Single Payer Health Plan

[libertylover]

I posted about addressing a health plan
for America.

The single payer health plan was mention from
tightwads article.

I addressed this to see what the response
would be. I said whether we choose this
single payer health plan, more and more
people are without insurance and the costs
are going sky high to be able to afford to
be self insured.

By the way, I'm insured.

Seems like it is still a hot topic from the way
Green Alien posted his thinking on why he
is against it.

Vote if you are for or against and why?
Other health plans you suggest?
What are the solutions?

[Northwoods_Hippie]

I don't know how to solve the problems with healthcare and insurance but I do know that I work very very hard and still cannot afford to purchase health insurance for myself.

I live in a very rural area of Northern Wisconsin, in the summer I paint houses and am the caretaker for a large resort, in the winter I wait tables, tend bar, clean houses, do some indoor painting, run errands for an elderly neighbor and just about anything else I can think of to do to make money. But despite all this work, I still cannot afford to purchase health insurance for myself.

Out of my circle of friends (22 people between the ages of 31 and 58) only one of us has any type of health insurance, and that is only catastrophic coverage which costs this friend $800 a year!! All of my friends are "self-employed" and most of us do construction/labor or caretaking/housekeeping type work.

This is a big topic of conversation among my friends as we all know that is would only take one accident to put us out of commission work wise and then where would we be...booted off our land and out of our homes that's where!!!

Just my 2 cents, as that is all I can spare right now.

Margie

[chloe3388]

I don't have any real answers either, I am uninsured and at my age the best I can hope for is to make it to medicare.

I have a friend whose 4 year old was hurt in a freak accident, they had good insurance. What with life flight and surgeries they ran out of insurance pretty fast. They had to get a second morgage on their house, use credit cards for meds. Still the debt kept raising. Bill collectors and lawsuits threats.

They ended up declaring bankruptcy and divorced. Basically I think most insurance is a scam.

Danged if you do and danged if you don't

chloe

[Booker]

Hi,

For those of you under 35 years of age check out this

http://www.todaysmilitary.com/app/tm/

Not only will you be defending democracy and fighting for freedom, you will learn many skills. Good luck on whatever path you choose.

Regards,
Booker

[libertylover]

Booker, we trying to address a healthcare plan
besides a socialist health plan.

The military is socialist. The veterans hospitals
and doctors are hired, funded, and work for the government. It's also managed care, kinda like
a HMO cause they can't choose their doctors.

Even if we choose tax credits for corporations
for healtcare for thier employees, it's still a
form of socialist.

I read some many articles and it justs seems
no one has the answers. Or, no one can agree
on what we should do.

And, yes, I too have known people who have had
to file bankrupty over healthcare. My heart is not
harden and I don't think they are lazy, welfare
whores. Just hard working people who had
family members who were sick and it sadden me.

Just think of all the people who end up at the
not for profit hospitals. They can't pay and the
hospitals pass the cost onto the taxpayer.

[oldnndway]

I am blessed to have medical insurance for me and my family...pay through the nose for it though.

I've heard that in England they have socialized medicine but they also have private hospitals and if you can afford to go there the facilities and the care are much much better than the gov sponsored hospitals.

I would bet that most folks that go through all those years of schooling to get that MD would much rather work at the nice places working on wealthy people and making mega bucks than they would the other places and getting what uncle king says is the going rate...so you wind up with the docs that can't get on at the good places...kinda like the VA

I would suspect that the same thing would / will happen here.
As the gov gets their nose more and more into the medical business some folks will opt out and be willing to pay for "better" healthcare.

[GREEN_ALIEN]

Well most of you know how I vote here and why.

I am with liberty pretty much. I know Uncle Sammy sponsered health care will not fly, cmon look at our tax dollars now? I also feel for those who have/had insurance and lost everthing because of major medical.

Who I don't feel for? The lazy that can do something about it but don't.

Between auto / home and health I figger I work for an insurance company and then uncle. I am blessed that someone lets me eat in there.

Ted

[grandmajoy]

If I had to get insurance thru my employer I would not take home a check. We are lucky that we have insurance thru my hubs retirement. We have been without insurance at different times and have had to file bankruptcy because of it. When you have nothing and the creditors will not work with you' you have to do something. Unless you have been there you don't know how it feels to have a sick child and not have the money to go to the Dr. We always seemed to make to much for Medicaid( some times by only a few dollars) but not enough to pay for insurance and many places we worked for didn't even offer it.
I don't know what the answer is but I know it has to change this more than anything will be our down fall.
I know it will never happen but to me national health care is the best option.
If the worry of heath care was not connected to a job/spouse/union it would free us all, if you could go to the Dr. when you needed than minor things would not become major medical problems.
Well got to go to work, got dental bills to pay for(insurance doesn't pay anything on dental.
joy

[jim]

Can't one now just go to the ER and get treatment for most things and if you have no money you don't pay? Isn't there some kind of federal law on that?
jim

[Northwoods_Hippie]

Jim,

I believe that the "law" is that the ER has to treat you, but in no way do they not charge you if you can't pay.

I had to go to the ER this summer when due to a Benadryl induced blood pressure issue I fainted and fell off a ladder. No injury from the fall but I had to see someone about the fainting as I had no idea what was causing it. I am still paying for the almost $700 charge for all the tests the ER ran on me. And then to find out that it was the Benadryl causing the problem and if they had ask me what meds I was taking at the beginning of the appointment like the should have I would not be in dept to the ER!

Margie

[chloe3388]

From what I was told all the ER has to do is stabilze the patient. Not treat a condition. Than they will tell you you need to see a doc. or check in to the hospital, unless it is life threatening you may have a problem with the hospital.

It seems to be a vicious cycle, and the omly one that gains is the insurance companies.

chloe

[Rancher]

If we can just get the Government out of the Health Care system we will be much bettor off, both financially and efficiently.

An an employer in the past, and involved in business plus personal insurance, I know that much of the high cost of health insurance today is due to the government requirements and restrictions. If the Goverment gets out of the way, Insurance companies would be happy to write insurance policies defined for the actual needs of the insured instead of "one fits all" as mandated now.
Even today, I find it most practical, for my wife and self, to not buy regular health insurance but to rather buy Major Medical Policies with a deductable that I can afford, and specific coverages needed. For Example, my wife of age 70, and I, do not need pregnancy coverage so we exclude that from our policy.