Two months ago, I thought that the GOP was poised to make huge gains in this year's elections. But with Republican House members shouting about how the health reform bill is a "baby killer", with Tea Party activists using racial epithets against John Lewis and other African American Democrats and calling Barney Frank "a faggot", and now with
this,
(
Read more... )
Yes, my little post focused on the most egregious examples, but the GOP has been shameful in its attacks on this bill and this Administration. Find me a quiet, reasonable Republican in Congress right now, one who is addressing these issues in an honest way. I'm looking, and I don't see any.
Reply
How much do you think it would cost if your car insurance paid for oil changes and tire rotation?
Reply
Sure, car insurance would be more expensive if it covered maintenance, but it's a faulty analogy. If my car needs work because I couldn't afford preventative maintenance, the expense is mine, no one else's. But if I get sick because I can't afford preventative medicine, and if I don't have insurance and so wind up in an ER, that costs everyone money. It costs local governments money, it drives up hospital costs, which in turn drive up insurance costs. Poor health care and insurance in this country has social and economic costs that this bill seeks to address. That's why the bill will SAVE money over the course of the next twenty years, and even more beyond that.
Reply
Does preventative medicine work? Don't people get sick anyway? Don't people get injured, die no matter how often they see the doctor? Is preventative medicine all that cost effective? I see the doctor when it's time to get more medication. She limits my visits because I cost her clinic money. I cost the clinic money because they accept my insurance, my insurance doesn't may the full cost of the visit, and my insurance demands paperwork.
Ever thought about how much doctors etc. spend on insurance paperwork, private and government? All so you don't have to pay out of pocket. (Yes, I just said you bear responsibility because you don't feel like paying cash when you could afford it.)
I need to see a dentist I have to pay cash. California will not disburse Medicaid funds for dental care. The same for optometric treatments. California continues has she has, she'll flat out bar paying for basic care out right. While your private insurance covers basic care, my government insurance won't, mark my words.
My point is, you pay for the service, and the service is having your insurance company cover your basic care. You really want to save money on your medical care? Here's what you do:
Pay cash for basic treatment. Get generic medications where possible and pay cash for that. Outside of an annual check-up see your doctor when you get sick. Save emergency room visits for emergencies; for injuries and the like. Get out more, do more. Exercise and eat right. Set priorities and do without. Take care of yourself and stop relying on other people to take care of you.
I'm for effective health care reform. I don't see where continuing with the failed policies of the past does us any good, and a lot of harm. Sir, universal coverage is not the solution to the problem, universal coverage is the problem. Can't afford preventative care? Join the club. When I need to pay cash for routine visits (and the day will come) preventative care will not just be discouraged, it will be outright barred to me. Already I'm asked to save my visits for when I have a problem, so I save my visits for when I have a problem. Guess what? Other than Type 2 Diabetes and a possible Vitamin B complex deficiency I'm damn healthy. My diabetes is under treatment, and my vitamin deficiency soon should be; but both are due to my behavior, not because I didn't see a doctor on a regular basis just in case.
What I trying to say is, you'll get sick even with preventative care. By paying for your basic treatment yourself and saving your insurance for catastrophic events you'll save money, and be able to pay for your basic care. Get an annual check up, see your doctor when you need to otherwise, and go to the emergency department when you have an emergency.
I'll end this with a bit of news I caught recently. My Aspergers stopped me from remembering the details, but the story goes that a California hospital investigated why so many people visited their emergency so often. They found out that most of their repeat customers went their because they had no primary care physician. Indeed, many of them were homeless. So they started a program, getting people hooked up with primary care physicans, and getting their homeless clients hooked up with social programs that would get them off the streets. According to the story, they're saving millions a year.
Reply
I am fortunate in that I can afford preventative care for my children as well as for my wife and me. We have good health insurance that covers that care, which includes not only check ups but regular immunizations for my kids, mammograms and other routine tests for my wife, periodic checks of my high cholesterol. Without insurance, we couldn't afford all those things. And my point is that everyone should be as fortunate as my family. We live in a country that thinks nothing of spending billions on weapons systems and tax breaks for the wealthiest few. I think that health care for those who can't otherwise afford it is a far better use of that money.
Clearly though, you and I disagree. And that's fine. I thank you for your thoughts, your courtesy throughout this exchange, and your willingness to debate the issue on its merits. I think that if people in Washington (on both sides) had approached the debate as you and I have, this would have been a far less painful process.
Reply
Leave a comment