Let's not make it some kind of secret, I identify myself best with the libertarians when it comes to politics. I know, anyone who is a fan of the drug monkey is probably going to leave now, but that's just fine, but if you stay hear me out for a second because he would moderate my comments on his site (which is something I will never do here just because I don't agree with you). I've seen the statistics for how well government run healthcare works in other countries like France, Canada, England etc. but can we really use those statistics to predict how well the system will work in America?
Let's face it folks, we see first hand in our daily working lives (if you are are working retail) that Americans are generally selfish, lazy, stupid slobs who can't/won't tie their own shoes without help. America is a proverbial fat farm, we over-consume everything and save nothing except when we are in a crisis. This very notion is what helped us to become the economic powerhouse that we are, but it is also a major flaw in our foundation which is libel to give way at any second. Our people average around $10,000 is credit card debt, even those who make plenty of money. We have rent to own stores in even the wealthiest of neighborhoods. With all this, can we really be compared to the average Frenchman who is a healthy weight, spends only want he can afford and is not stressed 100% of the time?
It has been quoted many times that around 80% of Americans agree with "universal healthcare" and why wouldn't they, they are hearing free drugs, free doctors, free everything that only the "rich" will pay for because they can afford it. Hey I too would love to have everything I want for free and never have to work for it, so what exactly are those 20% disagreeing with? Perhaps they see that free is not really free, nor can it be in a system of finite resources. Can our culture really handle universal healthcare, and if we fixed our culture, would we even need it?
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Hmm, this is the first time in a long while someone quote something admirable about 'my people' (French folks). As for the general tone of the rant, I'm all for a public option (whatever that is) for the main reason that I've been contributing for years and years to my employer's choice of health insurance plans and it's about time someone cranks out benefit statements that say 'covered'.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I can claim all my health expenses on my tax--I've always itemized deductions.
Why, just because I work part-time (because there is no full-time job) for such and such company as hard as I do, are my health care costs not covered while my co-workers get their dental benefits and primary care? Why, because I have had surgery to remove a tumor 40 years ago, if I were to work pharmacy free-lance would I have to pay thousands and thousands more for any non-employee insurance program compared to anyone else--. Why do drug companies get away with offering sweetheart price deals to certain insurance companies but not others (why do pharmacies have major retooling of pricing and reimbursement every new year--why does Medicare have to waste millions of dollars in arrangements with the thousands of insurers that participate in Medicare Part D? Why, if a resident in one state does the choice of providers so limited (as if run by an insurance cartel) whereas other states have a lot more choices? Why, because of the plethora of insurers (so there's a capitalistic 'choice') isn't there some consistency in what the plans offer, so that physicians, pharmacists, and other health care providers (health care providers are NOT health insurance adjudicators) can run a business and not keep jacking up prices willy-nilly with the whole price increase gravy train on to the patient, whose responsibility just depends on the health insurance company paid for by the employer?
It seems that we are not arguing that adequate and accessible health care is a right, or a service, but merely a business decision. Those with the golden ticket get it, those without, well it's another story. I didn't get into pharmacy to pick and choose who would receive benefit of my tax-payer provided education, on the other hand I did guess there would be need for my expertise.
Fair enough, let there be a "public" option run by the government, but let it be completely voluntary. If the government run plan will be so much better at reducing prices of healthcare, people will flock to it and the plan will never have any financial problems at all. There will be no perfect system, but accounting for the imperfections, I would rather have the choice that offers the most freedom.
ReplyDeleteIt is so amazing to me how so many people say these Universal plans, be they economic, healthcare or whatever, will be so great but they have to force people into them.