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Best wishes to the OP and his family. I don't know what the answer is in your situation, or how to repair the awful expense of medical care here in general. I lived in Europe for many years under a "quasi-socialist" system, and my experience there was excellent. Taxes were higher, certainly, but the thought that a seriously ill person would be denied affordable care was simply inconceivable there. I still go back yearly to visit family and get teeth looked at, as it's much cheaper. Perhaps you can find a way to get treatment in Europe.
The idea of everyone paying into a common fund, even if they could enjoy a lower cost overall, is anathema here. It's considered coercive and intrusive, and maybe it is. I'm not here to argue economics; there's a valid point to be made, in that no service is really "free."
But it seems weird to me that so many Christians, in particular, get furious when it comes to the idea of paying taxes/fees for public projects which might benefit them at some point. Even I, atheist that I am, know that Jesus said, "If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to every man that asks of you; and of him that takes away your goods ask them not again." (Luke 6:29-30). That's advocating the redistribution of wealth well beyond what even Obama suggests, isn't it? I don't believe that sentiment myself, but that's a pretty radical statement about non-attachment and trust in their deity.
But sometimes it seems this idea has mutated into "If someone wants to raise my taxes to pay for the poor, the sick, or other deadbeats, they can go to hell."
Some of you are telling me that my parents could buy health care plan - how could they possibly afford that with combined income of $1K? Their monthly rent is $800 + electricity, and barely have any dollars left. Thank God they receive food stamp, otherwise they would eat noodles only and basically starve. Hopefully they do not cut that out either
When we were kids my father suffered a sever back injury. He could not work. My mother told me a story - that during that time a charity came to the door with a box of food...my brother and I cried in shame and insisted that my mother not take anything. That's the difference - Now there is no shame in losing your independence.
We really need a BS Forum on this site. The volume would exceed even this forum.
Try this- show up in Canada - and explain that you have no health care---that you are American...and who knows they might just take care of you....but if you are white...and speak without an accent you will probably get rejected.
Best wishes to the OP and his family. I don't know what the answer is in your situation, or how to repair the awful expense of medical care here in general. I lived in Europe for many years under a "quasi-socialist" system, and my experience there was excellent. Taxes were higher, certainly, but the thought that a seriously ill person would be denied affordable care was simply inconceivable there. I still go back yearly to visit family and get teeth looked at, as it's much cheaper. Perhaps you can find a way to get treatment in Europe.
The idea of everyone paying into a common fund, even if they could enjoy a lower cost overall, is anathema here. It's considered coercive and intrusive, and maybe it is. I'm not here to argue economics; there's a valid point to be made, in that no service is really "free."
But it seems weird to me that so many Christians, in particular, get furious when it comes to the idea of paying taxes/fees for public projects which might benefit them at some point. Even I, atheist that I am, know that Jesus said, "If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to every man that asks of you; and of him that takes away your goods ask them not again." (Luke 6:29-30). That's advocating the redistribution of wealth well beyond what even Obama suggests, isn't it? I don't believe that sentiment myself, but that's a pretty radical statement about non-attachment and trust in their deity.
But sometimes it seems this idea has mutated into "If someone wants to raise my taxes to pay for the poor, the sick, or other deadbeats, they can go to hell."
I once had a list of Jesus as Redistributionist verses. There were like six of them. I think I might need to break those out again just to make some heads explode.
When my father-in-law came here from the Philippines I had to guarantee he would not be a burden on the taxpayers even though he had honorably served our nation in WWII. I had no problem doing that. You cannot have open immigration and a welfare state.
Except my ancestors worked hard, learned English and didn't want a handout.
A person's healthcare should never be considered a handout. I don't care where you are from, if we can help in anyway than we should. What happened to compassion.
Some of you are telling me that my parents could buy health care plan - how could they possibly afford that with combined income of $1K? Their monthly rent is $800 + electricity, and barely have any dollars left. Thank God they receive food stamp, otherwise they would eat noodles only and basically starve. Hopefully they do not cut that out either
Whoever sponsored them should have provided them a health insurance plan. When someone agreed to be their sponsor, did they not agree to provide financial support for them?
Besides you say the whole family lives here now -- what ever happened to family taking care of it's own? All of you could chip in for YOUR immigrants.
I have, numerous times. Your parents are under the federal poverty limit and qualify for medicaid. Your dad is also over 65 (correct?) and is eligible for medicare. Private insurance is available as well, preexisting conditions won't disqualify him. The European country they came from has health insurance available to them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cometclear
I say we take it one step further and start taking away citizenship from people who are economic drains on our system - Old people, people with mental disabilities, useless middle managers who while away the workdays on forums such as this...the list is long. These people are all losing propositions for us and I think we can justifiably adjust our Constitution and our laws to disengage them in the same spirit that we don't want losers from the other side of the boundary to hold us down. After all, in times like these, can we really afford all this dead weight, regardless if they happened to be born here or not?
Don't be silly. If you move somewhere you have to have the funds to provide for yourself. America is one of the few countries, if not the only country, that doesn't enforce this requirement.
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If you move somewhere you have to have the funds to provide for yourself. America is one of the few countries, if not the only country, that doesn't enforce this requirement.