(Untitled)

[dblmagus]

Why does it seem that the entire healthcare thing is being done wrong entirely? Its like, first we force everyone to get it or they are penalized, then penalize companies that already give good insurance to their employees. I know compromise means no one is happy, but hell, the way it currently is is better than what they want it to be.

Comments

[dblmagus]

Unfortunately the unpaid ER visits would still be an issue as those illegally in the country. They wouldn't be able to be targeted by that whole penalize em if they don't have insurance. They wont turn people away from ER who don't have insurance and that is how illegals primarily get the healthcare they otherwise couldn't. Same goes for the homeless. No home, no way you can have the government do anything to track you down and make you pay

[dblmagus]

They estimate about 45.7 million are without health care. They also estimate about 20 million illegal immigrants in America as of 2008 (possibly fewer now that the economy is even shittier than it had been). Then there's children of the illegal immigrants who are legal Americans by virtue of being born here but lack health care due to parental situation (couldn't find any specific estimates there except they say that about half the illegal immigrants in the country have children, so about another 10mil give or take). They are also estimating about 3.5 million homeless right now. Combined together that's a pretty large chunk.

I don't deny that having everyone insured is a good thing. It would help out people like your boss. I just don't think they can stop the current problems the way they are doing so.

[archwright]

http://www.lawlib.state.ma.us/subject/about/healthinsurance.html

Massachusetts has mandatory health care. There's a pretty significant population of Mass that pay the fine, since it is less costly to do that than pay for insurance. The issue I see with forcing everyone to have coverage is that there are currently no provisions to limit the growth/rate of growth of the premiums. This reminds me of auto insurance.

Anyway, the new bill is great for people who enjoy bitching. Things will turn out poorly, but at least I'll gain the satisfaction of having one more thing to complain about.

[dblmagus]

Because you need more things to bitch about?

[archwright]

Well, I sure do like to bitch. Bitching is its own reward. Although, I don't think I like to complain enough to balance out the crappiness of that legislation.

[dblmagus]

Yeah, I concur