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I wish there were more options at this point, but there are not. We can:
1. Pass the current health care bill and try to work the bugs out of it later; or
2. Leave things just the way they are. That means there will be no reform at this point and the big health insurance companies, the pharmaceutical industry, and those who oppose reform will have won again just like they did in 1994 and in the past when this was discussed as issue.
The reality at this point is that unless a bill is passed within a month or two, health insurance reform is off-the-table as an issue. At that point, Congressmen will be seeking re-election and will not vote for any bill--they put in on the sidelines again.
Conservatives have no plans of their own for health reform other than to attack peripheral matters which have little effect on health care costs. Liability reform, for example, as estimated by the director of the Congressional Budget Office would only save 1/2 of one percent of health care costs.
When the GOP finally rolled out their version of health care reform a month ago, the bill was a joke. It didn't even prohibit insurance companies from discriminating against those with pre-existing health conditions. (Might hurt those insurance company profits)
Some have mentioned an insurance exchange. This is a component of the Senate's Bill. So, if you support that than the current senate bill is a good idea.
Sixty senators support this bill along with organizations like the AARP and the AMA. If we pass up this chance for reform, its not a question of starting over. Its a question of not getting it at all. And, you can bet there will be partying among some of the fat cats in this country.
allow competition.let us buy ins across state lines.what a stupid law. let us buy ins that suits us and no need to cover botox viagra and other fetishes. thats a start
Competition won't fix anything. The only way to get health insurance costs down is to provide universal coverage. Insurance is by design subject to economies of scale. A single payer plan is the only viable option.
buying across state lines isn't going to mean diddly squat as long as the healthcare monopoly is still in place.
But socialized medicine, like the present healthcare bill in Congress, is another monopoly that is even worst than what we already have. Just look at Medicare/Medicaid: the government is not paying the bill fully, so now a lot of doctors and clinics aren't providing healthcare to such patients.
Competition won't fix anything. The only way to get health insurance costs down is to provide universal coverage. Insurance is by design subject to economies of scale. A single payer plan is the only viable option.
So a healthy 23 year old pays the same, higher tax rate as the 55 yr. old smoking alcoholic?
Competition won't fix anything. The only way to get health insurance costs down is to provide universal coverage. Insurance is by design subject to economies of scale. A single payer plan is the only viable option.
Make it so insurance companies cannot be a for profit corporation.
Make them go back to being non-profit organizations, like the originally were.
Make doctors compete for your business, buy having the insurance back out of the picture, and the patient seeing all charges and fees before buying, the doctors services.
I am going to add a couple things. I work full time, and only make $9.50 an hour. I fully support myself, and do not want a handout. I have no problem paying for insurance, I just want it to be reasonable and affordable. I looked into getting decent health insurance, and it would cost me way too much. There is so much corruption going on in healthcare right now, and I just would like a fair price for it.
I used to sell health insurance. I believe health insurance companies are a major part of the problem. I think this bill will make that part of the problem worse. It will only adds government on top of insurance companies...how will that be better?
I currently do not have insurance. I belong to a heath care sharing group. We share the costs of our bills. I have done this now for about 18 years and it is much less expensive than insurance, it is much more ethical than insurance, and it is much faster than insurance.
Tort reform should be part of any reform. Without some type of legal protection for doctors the cost will continue to climb at a crazy rate. And some doctors will just refuse to do the more risky procedures.
Personal responsibility needs to be part of reform. We all need to take ownership of our health problems.
I would start by rewarding doctors who refuse to work with any insurance companies a high level of legal protection. If they are willing to see only self-pay patients who agree to hold the doctors harmless for problems the cost of the procedures would decrease greatly.
That's a start. There is a lot more to this issue. Expensive in-hospital care is another part of the issue.
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