Healthcare Reform

[Feisty]

I am curious about how you guys feel about Pres. Obama's plans for healthcare reform. Trying to reign in the insurance industry, making it available to all Americans...

Let's discuss. xoxo

[milkman]

I think it is pathetic!! We already have medicaid/medicare and most states have sumthin similar.

Our gov, specially now, can't run anything like a business. So anything they do will be another form of hand out that will be bloated and bankrupt us further!!

[Hank]

Now you've gone and done it fiesty...see what you've created.... I'll be watchin this one this one from the sidelines....I know it'll get real good... I know yall never dissappoint us...

[Feisty]

I think it is pathetic!! We already have medicaid/medicare and most states have sumthin similar.

Our gov, specially now, can't run anything like a business. So anything they do will be another form of hand out that will be bloated and bankrupt us further!!

I understand your point Milk, but with so many uninsured Americans bloating our ER's and never paying the bills, missing work because of lack of preventative care, and Medicare and Medicaid being vastly inferior....what do we do?

[milkman]

I just think another fuckin gov operated system isn't gonna work, and it's going to cost all of us a lot more and we won't get anything out of it.

Some things I think need to be done are:

1. A big percentage of those that show up at ER's with no insurance are illegals. We need to quit being so damn compassionate. Detain them for deportation and charge their countries gov the cot of their care. Shit we give money to damn near every country, subtract what their citizens are costing us. I'd really like to see us quit giving so much aid in the first place!! Why do we have to support all of these fuckin countries??
But that is another issue.

2. Tort reform on frivolous medical lawsuits. (well all frivolous lawsuits). Some of these payments are ridiculous. Dr's malpractice insurance is so outrageous now, it is driving many out of the field or to less critical fields. Which again Dr's have to charge more for every patient to cover it.

3. Hospital charge reform. For instance, when I was between jobs with no insurance, my son fell off of his powerwheel and hit his head. It swelled up bad. I took him to ER, had a CAT scna etc. When I got the bill I was floored. $1800 just for the CT!!! I was shocked!! I had my ex wife call the hospital cuz she works for a Dr and she asked how much would it be if a patient with insurance needed a CT. They told her $900!! Why the fuck are they charging me double??? I fought them and won!! but how many don't??

4. Insurance reform as well more at the state level. State govs need to make it clear, if an insurance company wants to sell policies in the state, they have to offer all types of insurance they have, not pick and choose. Like here in Fl, it is getting impossible to get home insurance, which I just again am getting canceled and have to find another one. At this point I will likely end up in the insurance of last resort shit.

Well these are some of the ideas I think will help better than another f'd up gov program that is not going to work and will be out of control like Mcaid/Care.

[Feisty]

I see a lot of your points Milkman, and I agree, government run healthcare isn't the ideal. But what is? As someone who has a chronic and incurable disease, I'm stuck with my current insurance.

They raise my rates every year, and I can't do a thing about it, because my medications would cost $7500 a month. I turned down Medicare because it would cost me more. What do we do? What do I do? And I'm lucky. What do we do for the people who have lost everything because of illness? I know many. They lose their job, can't afford COBRA, then their homes, and spend everything on doctors and meds. It's a shitty situation.

[DFender]

Ugh. Aggravating. If I had the answer I'd be a wealthy woman. I don't think more government in our lives is a plus in any situation. Evvvvaaaar. Government should be for law enforcement, defense and protection only.

Use the Medicare, Medicaid and welfare money for more research instead so we can whittle away at cures for the incurable diseases? Tort reform? Slap the illegals to back from whence they came? Private healthcare affordability? WTF do I know? I'm just a common citizen who'd prefer to be responsible for herself. A fuckin' novel approach, I know.

//endrant

Disclaimer: The comments posted in the above thread are in no way directed at the ever lovely Feisty

[Feisty]

I know Deb, I agree with most of what you and Milk say. But the cost of private insurance needs to be capped. I don't know. I am working with President Obama and his campaign on healthcare. At this point it's all about ideas and that's why I'm asking.

[Steve44]

Oh Fiesty, I'm sos sorry to hear about the costs. I knew that you had disabilities, but had no idea the cost of the medication. I wish I could offer an alternative, other than moving to Canada and claiming refugee status, then you can get your coverage for free, pretty much. Again, I'm so sorry. The solutions that are in the works for the US are going to be more costly and less effective.

[Feisty]

Oh Fiesty, I'm sos sorry to hear about the costs. I knew that you had disabilities, but had no idea the cost of the medication. I wish I could offer an alternative, other than moving to Canada and claiming refugee status, then you can get your coverage for free, pretty much. Again, I'm so sorry. The solutions that are in the works for the US are going to be more costly and less effective.

Steve, don't be sorry, and I'm not really disabled..lol. I have MS. No one would know most of the time BECAUSE of those medications and my wonderful doctor's. I'm lucky, many aren't. I don't fault the pharmaceutical companies, at least not all of them. One of my meds, the injection, is a biological, and cannot be made as a generic. It's made in tiny batches..etc. It costs millions to bring a drug to market. Like Milk said, hospitals are out of control.

When my Dad was dying, he was in the hospital for about 3 weeks before they sent him home to die. He was a wealthy man, so he had the best insurance you could have. About a month after he died, my Mom got a statement from the insurance company saying they settled with the hospital for $120,000. The total bill was over $1,300,000!!!! My Mom called the insurance company to figure out what was going on. They told her if she wasn't insured she would have been responsible for the full $1,300,000.

I've said enough for now..lol.

[Spaz]

bad idea !!! name one program that the federal government runs efficiently . why would i want them to have any more control in my life?
as our system is now its still the best in the world . no matter what people think there will never be this utopia of health care that the left is selling right now. never.

[milkman]

Not to mention, they keep floating this number of 40-45 million people without healthcare.

Well lets first subtract a lot of young folks who choose not to participate in their employer health plan. Prolly what, 10 million?

Now let's definitely subtract all of the illegals that the politicians like to inlcude to make the situation seem so dire!! Another what, 15 million? Or are we supposed to pay for them too? Ask your congressman who supports this shit that question?? You'll get, aahhh, baahhh well ya see, ahhh!!

Now subtract all those that choose not to even work, cept under the radar or illicit!! Prolly another 2-3 million?

My numbers may not be accurate, but I'm sure you see the point.

Heathcare/Insurance does need fixing, no doubt. But to rush through a plan because, as Obama said, "the stars are aligned to get this done" is fucking ludicrous. What he menat is "while the public is in such angst, and the dems have control, we better get this through now or it will end up like Hillary care". Just like is happening now when people get to actually see the things that they are trying to get through!!

This is a travesty to say the least!!

And then let the government run it??? Just look at medicare/medicaid!! Why would this end up any different? Ask the politicians this too!!! Same ahhhhh, answers!!

[Rock & Roll Ghost]

the medical business needs to be reigned in somehow. Is the government running health care the answer? I don't know. I know that too many people that have money to throw at politicians tend to muck up the water and makes for confusion about the subject.

I would be fine having the system that's in place in Canada or in the UK, quite frankly. I think more needs to be done in prevention, too.

I also believe that what's going on now at some of these meetings is hilarious, though. I like that the conservatives are getting a taste of the shitty dick that liberals had to suck on during the Bush years.

Ah fuck it - it's all bullshit, right? It changes, it don't changes - you'll have people complaining either way.

[SJ]

If america can absorb the initial cost of the health care like ours in Canada - it could work - however the timing now, with the economy the way it is - I can't see any major changes coming soon, except putting a cap on fee's that they can charge for services and prescriptions...

[Spaz]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5jbjzPEY0Y3bvRD335rGu_Z3KXoQw

this is not the answer its a flawed model as is the UK'S. i don't got the answer,but i do know that our govt. is on a power trip and this" health care reform" is a power grab .
and not to be a dick ,but please show me in the constitution the part where it says we all get health care.