tidbit's blog

tid's health care rant (repost w/ edit)

 abuse

I've been doing a lot of watching/ reading of multiple media and blog commentary trying to keep up with people and their ideas. I've gotten really frustrated and for the most part - fed up.

Someone claimed I was “attacking” them the other day because I gave factual information about the current Senate Health Bill. I was told I was un-sympathetic, heartless, cruel, sad and pathetic. 

Why? Simply because I didn’t agree with them (or so they assumed).   

Truth was, had they actually read my comments, I did agree with their premise, but not their comment.  

Why is it, just because a person doesn’t agree with "The Bill", people call us “Obstructionists” and say we’re hindering reform.   And refuse to acknowledge that we "obstructionists" also want reform, just not theirs, so ours is automatically invalid?? 

Why is it, just because a person doesn’t agree with "The Bill" as it stands, we’re heartless and don’t care about suffering people? 

I ASK YOU:

Why can’t I think that there are some parts of the Bill that are ok? (Like making insurance companies not allowed to deny coverage for pre-existing coverage or drop someone when something serious occurs)  But still be against the bill as a whole because it does more harm than it does help? 

Why the rush for the Bill?

Why are we in such a hurry to force something that is so serious and so huge?

For those of you FOR "The Bill" Would you run your business this way?

This is something I’m very passionate about and think is a huge and incredibly important move. I know there are many others like me out there who know reform is needed, but are smart enough to see that what is being currently legislated is not actual “reform” but another big mess. 

I’m sick and tired of seeing things like: 

Someone reads a comment about how the new plan will deny services and says “So what, in the current environment, insurance companies deny coverage and services all the time”. 

SO??  Why are you in such a hurry to have a bill pass that doesn’t change the status quo just because it has 1 or two clauses that *might or might not help??? 

Someone goes into a diatribe about all the people they know who suffer because of medical issues insurance won’t cover….. 

AND? At the risk of sounding heartless, for every person who has troubles, there is one or more people out there who are completely happy with their current doctor and health care plan and never had a problem with their insurance.  So why are we going to deny 1 to provide for another while reducing the quality of service provided to either and not tackling the real issue of cost

 But it doesn’t have to be either way…..~!  

What it all boils down to is this:  MOST EVERYONE WANTS REFORM.  I haven’t come across a single person who has said “things are perfect as they are, leave them alone”.  What I hear are people saying they don’t want their freedom of choice taken away. They don’t want the freedom to pick their doctor taken away (which the current Senate Bill does based on the latest amendment).  

Like everything else in life – liberals and conservatives HAVE to work together.

The more we get defensive and bicker between each other, the more the politicians have the freedom to do what they want – to line their pockets and those of the people whom they owe favors to, completely without our notice.  

I firmly believe that the current conservative model being promoted by groups like American’s for Prosperity (whom I usually support), Pat McCrory, and others is NOT effective on it’s own. 

I also firmly believe that the current liberal model being promoted by Obama and the Democratic Senate is NOT going to be effective on it’s own.  

There is an answer and it lies between both – but no one will see it or even try to identify it because everyone (including politicians) are too worried about party politics. People refuse to hear what someone has to say simply because they are conservative and visa versa. 

What should be the overall goal of the health care reform?  Simple: To make health care affordable and accessible for everyone.   NOTE: I said health CARE not health INSURANCE. 

Does the current bill do this? NO Why?  Because it’s not focusing on the cost of health care, it’s focusing on insurance and coverage.  

The overall goal should be to remove the idea that a person has to have insurance to afford health care.  This is one of the major reasons we're in teh mess we are in.  We have car / life / house insurance for 1 reason:  For when emergencies and catastrophic situations happen.  Health insurance should be NO DIFFERENT. 

A doctor in Apex doesn’t take insurance. You file your own.  He has a price list in his office of completely affordable rates:  $25 for routine visit, $45 or so for Physical exam, etc.   How does he do this?  He saves over $250,000 a year by removing administrative costs for filing with insurance companies.  

What does that tell you?   That by removing insurance from the equation we get closer to making routine doctor visits affordable.  Imagine how much cheaper his costs could be if he didn’t have to pay $200,000 or more a year in malpractice insurance?? Yet our current bill does not address any of these issues. As I told someone earlier today: 

I envision a country where anyone could go to a doctor of their choice and pay out of pocket $10 or $15.That's it, nothing else to file or hope someone pays the rest.

This would also take a lot of the rediculousness out of the emergency room from uninsured who can't afford to take their kids anywhere when they get a cold or have allergies. This alone is a huge financial burden on hospitals who are not even making profits anymore and can barely stay afloat. Hospitals across America have been closing because of these losses.  

All companies could offer a Flex Medical Spending that will allow us to use pre-tax dollars to pay for these medical expenses.  

If something serious occurs, then we have a health plan off to the side for just such emergencies.  

Routine operations? (Gall bladder removal, tonsil removal, ets) Instead of $10-30K, $1,500 to $3000 that we can break into payment with the hospital  or doctor.   

Re work the tax benefits on medical expenditures (where now I think you have to spend 10 or 20% above your adjusted gross income before you can use it?) so that lower income people can get a little extra help and those with chronic issues.    

What’s wrong with these ideas? 

Why am I pathetic and heartless and cruel for having these ideas, just because I’m opposed to Obama’s plan? 

YES we need some reform now.  But can’t that be accomplished by simply making amendments to the qualifications to Medicare/ Medicaid so that the chronically un-insurable right now, can get help? And those who are caught in the rocks between not being poor enough, but not enough income to afford health insurance? 

Then spending good time working on reform to the health care industry (NOT just insurance) to make it open to all? In the long run, this would even help eliminate the tax burden of Medicare and Medicaid as fewer people would need it!

And one more thing. I'm so sick of the comparison for and against Canada, UK and other countries. We're not those other countries. This is America.  Fact is, it's not really working in those countries either when more than 50% of their people think their health care needs reform.  So I just don't give a shiat. Why would we try to model after those countries? Trading from a mess into a mess. Why?

We have a real opportunity to do something new, unique and better.  That can't be done with rushed legistion that our politicians won't even bother to read. It certainly can't be done if we don't stop bickering and come to some kind of compromise and hold our representatives feet to the fire.  

And for the "do what and when" comments? If you can't get that out of this blog, then you never bothered to read. Just like many other "obstructionist" are offering a multitude of ideas, but since they don't match up to "obamacare" you ignore them.

And if insurance companies are so evil... why are you in such a hurry to create another one...

Filed under: Government