You know, I really think the system should be point-based- just like how automobile insurance works in the US. If you are not a careful and responsible driver you pay a higher premium for your car insurance. It should be the same in health insurance. If people don't take of their health then they should be responsible for the cost of it.
However, a lot of other measures should be taken before this becomes a reality of course. The end to corn subsidization and use of corn syrup in products is perhaps the first two steps.
However, a lot of other measures should be taken before this becomes a reality of course. The end to corn subsidization and use of corn syrup in products is perhaps the first two steps.
What some of you fail to understand is that good or bad America is about "private sector" and a government that tries to stay away from business practices.
Mark my words -
When the Bill goes into effect (2014?), Quality of medical services will drop drastically - and you and I will have to pay twice what we pay today in order to get the same service we recieve today. On the positive side, many people (Estimated 30 million) who have no medical insurance today will have access to some medical care in the future. So the bottom line is quality of care will drastically crash for the middle class (majority of Americans who won't be able to afford to pay more), cost of health care (with today's standards) will double for the upper class, and some 30 million of the lower class Americans will have minimum healthcare.
BTW - this Bill will also make having medical insurance a must - just like car insurance. Therefore most younger folks who do not get insurance while they are under 40, will now be required by law to have medical insurance.
Also - the bureaucracy tied to health insurance shall double - and that is not all bad - it means the government will hire many to process the system.
Finally - Not even the Congressmen who voted yesterday are fully clear about what the bill is and where it will take us.
Mark my words -
When the Bill goes into effect (2014?), Quality of medical services will drop drastically - and you and I will have to pay twice what we pay today in order to get the same service we recieve today. On the positive side, many people (Estimated 30 million) who have no medical insurance today will have access to some medical care in the future. So the bottom line is quality of care will drastically crash for the middle class (majority of Americans who won't be able to afford to pay more), cost of health care (with today's standards) will double for the upper class, and some 30 million of the lower class Americans will have minimum healthcare.
BTW - this Bill will also make having medical insurance a must - just like car insurance. Therefore most younger folks who do not get insurance while they are under 40, will now be required by law to have medical insurance.
Also - the bureaucracy tied to health insurance shall double - and that is not all bad - it means the government will hire many to process the system.
Finally - Not even the Congressmen who voted yesterday are fully clear about what the bill is and where it will take us.
A clip on the final tea bagging protest in Washington before the final vote on Capital Hill. It's quite an amusing video. The people in it remind me of Masoud. please do watch:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pilG7PCV448"]YouTube- THE TEA PARTY & THE CIRCUS - Final Healthcare Reform Protest[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pilG7PCV448"]YouTube- THE TEA PARTY & THE CIRCUS - Final Healthcare Reform Protest[/ame]
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I think you may be confused on the basics of free market system. You are with the absolute majority on that. The goal of the shopkeeper is also to get the very last penny from you for the least amount of product or service. There is no difference between the shopkeeper and the insurance company or for that matter you or every single person posting here. Similarly, the goal of you as the health-care consumer is not any different as the goal of you as a consumer of ice-cream. Your goal is to get the best possible service or product for the least amount of money.
Freedom, the system, is infinitely better than any other; it has always been; it is; and it will always be for as long as this earth and this heaven lasts. This is because it is God's system, and His is unchangeable.
The system is for people to come together freely, to make a transaction, one as a supplier and one as consumer, where each freely bargains for his own interests. In this way they will mutually benefit and they will benefit the rest of the society. The problem arises when one side does not have bargaining power. This problem situation does not arise naturally. Instead, it happens when one side gets someone with guns, in most situations the government, to curtail the freedom to bargain of the other side. In a modern society, this is usually disguised as the exact opposite of what it is. That is, it is disguised as actually something to help the other side, where as in reality is curtailing his ability to bargain for the best possible deal.
The solution is not for socialism, or for a third party, say the government, to try to regulate the one side. Instead it is to find out where and how the freedom to bargain has been removed from one and to restore his freedom.
What is missing and is not understood is that the health-care system in the US is far, far from a free system. It is a social welfare system, that is a welfare system for the special interest. And this is why it is working poorly. Why is that? It is because the health insurance companies, along with every single supplier in the industry, from the pharmaceuticals to nurses to Doctors to hospitals, as well as special interest consumers have got the government to pass laws, enforced at he point of the gun, to curtail the freedom of the consumers to bargain for the best possible deal for themselves to gain for themselves. They have done this by allying themselves with hapless self-proclaimed do-gooders, claiming to be serving "public interests."
For example, you cannot buy insurance from outside your state. I see that you can order books from anywhere in the US. The reason is so that in each state only a few suppliers are left that can easily collude with each other to get higher prices. Or for example, you cannot receive "medical care" from someone who is not board certified. I see that you can have your computer made by anyone, certified or not. Or for example, you cannot buy prescription drugs from outside of the US. I see that you can buy your shirts from anywhere in the world. And on and on and on.
Freedom, the system, is infinitely better than any other; it has always been; it is; and it will always be for as long as this earth and this heaven lasts. This is because it is God's system, and His is unchangeable.
The system is for people to come together freely, to make a transaction, one as a supplier and one as consumer, where each freely bargains for his own interests. In this way they will mutually benefit and they will benefit the rest of the society. The problem arises when one side does not have bargaining power. This problem situation does not arise naturally. Instead, it happens when one side gets someone with guns, in most situations the government, to curtail the freedom to bargain of the other side. In a modern society, this is usually disguised as the exact opposite of what it is. That is, it is disguised as actually something to help the other side, where as in reality is curtailing his ability to bargain for the best possible deal.
The solution is not for socialism, or for a third party, say the government, to try to regulate the one side. Instead it is to find out where and how the freedom to bargain has been removed from one and to restore his freedom.
What is missing and is not understood is that the health-care system in the US is far, far from a free system. It is a social welfare system, that is a welfare system for the special interest. And this is why it is working poorly. Why is that? It is because the health insurance companies, along with every single supplier in the industry, from the pharmaceuticals to nurses to Doctors to hospitals, as well as special interest consumers have got the government to pass laws, enforced at he point of the gun, to curtail the freedom of the consumers to bargain for the best possible deal for themselves to gain for themselves. They have done this by allying themselves with hapless self-proclaimed do-gooders, claiming to be serving "public interests."
For example, you cannot buy insurance from outside your state. I see that you can order books from anywhere in the US. The reason is so that in each state only a few suppliers are left that can easily collude with each other to get higher prices. Or for example, you cannot receive "medical care" from someone who is not board certified. I see that you can have your computer made by anyone, certified or not. Or for example, you cannot buy prescription drugs from outside of the US. I see that you can buy your shirts from anywhere in the world. And on and on and on.
The two-tier system as proposed by some here have its advantages, but it surely has some major flaws as well.
When it comes to universal health care coverage, no system is perfect as long as we live in a society that values money more than life.
I used to live in Denmark for many years and they claim to have the best health care systems of all countries around the world. Here lies the problem: They pay 60% tax, receive mediocre medical coverage, and the waiting times are just ridiculous. They also have a two-tier system where patients who have the money can get treated by private practices but the costs are to the roof, so basically very few can afford it.
The overall result is that doctors don't care, the hospitals care less than doctors, and the treatments are oftentimes so bad that many people require additional (read more expensive) second and third opinions for even banalities.
Now one thing that the Government has done effectively in Denmark is prevention by focusing on the health rather than the healthcare. The Danes are simply more healthy than most other people in the world because programs are in place to educated the society about nutrition and exercise.
When it comes to universal health care coverage, no system is perfect as long as we live in a society that values money more than life.
I used to live in Denmark for many years and they claim to have the best health care systems of all countries around the world. Here lies the problem: They pay 60% tax, receive mediocre medical coverage, and the waiting times are just ridiculous. They also have a two-tier system where patients who have the money can get treated by private practices but the costs are to the roof, so basically very few can afford it.
The overall result is that doctors don't care, the hospitals care less than doctors, and the treatments are oftentimes so bad that many people require additional (read more expensive) second and third opinions for even banalities.
Now one thing that the Government has done effectively in Denmark is prevention by focusing on the health rather than the healthcare. The Danes are simply more healthy than most other people in the world because programs are in place to educated the society about nutrition and exercise.
I was over simplifying. You are 100% right however the insurance industry will never allow for 100% freedom and government wont ever protect the people's bargaining power. There must be some kind of quality control when it comes to health care. If someone screwed up your computer, you cant get porn. If someone screws up surgery, you are dead. Big difference.
In 1997 it was estimated that 100,000 Americans die every year for lack of medical care.
Try to wrap your mind around that when you propose that affordable access to health care is a privilege and not a right!
Masoud is not it funny that you claim the congressmen who voted for the bill yesterday have no idea what the bill is about or where it will take us, yet you and Republicans do forecast so much horror and pain from the passage of this bill?!?
Talk about arrogance...
Try to wrap your mind around that when you propose that affordable access to health care is a privilege and not a right!
Masoud is not it funny that you claim the congressmen who voted for the bill yesterday have no idea what the bill is about or where it will take us, yet you and Republicans do forecast so much horror and pain from the passage of this bill?!?
Talk about arrogance...
Difficult subject. Obviously providing health coverage to poor people is a worthy idea, but as BT pointed out public health systems like Canada have lots of problems too. On the other hand, a two-tier system does not necessarily solve the problem either. Iran is a prime example of two-tire health system. While it works well for simple problems and family doctor visits (in which the Iranian system is far better than Canada), God help you if you are poor and need an expensive operation. Iranian public hospitals are horrible.