it at one point in our lives and were very thankful to have it. I have to wonder whether some of the uninsured could reprioritize and pay for their health care, or if it's easier to buy the cigarettes, beer and big-screen TV and let someone else pay their health care bills.

[bloominscranton]

That is exactly what I was thinking! GET OUT OF MY HEAD, IT IS A VERY DARK AND SCARY PLACE! LOL....

Anywho...on PBS Bill Moher (sp?) had a great program about health care reform...bipartisan and debuking misinformation there are a few sites to do this...one of them is the Keiser foundation.

I have to have my husband look into the hsa at work...it really is smart $. Since he transfered here we have had Fed. Health Program Blue Cross Blue shield, I do not like it and we will be changing the next open enrollment season. The prescription coverage is very good...but not much else! I use to use Aetna PPO and should have continued it, I was very very happy with the plan.

[Keeper]

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