7 Responses to “a required primer for the healthcare-ignorant”

1. David
   August 31st, 2009 - 7:43 pm

   You want socialized healthcare? Join the military and deal with the VA hospital; see how great government runs healthcare. Our current healthcare is so good that people from countries that have socialized healthcare come to the US to get better treatment.
   Instead of every president that comes to office and tries to do NEW things, why don’t we first fix what we have. Show us how you can run the VA and then maybe we could believe the government can run anything at all. Fix the education system. Fix the DMV. Otherwise a universal healthcare will be like that. The DMV.
   If we fix what we have FIRST, then you will see that with a better education, you can get a better job and with a better job comes health insurance! In other words, go get a JOB! instead of milking the government to feed you!
   Do somehing with yourself and stop looking at others in jealousy and begging them to give you things.

2. admin
   August 31st, 2009 - 9:12 pm

   as an independent business owner who can’t afford the the bizarre rates for health insurance, i love to read the FOX-inspired talking points from this fine, well-educated american.
   ARRRGGGGHHHHH.
   stay angry, pilgrim. no one is as smart as you.

3. David
   August 31st, 2009 - 9:42 pm

   eggghhh I hate FOX news…
   I agree.. as a past business owner the healthcare costs are RIDICULOUS. However, as a business owner I’m sure you do appreciate and understand the appreciation that capitalism creates competition which creates better health care. A government option to an individual would crumble that, because the private health sector will have to lower their premiums to compete with a government option and will therefore lower the quality provided in order to stay atop of that expense. In a long run you would end up with another VA.
   So, instead of keeping up with NEW ideas, like every president does, Obama, Bush, Clinton, etc.. let’s work on fixing what we do have.
   You should be rewarded to be a business owner. After all, you provide jobs to the community. It should not be taxed and punsihed for being a business owner.
   So my idea is let’s subsidize the small business owners. It works in the agricultural sector. Or how about a break? Such as, if you provide healthcare to your employees, then the government matches the social security tax instead of you having to do it?
   Yes many people don’t know that an employer matches the exact tax the employee contributes to social security. Or something like you get to keep 1% of the sales tax you collect, if you provide healthcare?
   Doesn’t that make more sense than to keep creating new ideas and adding on top of a mess that already exists?
   Reform healthcare… but don’t make another whole new entity. Fix the VA problem. Make people proud that they served for our country and reward them with a better healthcare. That will cover a large portion of the employees that don’t have insurance.
   Make a better education system so people can learn and produce.
   Reward businesses that keep work here in the United States AND punish those who don’t.

4. Ellen
   September 4th, 2009 - 5:04 pm

   The idea that capitalism somehow leads to better health care is an absolute farce. Under the current profit-motivated system, doctors only get paid when they do something – procedures, precriptions, whatever. Doctors aren’t being paid to keep people healthy. That’s why the vast majority of procedures and prescriptions are absolutely unnecessary, but we’re paying for them anyway through our premiums. The profit motive doesn’t lead to better health care, just to more profit (and waste).
   So we have the highest per-capita health costs, but our life expectancy isn’t anywhere near the top – not even the top 30. That what the “profit motive” has gotten us so far.

5. Rachael
   September 4th, 2009 - 7:27 pm

   A few of comments for the comments.

   Obama is not wanting to get rid of the private health care option. You can choose to keep your existing insurance. He simply wants to add another choice to the mix. This would increase competition, not crumble it.

   The video points out the truth that with insurance, your money is pooled together to help pay for others that are sick too. If there are too many claims, guess what, your rates go up too. Sounds kinda socialized in this sense to me and who benefits – the insurance companies.

   The government has had programs that have worked really well. The problem is when and if there is a President/Congress that stops backing a program. Then the program goes by the way side. If the program is cared for, then it will be run well. Take the No Child Left Behind, it could be a great program if only they backed it and funded it.

   So why not let the American people decide for themselves. We are a democracy, right? If some of us want the public option (which is still the majority according to polls), then let us have the option. Others will still be able to choose their existing insurance plans. And with the extra competition, maybe the for profit health insurance companies would be forced to get their act together and start acting ethically, cut your rates and give you more for your money like they should be doing.

6. David
   September 7th, 2009 - 10:48 am

   Ellen – You seem to have a misconception to think that doctors become doctors just for the money. That is truely false. Majority choose to go through 10 + years of schooling just to help people. They don’t get paid for lab results. They’re not in the business of making money for the insurance companies. If it was for money, they would have become lawyers or business execs. You want to see socialized medicine? go and join the military and receive VA benefits. You’ll see how much care you’ll receive.
   Without capitalism you get NOTHING! Look at the countries that have socialized medicine. Canada for example! When was the last time they had ANY advancement in medicine? Competition creates advancements! Name one country that has socialized medicine and has medicinal advancements that would even compete with the United States.
   Rachael – If it was that simple I’d completely aree with you. The downfall of the government option is that it would be cheaper than private sector premiums; right? or else it wouldn’t make any sense. That’s how you would crumble the private sector. Who in their right mind would want to pay more?
   However I completely agree with you that Congress doesn’t back what we do have.
   It’s a big political facade.
   Every politician wants to be labeled that they came up with a NEW idea. In the fear that they won’t be credited with just fixing what we do have.
   A government option is piling shit on top of shit.
   Fix the current system. Fix the medicaid. Fix the education problem. REWARD our soldiers for serving our country.
   In another conversation I was having with a friend, we came up with some ideas…
   Anybody familiar with the teaching program where if you become a teacher and choose to teach in an underpriviledged area for 4 years, your student loans are waived. That program is still running strong.
   So in the same model, If you don’t qualify for medicaid (offered to all who are disabled) let’s say you get in some sort of a corp program, similiar to the military, for example, social welfare work, habitats for humanity, etc… in other words some sort of service for the country besides just military that is government funded… Then the government would offer to pay your insurance premium in addition to opening job markets & even trickling down to small businesses for subcontracting.
   Again, PLEASE no more new ideas. Let’s work on fixing what we have. A healthcare reform IS needed, just don’t add another new entity.

7. David
   September 9th, 2009 - 8:41 pm

   Thank you Obama for not buckling to the extreme left in your party; way to go! No extra public option! Fix & Build on what we have instead of creating a new entity! Tax breaks for businesses who cant afford it! He read my mind! LOL…

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