Comments on: Healthcare Bill To Provide Everyone Coverage (By Force!)

By: Cray

Cray — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 05:22:06 +0000

The reason why health insurance needs to be compulsory for everyone is that otherwise, those less likely to fall sick will choose not to get coverage while those at greater risk will rush to get insurance. This will result in what is known as a “death spiral”, forcing providers to increase premium or reduce coverage (or both). And let’s not forget that uninsured people don’t get treatment until it is a medical emergency, when it can’t be legally denied to them. Emergency treatment is a lot more costly and less effective than regular treatment.

There are of course legitimate issues to be discussed such as misaligned tax incentives, cost control and malpractice lawsuits, but those aren’t the only problems with the current healthcare system.

Sorry for not being very sarcastic, I decided that the post could use an enlightened comment or two.

By: KJ

KJ — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:54:39 +0000

And beyond that, what’s 1 trillion in Healthcare?

We’ve blown 900 billion in foreign wars in the past 10 years, with another 200 billion out the door this year, our priorities are screwy.

By: KJ

KJ — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:45:32 +0000

I am a success story of the system. I was raised in public housing, by a mother who struggled to pull herself out of the system.
I’m not on welfare, I’m not on medicaid, I’m not on food stamps, I have no children, and have been a taxpaying, productive member of society for 10 years. I am a 25 year old college student paying my way through school with an office job. I cannot afford health care. I am not eligible for any public assistance, because I scrape to pay for school. I eat on less than 100 a month. I have no heat in the winter, and cool my apartment with a window fan in the 100+ summer weather.

Is it fair that I am unable to afford health care?
According to the painfully ignorant opinion of many Americans, I am a burden to your society. I cost “the American Taxpayer” nothing. Is the future of your society bound to crumble if you offer a helping hand to one in need?

If this bill passes, I will still be ineligible for subsidies. Should I be forced to sacrifice food to insure that Health Insurance Companies continue to turn a profit?

By: Karen

Karen — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:08:52 +0000

My understanding of insurance is this. The insured pay a premium (in the case of the Public Option, to the government). When a claim is filed, it is paid out of the pool of premiums received. This is exactly what private insurance companies do, except they add a very large administrative fee. If the government runs the insurance, the policy holders pay for the claims of other policy holders. The exception is that the government doesn’t get the huge admin fee (not for profit). Without a public option, the health insurance reform bill is a disaster and a kick in the face to me and all others who enthusiastically supported Obama’s “Change!”

By: Ben

Ben — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:29:17 +0000

Unless you make less than $16,245 annually, you do not fall within the 150% bracket for a single person household. According to the 2009 Federal Poverty guidelines, the poverty threshold for a single person household stands at a meager $10, 830 / year. I think we can all agree that unless you flip burgers and wear your name on your shirt, no one is falling in the 150% range, not even people on Welfare.

By: S

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:33:59 +0000

Ah, good times. For starters, your status as a super-power is related to many things – geographical isolation and political isolationism during a period when the historical super-powers of Europe were smashing each other senseless in two world wars. When you opened up to the world post WW2 you were well placed for ascendency. I could also point out that the Soviet Union achieved super power status throughout the 20th century, despite only being created in 1917 from a largely peasant-based economy, and despite being hammered by Germany in WW2 (over 10 million dead). Yep, the USSR eventually collapsed because their economic model was unsustainable. How’s barely-regulated pure free-market capitalism working for you guys lately? Not so well?

As for innovation and creating “the majority of the worlds advancements in technology/medicine and science in the modern era”, what a laughable bunch of horsehit. Your country has certainly done a lot, but so has Germany in the fields of industry and science, Japan in high technology, most of Europe in the realm of science and medicine. Hell, penicillin was invented by an Australian, and two of the three people who proved the existence of DNA were Canadian. Incidentally, America has also done a lot to artificially cripple the economies of developing countries, so don’t pull that “sweatshops are good for other countries” rot with me.

What’s really sad is that I apparently care more about your countrymen than you do. It really saddens me that 44,000 Americans die every year because they don’t have health cover, and many more have appalling quality of life. It saddens me that medical expenses are the number one cause of bankruptcy in your country. All because you want to hoard every cent you can.

For the record, I pay 40 cents in tax for every dollar I earn. Yeah, it’d be nice to keep more of that, but I look on the bright side – I’m saving a fortune in what I might have to spend if I went to hospital.

By: bbqchickenrobot

bbqchickenrobot — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:15:29 +0000

If you’re not from or a citizen of America – STFU. I find it laughable that you non-residents are all up in our business. What I find laughable is that in our short existence as a nation we are the super power – economically and militarily. We have innovated and created the majority of the worlds advancements in technology/medicine and science in the modern era and in doing so have created many jobs in impoverished areas of countries such as China, Mexico, etc… etc…

What I find laughable is you. Don’t tell me how to spend my money once I have earned it.

By: bbqchickenrobot

bbqchickenrobot — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:10:06 +0000

Also, even though my family may be left with bills (this is not the case for every death in america. not even 25%) it’s the burden they must face. Not something the govt. should be shoving down the throat of every hard working citizen. Or I should have stated, the one’s that actually do work and don’t live off the hand of big govt.

By: bbqchickenrobot

bbqchickenrobot — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:07:08 +0000

Auto insurance and health insurance are apples and oranges. But to go along with what’s been posted – The govt. doesn’t make me pay a ‘penalty’ if I don’t have it. I can buy a car and not purchase insurance and drive it. Most of the illegals in LA are doing just that. So, technically, while it may be ‘mandatory’ it isn’t enforced via penalty. I can also opt to not drive. I can’t not opt to get sick.

Coughing on somebody while you have SARS is a natural and inevitable event. This does not mean that health insurance should be mandated. Driving a car is NOT a natural thing. Plus, maybe i’m living in bliss, but I haven’t seen any million+ dollar law [nuisance] suits due to someone getting ill while out in the public domain.

Lastly, who’s gonna pay now for auto insurance claims that health care is being forced down every ‘legal’ American? If we all have health insurance, why do I require any auto insurance other than theft, collision/vandalism, etc…. This should drastically reduce the car insurance for most American drivers while simultaneously reducing profits and the work force in another area of the private sector. Sweet. Love the the entire notion of Robin Hood, err, I mean socialism.

By: Christine Delany

Christine Delany — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:01:32 +0000

Ok people, First of all, I love this site. Secondly, you all make some interesting points. Thirdly..I am that mother of 4 who lives in public housing, who was born into a poverty stricken home..foodstamps..bla bla bla. My babies do have a daddy, I was married thank you very much. I use all of “the system” to get myself through school. I have not a mother, or a father supporting me. I am now a sophomore working towards a bachelor of science in nursing. What I want to know is..if i’m poor and on all of this stuff, and dieing to get off of welfare and make it in this world, then how am I going to be able to if this new bill cuts nurses salaries? That was my whole point of going to college. Get off welfare, prove to my children that just because they grow up poor that they can still have dreams and achieve them. In theory, change the future of my line. Isn’t that what Obama wants? To shorten the gap between the rich and the poor by bringing the poor up and the rich down (communism i think). If I am entitled to liberty and the pursuit of large irreconcilable debt then I should be able to work as a nurse without fear of politics right?