US health care Mentality

[meglathon]

OK here is where I stand. I am Canadian and I enjoy all the benefits of the free public health care here in my country. I believe that every one should have a similar system. But when Obama suggested such a system the American public when nuts and attacked his ideal. I might be on the other side of the fence here but, I here it cost 10 000$US to have a baby in an American hospital. ( WTF) Now y would a public system be so bad? I ask you my American escapist formers what do you say about all this.

 

[sneak_copter]

It's just that the mass American public has been brainwashed into believing that Socialized Medicine is the tool of the devil thanks to a multi-billion dollar campaign by the Republican Party and HMO's.

Go watch "Sicko." by Michael Moore. That explains it.

PS. I'm from Britain .

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[Avaholic03]

Not everyone reacted. It was mostly the vocal insurance companies with something to lose...paying people to go to town hall meetings and raise hell. Unfortunately that tactic got publicity and more people started acting like jackasses rather than openly debating.

Personally I'm for a public insurance option, but it's looking less likely these days. I guess I'd accept baby steps like insurance reform and malpractice law reform to help the situation. I realize it's not going to be fixed overnight.

 

[Skeleon]

They believe that freedom means being fucked by unregulated corporate sociopaths.
It's amazing to see people protest against their own interest and for the rich.
And these people don't act, they actually believe all the lies they're told about the implementation of death panels and Obama trying to establish communism and all that.
I blame the media and a general disinterest to think for oneselves.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

"You lie!"

I believe the American public (at least the ones causing so much bother) think it's a communist thing to do. Hatred of communism overrides most everything else in America.

 

[chronobreak]

Can we stop already with this? At least contribute to one of the many open threads or something if you have an opinion. This is getting disgusting.

I live in Massachusetts, where Obama's good buddy Deval Patrick is Governor, and we have what is described as "near-universal" health care. What it really is, is everybody must have insurance, or you will be taxed at the end of the year. My wife and I combined make about 75,000 a year, which is not bad, but here's the deal. We do not qualify for free care, and have two children plus ourselves to insure. The cheapest plan the state offers us is 650 dollars a month. This is almost as much as our rent. Last year, she went jobless for a while, and we couldn't afford the health care for a while, and couldn't get free care because we made too much last year. Even though it was only 6 months, we were faced with a tax penalty at the end of the year.

Why would you punish people with a fine for not having insurance when they can't afford to pay for the insurance? It's squeezing water from a stone.

The way things have worked in MA is they haven't worked at all. All health care is still expensive, and it has done nothing to lower costs, instead they have put even more things in place to screw the middle class, while the super poor and super rich get the best care around.

Here's an article to show you how universal health care is working out on a small scale:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/03/02/mass_healthcare_reform_is_failing_us/

 

[Kuliani]

Anytime the President tries to change something that isn't a direct "we are giving you money/stuff", the dissenters find a way to spin it such that the public is losing something instead of gaining. Especially if there are gigantic corporations that have profits flowing out of every pore; the politics (ie, money needed to stay in power in politics) become in trouble, so the politicians are indirectly attacked by the rich companies and persuaded to serve in their self-interests.

The general acknowledgment in 'Merica is that a government-run or public service is lower quality than a private service. It's usually true too, so many are thinking that a public option health coverage plan would be less quality than a private one, and it's likely to be true. Of course, the point of the public option is for people that can't afford a private option, so it doesn't really matter to those that can afford a private one. BUT, what company or individual that can barely afford the private option will want to continue to pay for it when the public option is good enough for their needs?

That's where the problem spins out of control; people will drop their private options for the public option to save money, and this doesn't make the health insurance companies very happy. So, they are leveraging their monetary power against the political power of the congressmen. Whoever wins the fight in the end proves to be the most powerful force between the two.

 

[jpoon]

People still really really want to believe that insurance companies were paying people to go to these meetings. Fortunately it was just a pissed off majority of people, me being one of them, who don't want this government having say over their lives and livelihood. I can see advantages of having competition with insurance companies but the free market can always do a better job than some form of Gov' care.

A lot of people are very much worried that what would start as a government "option" to healthcare would eventually take over the private sector and become mandatory. This would happen by the so very much loved government tactic of incrementalism.

Why shouldn't we use what we already have and remove idiotic laws and protectionist rulings such as not allowing insurance to cross state borders? Why not allow them to fight for business, may the best company win! This is very much in line with a "free market" society, hell I'd entertain the government competing in the free market, however I'm sure that you'd get better quality in the public domain than something coming from the nanny state. Let the best company win!

 

[Nigh Invulnerable]

People still really really want to believe that insurance companies were paying people to go to these meetings. Fortunately it was just a pissed off majority of people, me being one of them, who don't want this government having say over their lives and livelihood. I can see advantages of having competition with insurance companies but the free market can always do a better job than some form of Gov' care.

A lot of people are very much worried that what would start as a government "option" to healthcare would eventually take over the private sector and become mandatory. This would happen by the so very much loved government tactic of incrementalism.

Why shouldn't we use what we already have and remove idiotic laws and protectionist rulings such as not allowing insurance to cross state borders? Why not allow them to fight for business, may the best company win! This is very much in line with a "free market" society, hell I'd entertain the government competing in the free market, however I'm sure that you'd get better quality in the public domain than something coming from the nanny state. Let the best company win!

The only problem with the current "free market" system that you're touting is that demand is high right now, which means that the insurance companies charge higher prices just because they can. Profit is the bigger goal for these organizations, not public well being. At least with a "nanny state" government system they're trying to make sure the general population can get some basic care when needed. I haven't been to a doctor or dentist in about 3-4 years because everything costs so damn much and I'm just a student trying to get by.

I realize that students can get coverage on their parents' insurance, but that only applies until you're 24 and I'm 27.

 

[jpoon]

People still really really want to believe that insurance companies were paying people to go to these meetings. Fortunately it was just a pissed off majority of people, me being one of them, who don't want this government having say over their lives and livelihood. I can see advantages of having competition with insurance companies but the free market can always do a better job than some form of Gov' care.

A lot of people are very much worried that what would start as a government "option" to healthcare would eventually take over the private sector and become mandatory. This would happen by the so very much loved government tactic of incrementalism.

Why shouldn't we use what we already have and remove idiotic laws and protectionist rulings such as not allowing insurance to cross state borders? Why not allow them to fight for business, may the best company win! This is very much in line with a "free market" society, hell I'd entertain the government competing in the free market, however I'm sure that you'd get better quality in the public domain than something coming from the nanny state. Let the best company win!

The only problem with the current "free market" system that you're touting is that demand is high right now, which means that the insurance companies charge higher prices just because they can. Profit is the bigger goal for these organizations, not public well being. At least with a "nanny state" government system they're trying to make sure the general population can get some basic care when needed. I haven't been to a doctor or dentist in about 3-4 years because everything costs so damn much and I'm just a student trying to get by.

I realize that students can get coverage on their parents' insurance, but that only applies until you're 24 and I'm 27.

This is why I say allow the government to COMPETE and not take over the healthcare, I can agree with this. Then the chips will fall where they may. People who want crap healthcare can get it from the government and people who want good care can get it from the free market competition. This also needs to include the removal of restrictive laws such as state line crossing among other protectionist laws in place.

See, I am by no means a supporter of huge corporations, in fact I very much would like to see most of them fail in flaming wreckage, however I just cannot accept this government swelling further and controlling healthcare without the option to choose for myself.

 

[Bassman_2]

Yesterday me mum called about our insurance and found out that my 6 yr old brother is the main contact of the family and that my mother, the custodial parent, is not able to take us to the hospital without my dad's approval. They just type shit in without reading it.

 

[jpoon]

Yesterday me mum called about our insurance and found out that my 6 yr old brother is the main contact of the family and that my mother, the custodial parent, is not able to take us to the hospital without my dad's approval. They just type shit in without reading it.

No way, this has to be a bogus post. You have america as your location? "Me mum"? Lol! =))

 

[Bassman_2]

Yesterday me mum called about our insurance and found out that my 6 yr old brother is the main contact of the family and that my mother, the custodial parent, is not able to take us to the hospital without my dad's approval. They just type shit in without reading it.

No way, this has to be a bogus post. You have america as your location? "Me mum"?

I enjoy saying it like that. I can't stand saying "my mom" and I wouldn't put "mi mama" (spanish). "My mother" is a bit too formal.

Tell your friends you found a Cuban-American who speaks English.

 

[jpoon]

Haha, funny stuff. How bout "my Ma"? How I usually say 'er. Actually, do what you will it's your call...

Also who are "they" you refer to f@cking up your insurance files?

 

[Cliff_m85]

It's just that the mass American public has been brainwashed into believing that Socialized Medicine is the tool of the devil thanks to a multi-billion dollar campaign by the Republican Party and HMO's.

Go watch "Sicko." by Michael Moore. That explains it.

PS. I'm from Britain .

"Sicko", the film that actively portrays a private higher-class hospital in Cuba and suggests that every citizen gets that standard of health care.

Fact: It sucks that people don't all have health care, we wish everyone could get it.
Fact: The government in America is corrupt and inept at any helpful thing they may try, funneling money to pork-barrel instead of to the people who need help.

Idiot solution: Make the government help!
Smart solution: More competition.

 

[jpoon]

Inject government competition and deregulate idiotic laws that prevent competition!

It's just that the mass American public has been brainwashed into believing that Socialized Medicine is the tool of the devil thanks to a multi-billion dollar campaign by the Republican Party and HMO's.

Go watch "Sicko." by Michael Moore. That explains it.

PS. I'm from Britain .

"Sicko", the film that actively portrays a private higher-class hospital in Cuba and suggests that every citizen gets that standard of health care.

Fact: It sucks that people don't all have health care, we wish everyone could get it.
Fact: The government in America is corrupt and inept at any helpful thing they may try, funneling money to pork-barrel instead of to the people who need help.

Idiot solution: Make the government help!
Smart solution: More competition.

Inject government competition and deregulate idiotic laws that prevent competition!

 

[Bulletinmybrain]

People still really really want to believe that insurance companies were paying people to go to these meetings. Fortunately it was just a pissed off majority of people, me being one of them, who don't want this government having say over their lives and livelihood. I can see advantages of having competition with insurance companies but the free market can always do a better job than some form of Gov' care.

A lot of people are very much worried that what would start as a government "option" to healthcare would eventually take over the private sector and become mandatory. This would happen by the so very much loved government tactic of incrementalism.

Why shouldn't we use what we already have and remove idiotic laws and protectionist rulings such as not allowing insurance to cross state borders? Why not allow them to fight for business, may the best company win! This is very much in line with a "free market" society, hell I'd entertain the government competing in the free market, however I'm sure that you'd get better quality in the public domain than something coming from the nanny state. Let the best company win!

The only problem with the current "free market" system that you're touting is that demand is high right now, which means that the insurance companies charge higher prices just because they can. Profit is the bigger goal for these organizations, not public well being. At least with a "nanny state" government system they're trying to make sure the general population can get some basic care when needed. I haven't been to a doctor or dentist in about 3-4 years because everything costs so damn much and I'm just a student trying to get by.

I realize that students can get coverage on their parents' insurance, but that only applies until you're 24 and I'm 27.

This is why I say allow the government to COMPETE and not take over the healthcare, I can agree with this. Then the chips will fall where they may. People who want crap healthcare can get it from the government and people who want good care can get it from the free market competition. This also needs to include the removal of restrictive laws such as state line crossing among other protectionist laws in place.

See, I am by no means a supporter of huge corporations, in fact I very much would like to see most of them fail in flaming wreckage, however I just cannot accept this government swelling further and controlling healthcare without the option to choose for myself.

You do know a government run health care plan would cost more then your current one? Simply because the government can't efficiently manage money, and won't negioate with the doctors like health care companies do to lower prices.