Now that these two myths are resolved, what are my problems with obamacare. There are two big reasons that make the whole obamacare stink like a pile of German Shepherd diarrhea in August.
Problem 1: The individual mandate. My very good (but very misguided) friend says he does not mind it because everyone uses healthcare, so everyone should have to pay for it in some way. This is a good point if we lived in Europe, or some other continent or country where we did not have the Constitution. We have certain fundamental rights in this country, and I have not read anywhere in the constitution, nor in relevant case law that says the Federal Government can decree that we the people have to purchase something. The government is overstepping its bounds. If they would like to provide healthcare, fine, but when we allow them to have the power to mandate that we buy something, where will it end? “Oh, but Obama is so benevolent and virtuous that he wouldn’t possibly think of exploiting that power”, lets pretend that is true, what about 5 years from now when another Evil Republican gets into the Whitehouse- what do you think he will do with that power? It is not a right I am willing to give up, it is too easily exploitable by evil men with evil designs.
Problem 2: Who is going to pay for this? Who? Right now there is no way to pay for it. Sure we can raise taxes, but we all know that is an uphill battle even in good times, much less a recession. Basically, congress acted like the guy who decided to buy a Lamborghini in the hopes he would get that big promotion he deserves in order to pay for it. I would be more ok with this Frankenstein mess if they at least had the means to pay for it. But they don’t, they have just managed to borrow more money from the Chinese in order to pay for it. Now we have a debt, and we all know that debt is never good, even if it is for a "noble" cause.
Lets pretend I am in charge, what would I do to fix it? Everyone just expand your mind a little bit, and recognize that there are other ways to fix the healthcare system than just Obamacare.
1. I would expand Medicare to cover the 44 million people who don’t have healthcare. Out of a country of 300 million (less than 15 percent of the population by the way, which means 85% do have health insurance), I think we could expand and reform Medicare, cut the waste, make it more efficient, and make it a good program. It would certainly be cheaper than to try to cover the 85% of people that can pay for it on their own.
2. I would get rid of the insurance companies. They are the real problem here, as they inflate the costs of medical care. And just something to chew on- if Obama really is the champion of the little people to save them from the evils of industry, then why did he just give a huge freebie to the health insurance companies with the individual mandate?
I think if we could get the insurance companies out of it, then healthcare would be more affordable to those who could pay for it on their own, while still providing a safety net for those that cannot pay for it themselves.
One last thing, I have heard from many people that ObamaCare is better than nothing, and so we should just shut up and take it. To that I say I don’t care if you sprinkle skittles on a turd, I still won’t eat it.
There are other things that bother me, but they are too numerous to mention, these are the main sticking points with me. And please, if anyone reading this disagrees with any of my points, feel free to tell me why and try to convince me otherwise.
Peace- I’m Out!
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- Danny
- If you disagree, feel free to not read my blog, as I will be following a liberal practice of zero tolerance for comments and/or ideas that will be in or are in direct conflict with my ideas and/or comments.
10 comments:
Oh, Danny, I've seen you eat sprinkled turds several times.
As I think we decided the other day, we do agree on most of this healthcare debacle. I, too, believe that the insurance comapnies are the problem. Take the corporate profits, the claims adjusters, the sales reps, the CEOs and all their salaries and put into a big pot and suddenly there's a lot more money for Little Jimmy's MRI. I don't like the mandate, but the reason I don't like it is that the money is going to the insurance companies. I don't mind a mandate that everyone chip in for healthcare. Everyone needs healthcare. I just don't like there are fat bastards buying lamborginis and jets and petting zoos with all the money.
So, if I'm reading you correctly, are you saying that you'd welcome a public option/single payer system? How very progressive and European of you, John Daniel.
no, you are not reading me correctly. I am saying that we can have a system where those who can afford healthcare buy their own, and if you can't, then the government can help - a safety net. I don't like the single payer system because it eliminates choice. I will say this though- I would rather have a single payer than the obamacare turd.
I don't really understand how you want insurance companies to cease to exist AND for there still to be "choice" in your your health coverage.
You want a "safety net" for the poor. That just sounds like an expansion of Medicaid. Everybody needs to be covered, right? So does anybody without coverage qualify for this "safety net"? That sounds like a public option to me.
Jon,
We don't have Cheeseburger Insurance and we still manage to buy and eat cheeseburgers. What Danny is saying is that when we eliminate insurance as a means to pay for healthcare, prices will move back into competition thereby reducing price. If we got rid of insurance today, healthcare professionals would be forced to lower their prices in order to keep business flowing. This of course would not happen overnight and you would need a correction in the pharmaceutical industry as well, but the bottom line is that insurance is what is driving the cost. Kill it, and we would go back to the days where going to the Dr. would be quick, easy, and cheap. You could ditch Medicare and handle the poor the say way we do with food stamps.
There's a big difference between a cheeseburger and a hospitalization. There's a big difference between a cheeseburger and insulin, or sterile sutures, or a cholecytectomy.
When were these days you're referring to when it was cheap and easy to go to the doctor? the 1800's with the country doc with his little bag? People died back then because they couldn't afford to go to the doctor. They could sometimes afford medicine, but that's because the only medicine was wisky.
Let's say, optimistically, that getting rid of the insurance companies (a great idea) would reduce healthcare costs by 25%. Could you afford 75% of a bypass surgery and a 2-week hospital stay? How about 75% of a round of chemotherapy?
You guys guys seem to argue for a system that would be great if everybody only used the healthcare system for a check-up once a year and an occasional ear infection. Take a minute and think about what you'll do when you have your heart attack. You can come over to my place for a free cheeseburger when you come up with something.
Okay boys, it’s time someone with some brains chimed in here.
First of all, there is a difference between Medicare and Medicaid.
Second, just because we have a constitution (which many other countries have and still manage to agree that universal healthcare falls within it’s parameters), it doesn’t mean that having healthcare takes away our freedoms. I don’t know about Danny’s brother, but surely you other two understand the principal that following certain standards allows you more freedom, not less. The government requires us to purchase helmets for our motorcycles, and seatbelts and insurance for our cars. Think for a second as to why they do this and why we allow them to. Because without them, the results of an accident affect more than just the purchaser. Having healthcare allows us the freedom to use it when we need to, whether that be once a year, twice a month, to purchase medicine on a regular basis, preventative care, or major operations. It is ignorant to assume that our freedoms would be greater without insurance than with it.
I can already hear you thinking, “but my problem is that Obama is making these decisions and not me.” Well, then get out of your comfy home office chair and do something about that. If you are turning up your nose and mouthing off about Obamacare because you’re worried about what the next politician in office might do with it, then get out there and assure that America will use righteous judgment that will help us all to live happy, healthy lives. Get into politics and help make the decisions instead of complaining that those that actually do don’t agree with you completely. We have to start somewhere. Don’t stifle the American’s access to healthcare just because the system didn’t go from cruddy to perfect. Get out there and help it.
Signed,
Mrs. Jon
Jon...
Don't get stuck on the cheeseburger, it was a metaphorical device. If insurance companies go away and no one can afford the service then medical service all together will go away... Prices will have to drop in order to keep business running (econ101). Sure, we will still need access to catastrophic care ('cause that's the way it used to be), but if no one can afford the insulin and there are no subsidies for it, the price will have drop in order to sell it and the market WILL sell it (that's why stock prices drop; in order to sell unwanted stock. ...again, econ101). Also - schooling us about old-school healthcare...
Back then, it was rarely about cost - it was more often about distance and availability. Times have changed my friend. Now it is all about the cost. Eliminate the subsidies, eliminate the primary care insurance and watch cost plummet.
Mrs. Jon...
I appreciate your input. Let me clarify a couple of things...
We all know that freedom comes from safety and adherence to the rules. There is a huge difference between a state mandating that if you own a car, you put out $1,200/year for auto insurance and the Federal Government mandating that you put out $12,000/year (That's what I pay) for health insurance just because you breathe. I find nothing about this healthcare bill that helps me. In fact... I was doing just fine before. I had my kids on a cheaper, private policy and I was able to purchase over-the-counter medications with my Flex Savings account. Now that has all changed. I am not allowed to have my children on a separate private insurance and a lot of the things my Flex Savings card used to be good for are now not. My healthcare costs have gone way up and on top of that, my premiums are now higher because of all that "mandatory to insure everyone regardless" business. This is hurting my family big time.
Back to topic... the freedom to have our preventative care and checkups is stifled by rising costs which are exacerbated by insurance and subsidies. Have you ever noticed how college tuition always rises just after grants and loan subsidies rise? That's because in any economic system, the producer seeks top dollar for the service. If a government or entity is willing to pay a certain amount for a product or service, then this will be the price. Allowing healthcare costs to be dictated by what insurance companies or the government will reasonable pay instead of what the consumer will pay IS THE PROBLEM. The control needs to be put back in the hands of the consumer (again... econ101). If we all had grocery insurance and just paid a co-pay every time we went into the grocery store a private citizen would probably not be able to buy a gallon of milk for a reasonable price without the insurance.
This is from Sharel. I just want to say that we are all arguing about the same thing. Evil men conspiring...the difference is that some think that the evil is more on the corporate sector while some think is lies with the government. I would argue all are evil men conspiring. The difference is that we can choose which corporate businesses that we want to work with, while with the government, you can hardly go and do business with someone else because they take away competition. I am not just speaking of insurance, because I know there are problems, my battery is low so goodbye for now.
Sharel again here.
Okay, so now my laptop battery is not a problem...so here goes. I think we can have a discussion without any personal attacks, and I think that we all can agree that we want the best for our country and the people who live in it. And that by even having this discussion, we are passionate about this and willing to do things to help correct what we don't agree with.
I really don't think anyone is trying to stifle insurance. We all want to change it. It is just how that we all disagree on.
One of my biggest contentions is that the government rarely does anything well. Medicaid and Medicare are not good enough programs, so that right there is one example of the government screwing up. Not only that, I will state again that we are just putting the problem into hands that are as corrupt and incompetent as the insurance companies are.
I think that what we have is a sort-of monopoly going on with insurance companies. Competition is a good thing, and there is no competition in the medical business right now. If we don't have competition, there is no reason for people to do better and strive better. That is the biggest problem with the government. They barely can find their way out of a paper bag and we want government workers making our important medical decisions for us? Not only that there is a reason why many countries are pulling away from universal health care. England is pulling away from it, and people from Canada come here for healthcare, because it takes too long to get the kind of healthcare they really need.
Also, other countries constitutions are very different from ours. I am not sure if you have had time to look at the healthcare bill, but there are so many limiting things in there that don't even have to do with healthcare. And alot of it hurts people and does not help. Watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcBaSP31Be8.
Not only that, I think that part of the problem is that this bill does not really cover people. It just states that everyone has to have insurance. How does that help? Oh, you can't afford insurance? Let me help you by making it illegal to not have any. See! I just solved the healthcare problem!
I think the problem is that insurance has been in bed with the government and that got us here, and now we want to turn it over to them?
I just don't trust the government. I don't trust many other private companies either, but at least there are more of them I can choose. When the government holds all the cards, where can we go when they screw it up (and I have very little faith that they will get it right).
One more thing, many people did not want this bill to go through the way it was, yet did our government listen? No, so sometimes, no matter what we do, we are helpless. yes, yes, I can vote, but by the time I can, the damage is done. At least I can go somewhere else when I am dissatisfied with my service in other things.
I'm going to leave it alone after this, but I have a couple things to say/question:
You've talked about "getting rid" of insurance, or at least "primary care insurance." How exactly is this to be done. You guys don't like government sticking its nose into things, so how are you going to "get rid of insurance?" Also, you say a "safety net" for catstrophic events is ok. Does this safety net apply to everyone? How does this safety net differ from Medicaid or a public option?
Finally, since all of this debate is all about me and my needs, what about people with chronic health problems? You want to "get rid" of primary care insurance. So I have to pay for all of my diabetes care out of pocket? I guess the Tolman girls ain't goin' to college.
You're right that insurance and government subsidies have harmfully altered the economic principles that can drive healthcare costs. However, if you go back to a purely capitalist system in which you depend on supply and demand to determine price and service, it makes for a system in which wealthy people get healthcare and poor people do not. Subsidizing or providing primary care can actually drive costs DOWN because people will go to the doctor to get their blood pressure treated or their diabetes managed or their strep throat cultured before it gets so bad that they have to go to the emergency room with a stroke or kidney failure or pericarditis.
In regards to you schooling me Econ101 style about what would happen if you just stopped paying for services: doctors will just close their doors. Intelligent people won't go to medical school because it isn't worth it. That's already happening. MRI machines won't cost any less to build. Nurses are already underpaid. It won't be worth the cost of research to develop new drugs. Our healthcare system costs money. Asking only sick people to fund the whole system won't work. I like the idea of taking insurace company profits out of the equation, but then we come back to the question of how that is to be accomplished.
K, I'm done.
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