Do you favor personal savings accounts as a voluntary part of Social Security Reform?One of the most important things the new Democratic congress can do is implement national healthcare. Virtually every western country has it. Think of it as Medicare for all.
Uh, personal savings accounts already exist? Do you people live in some other country which lacks banks?
Do you favor an increase in retirement age as part of Medicare reform?
Uh, no.
Should Medicare have an element of means testing?
Uh, no.
Do you favor opening up Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration?
Uh, no.
How do you propose expanding Health Savings Accounts?
By not doing so? You people really are stupid, aren't you? If you want to make health expenditures tax deductible, just do so. What possible reason is there for encouraging people to put money into a special account just in case they need to spend it for a specific purpose? You people really are morons, aren't you?
Do you favor giving citizenship to those who are in this country illegally?
Uh, some, yeah, if for no other reason than I don't really approve of deporting parents of American citizens.
Should the United States send troops to stop the genocide in Darfur?
Dunno, you signing up?
Essentially.. you blow up the health insurance industry. They become nothing but contracted administrators where the entire nation is on one big HMO. That takes nearly all the administrative over head cost out of the system, and puts the focus on the health care.
The counter-argument, of course, is... the care will suck.. just ask the Canadians.. just ask the English.. waaa.. waaa.. Well, why the fuck do all those other nations have national health care then if it's such a bad idea? That's a stupid fucking argument. Besides.. really ask the Canadians. From what I understand (no links, sorry), they actually like it.
That argument also assumes Americans couldn't do it better.
4 comments:
I don't know much about health care, well much more than the fact that I know I have health insurance. What my exact benefits are who the fuck knows. How much it's gonna cost me if I get in an accident and bust myself up... who knows.
Anyway, that said, I have friends who don't have any insurance and it's really sad. Technology and medicine these days is so advanced yet there are so many american's that can't afford it.
I'd be really interested to see how a universal system would work though. I believe that doctors and surgeons and researches researching new medicine need to be well compensated for their jobs. I can't even begin to imagine what the life of a doctor is like, so yeah, he needs to get a good sized paycheck, and that money's gotta come from somewhere.
So design a system that gives everyone healthcare at a reasonable price and explain to me how the govn is going to cover the difference. Obviously health care provider's are raking in a ton of money, or else they would have stopped providing it. So there has to be way to continue to support the fine men and women who become doctors while still providing care for those that need it.
Steve.
Like I said.. it's like Medicare.. but covering everyone. It's just one big giant HMO, and that streamlines everything.. Then you just have the insurance companies compete to see who can offer administrative services...
The government would negotiate compensation with both the providers and the drug companies. Basically, it would be all market driven with a single payer - the fed.
I have a family practice doctor friend and he makes something like 150-200 a year. There's no reason why doctors would have to take a pay cut when you consider the savings of billions of dollars that the insurance companies currently bring in. That's kind of the point. Take that money from the insurance companies and put some of it into the medical community.
In fact, hospitals write off huge sums of money as uncollectable bad debt every year. It would solve that problem, as well as solve the costs of hospital administration. They could get rid of their collections departments and so on to reduce costs.
You can't imagine how much John pays for shit quality health insurance.. because he's self-employed. It's rediculous. It would benefit the well-to-do self employed types as well as the financially strapped, or unemployed.
There is absolutely no excuse for having un-insured Americans.
Sounds good to me. I pay $25 a paycheck right now for next to shit coverage. I tried using my insurance's website to find a doctor and it was just far too confusing, even for me a computer person, I said fuck it.
I pretty much rely on clinic doctors for the minor things, with a $40 co-pay. Other than that hope I don't come down with anything serious.
A buddy of mine on the other hand, occasionally breaks out in hives after a night of drinking. Doesn't sound good. Also his arm is in pain a lot, he thinks it has something to do with his shoulder. Anyway, he's falling apart at the seams but can't even begin to fathom the cost of getting everything looked at. He's a chef at a decent restaraunt in town that doesn't offer healthcare.
So pretty much sucks to be him. That just aint right.
Steve.
Ya.. it can be shitty.. but it's free.. I deleted the double post..
Post a Comment