I was really hoping that when Clinton was in office that national health care would take front and center and would become a reality in the US. I think it will take years and lots of political pull before we ever see it in our life time. Insurance companies make too much money off of us and have very little to pay out. They will continue to grease the political wheel to prevent it from becoming a reality.
National Healthcare for the USA
by sammielee24 348 Replies latest jw friends
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sammielee24
Good article Blondie - the same thing is reiterated over and over again in every report that has been written. I know people complain about government and taxes now, but one of the latest reports that I read indicated that the amount currently spent on Medicare and assistance for health services would be enought to cover ALL of US residents now by simply extending Medicare to everyone. Apparently Medicare spends 3% of its costs on administration and 97% on actual medical care whereas, health insurance administration is 38% with 30 cents of every dollar paid in, going toward CEO salaries. Sailor you can be commended for trying to change the school taxes you pay but please bear in mind that while you are in a position to pay those taxes and place your child in private school, the majority of people in the $20-40,000 bracket have no health insurance because they simply do not have the money and for them, changing the current system into a single payer system is equally commendable. They too pay taxes based on a percentage of wages and should not be penalized for being less affluent than the person sitting next to them. swife.
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Sailor Ripley
I thought, wow, this is really interesting, until I went to the site and saw that www.pnhp.org/ is Physicians for a National Health Program. Of course they're going to give a glowing review as they are the proponents of name sake. My doctor told me that it's very difficult to provide specialty services when he has to spend a considerable amount of time fighting for every nickel for any procedure that's not "normal."
From http://www.pnhp.org/nhibill/nhi_execsumm.html
Cost Containment Provisions/ Reimbursement
The National USNHI program will annually set reimbursement rates for physicians, health care providers, and negotiate prescription drug prices. The national office will provide an annual lump sum allotment to each existing Medicare region, which will then administer the program. Payment to health care providers include fee for service, and global budgets.
The conversion to a not-for- profit health care system will take place over a 15 year period, through the sale of U.S. treasury bonds; payment will not be made for loss of business profits, but only for real estate, buildings, and equipment.
Not-for-profit health care?!? Why in the world would someone almost kill themself to get into the best medical school just to get paid the same as a guy that went to Rocco's school of medicine and typewriter maintenance? Maybe we could make it as great as our education system...
Is Medicare the gleaming hope of our society? No, but it will be much better with this new "Socialist" program, which is run solely by the government. No thanks. -
LDH
Lord here we go again. People who know nothing about how an insurance company operates pontificating.
Lol @ fangorn. Too true.
Several major insurance companies moved out of state because of the insane regulations here.
Insurance is ridiculously expensive for the average person. We have a big deductible, major medical only, policy, and it is over $500 a month for the two of us. If you are self employed, it's almost impossible to find anything, let alone affordable. We are hoping to stay healthy until we can qualify for Medicare, Medicaid.
My parents both have those (Dad passed away in January) and I think they (Medicare and Medicaid) are a wonderful thing. They never have to pay for anything, and the benefits they get are wonderful. It's all covered for them.
OK Mulan this is just too freaking hilarious. Do you have any idea who proposed and passed the insane regulations in the state of Washington? It wasn't the Insurance Companies! LOL! It was the PEOPLE of the great state of Washington..... LOL.....yes I hold a Washington license as well.....
You have have a law which says that any provider who is practicing within the scope of their license must be paid as though a Doctor. OK, so follow me here. You are into natural medicine. You have an Iridiologist who must be paid by the insurance companies as though he/she were a Doctor! The same with a reflexologist, etc etc etc.
No wonder insurance companies are fleeing the state!!! They can't evaluate risk like that! Therefore they can't make a profit!!!!! Therefore, why should they invest?
And I don't know why I burst out laughing at "They never have to pay for anything" OK that is a huge freaking warning sign!!!! So who is paying?
Did anyone see Lisa Kudrow on Jay Leno Weds night? She was talking about vacationing in France when she punctured her ear drum on a Friday eve. and due to the great nationalised healthcare they have there, she couldn't be seen before Monday morning. So she went on Monday after a very painful weekend, and the DR just didn't show up!!!!! WTF?!?!?!? No phone numners to call, no info, nothing.
Lisa
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Bstndance
I love my HMO! (kaiser) They approved a $20k surgery for me that Blue Cross wouldn't cover as they say it's not necessary. At my age my premium is only $130/month (but that's paid for by work) and my co-pay is $20. It kicks @$$.
Dental from AFLAC is only $28/month and i haven't paid a dime yet to my dentist.
With the way people here in the US go to the doctor for every sniffle and headache, socialized medicine would bankrupt the country. -
looking_glass
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that America is being fleeced by insurance companies. My guess is that people from Cuba are not coming to the US for their health care. Just the same as people from Mexico are not coming here solely for health care. There are many countries who have national health care and it works great. The one or two examples of people having to wait is generally because of the small town they are in and not because of the health care system.
Keep in mind I live in a big city, so health care should be more readily accessible, but it is not. I tried for two days to get in to see my doctor with what I thought was a cold. After being told it would take up to a month to get in, I went to the ER only to find out I had an URI. I was extremely dehydrated and was put on 2 bags of antibiotics and saline. When I called my doctor's office a couple of days later to cancel the appointment (that was made for a month out) and I told her what I had, she said "good thing you went to the ER, because the best I could have done for you was an oral Z pac and that would have taken a couple of weeks to kick in." Once, I broke my finger and ended up in the ER because no one could get me in any sooner than 2 weeks. I have NEVER been able to get in to see my doctor (who practices w/ 5 other docs which is connected to Northwestern Hospital) any sooner than one month's time.
So the example of people traveling out of the country and having to wait two days to see a doctor is a poor example of how the US' current health care system is stellar in comparison to national health care because truthfully it is no different here. If someone really needed to see a doctor in a country where there is national health care, they too can go to the ER in that country.
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Forscher
sorry I took so long to get back to you Rodbar.
BTW, Forscher, it seems to me that you are not against Socialized medicine since you are a recipient of Medicaid. You seem upset because you can't get the medicine that you need. If we had an actual program in place, I doubt that it would be much like Medicaid.
What I am against is the kind of wasteful program that was put together by Hillary and her cronies. If a national system could be put in place which was efficient and didn't cost too much, I'd be for it. But you know as well as I that the Insurance industry and many others will not allow that to happen. I am on medicaid because I have no other choice at the moment. Like many here I worked most of my life at low paying jobs, often with no medical coverage at all. I am thankful that I can get help right now, but I feel that when Medicine is socialised in this country it should be dome in a sane manner. I fear it won't though because those who are making big money right now will not want to take the needed cut in pay to make the system work affordably. Instead they will see an opportunity to soak the system and make even greater riches and they will have the political muscle to get their way.
somebody mentioned the cuts in benfits which came under Bush. Well, they started un clinton. Both sides of political spectrum suck in that regard!
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ColdRedRain
To see how governments operate monopolies in other needed services, go to your nearest inner city and watch a government housing unit. Imagine that government house being your body.
I'd rather have a bidding war for my body, thank you.
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LittleToe
Lisa:
Lord here we go again. People who know nothing about how an insurance company operates pontificating.
Lord here we go again. People who know nothing about how a Nationalised Healthcare system (augmented by insurance and a Private Healthcare system for those that want it) operates pontificating.
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Kristofer
I don't know why anyone thinks it's the government's obligation to provide healthcare. I sure as hell don't want the goverment running my health insurance. All I do is have to look at Social Services, the DMV and any other goverment run occupation to see how incompetent the government is at doing their job. I think there is only one efficient government group and that's the IRS...go figure. I don't want the incompetent, work only as much as I have to, goverment employees in charge of my health.