The GOP wants to force us to buy FOR-PROFIT insurance only.

[Voxman]

The GOP wants to force us to buy FOR-PROFIT insurance only.

I don't TRUST the FOR PROFIT HMOs. They only make money when the DON'T cover health claims.

ZERO trust in for-profit HMOs. They are shell game scammers with their complex fine print rules of when they'll pay or not.

I want NON-PROFIT insurance... I don't want one thin dime going to make sure HMOs make a profit.

Health care insurance is not like other businesses. They make $$$ on our fears of getting sick & dying. There's no free market in HMOs. I hate them. They won't cover me if I get really sick with their lifetime cap. Someone has to protect us from the scam artist HMOs who spent $270,000,000 in 2009 alone on lobbyists & funding political campaigns.

Our government is protecting us from people who have organized a health care system that rips us off and doesn't cover us when we need it the most.

If that is a "government take-over", protecting us and improving health care, then that is a good thing.

 

[oldrockfan]

Im really torn on this subject. On one hand I hate the way insurance companies make huge profits while my coverage shrinks and my copay skyrockets. On the other hand, I have so little faith in the fed gov to have any say in things concerning my health since they have such a crappy track record.

On a side note, our family just got notice that our insurance will be going up $80/month again next year and on top of that, our copay is going up too >

The current health industry practice that promises free medical services to those that can't afford to pay and then spreading those costs out over those that can afford to pay is a flawed system. It is leading us in a downward spiral and I think it will melt down in the next decade and something drastic will have to happen. Probably some short list of basic services that are provided to those that can't afford to pay and everything else will require insurance coverage or cash up front.

 

[guitarweasel]

We have quite a few Doctors up here that won't take any insurance now, instead they work on a retainer, X amount per year and they even make house calls now. Maybe the insurance companies will start to get the hint.

 

[oldrockfan]

that might be the solution... take the insurance fatcats out of the picture all together and just work directly with a doc or better yet a doctor consortium that has the various specialties needed. If it was alot cheaper, I'd have no problem doing it as long as the docs involved had a a good skill level for all major areas needed.

 

[nynvolt]

If the government wants to truely and fairly reduce the cost of health care they would eliminate class action lawsuits, frivolous malpractice suits etc. basically tort reform. Also change patent laws and how they pertain to medications. They should allow people to buy insurance in any state, not just the one in which they reside in. These things would drastically reduce the cost.

The numbers of uninsured are somewhat inflated. They are counting illegals and people who can afford their employer plan but choose not to plus the truely needy people who work full time but either get no company health care or just cannot afford it. I have no problem spending tax money to help (legal citizens) people who pay taxes but cannot afford coverage. I do have a problem with a government stepping in to take over the industry. I already have a problem with how people, even some of my co-workers, opt to not pay for health care when they can afford it. I work hard for my money and don't like assisting those or people who do not have the same work ethic. Of Course retirees, the truely disabled and people who try but just can't afford it deserve coverage.

One last thing, why can't the government bill other countries for providing health care to their citizens by way of illegals here?

 

[Voxman]

mexi's gov loves the open border .. send the poor here to work and they send most of the loot home to mexico while also getting free medical care of which mexico doesn't have to pay for! Win, win for them

 

[oldrockfan]

I think giving any health care to non-citizens is one of the things that needs to change and needs to change fast. We simply can't afford to pay for all that free health care and it is certainly not fair to the tax payers who end up paying for it with higher health care costs.

If we would just cut out all the free health care to illegals and crack down on doing free health care for those that are working, it would be a good start. Sounds like a hard line but if the US doesn't do something fast, we are going to be in some deep poo.

 

[John J]

We've got alot of problems to deal with. The frivolous lawsuit deal that nynvolt mentioned could be adressed by the law bar in each state taking away the license to practice law of lawyers that do this. But no, they won't. Class action suits,the only ones that make out on those are the lawyers handling the cases.
Insurance companies aren't insurance companies anymore. They're investment companies. Plain and simple.
I have health insurance through my wifes work. They change insurance carriers every year. Every year we have to look through the list of doctors in that plan to see if the one that we had last year is approved. Musical doctors is what it amounts to. Every time one of us has to go see a doctor it's the same drill. Fill out all the paper work and basically pay for an office visit to get aquainted with the dr. before anything happens.
I don't have all the answers but like Vox said, $270,000,000. That'd pay alot of doctor bills. Right now my wife is going to the dentist. She broke a tooth that had a filling in it. By the time she's done it's an $1800 bill. We have to pay the first $3000. Insurance covers 100% over the initial $3000. The insurance plan we have cost something like $650 a month.