Healthcare Reform Cost Estimates Have Democrats on Defensive

health care

I agree 100% with Ed Watson of N J . Take a look at the bail out that everyone was so thrilled about and yet some ceo's are still receiving 100 million dollars in bonuses. Did no one learn from that fiasco? Health care takes a big chunk of my salary but if I hadn't enrolled in one that gave me the freedom to choose who I wanted I would be dead today. Yes it's expensive but death is final and I as a working person had rather pay for health care than be dead. I provided health care for my child, i clothed my child, I have never received any help from the government but know plenty of families(3 generations) who have abused government programs because they knew someone ,a senator or state representative who could help them. Would not there be a lot of people who would expect that they receive health care wheather anyone else did or not because they knew someone in government? I can't see anything fair about this health plan of obama's. Clinton was smart to say NO! when Hillary was pushing health care in 93 when he was president.

competition is how we receive the benefits of great health care. If every hospital was the same where is the incentive to be the best you can be? The same applies to labs and dr's. The government needs to give incentives to persons who want to be great dr's and work in prestigious hospitals.

Why do they not deal with wall street and stop the predictions of the price of oil and other commodities? Stop the fat cats from getting fatter.

In this life your health should be one of the most important things. I do not like the idea of going to a hospital that I might have to wait for a room in ICU because someone hadn't been dismissed. I also do not like the fact that senior citizens will not be treated with cutting edge technology, because of their age, to save their lives. What happened to respect and cherish your elders? They gave us a legacy. Without them we wouldn't be here. We shouldn't assume they are useless.

Yes, health care is expensive but so are utilities and groceries. The 4,500 dollars for your klunkers, how many will be repossessed because people can't pay for them? Did everyone receive this? No, they did not. The people who received the money thought it was fair but what about the people who didn't qualify? I can see the same pit falls for health care.

we elected these officials. They need to take a longer look at health care before they vote for something that has so much conterversary attached to it.

I never wanted to live in Canada or any other country because we were where everyone wanted to be. Why would we pattern after a country that looks up to us and comes to this country for health care if theirs was so great? I can only hope that people come to their senses before they find out how unrealistic this health care plan is.

Health Insurance Reform

Health insurance is not a constitutional right. The government should enable a multi-group plan that unemployed or underprivilegd can particapte as a group. NOT FREE. I am on Medicare and when I became eligible, the very large company I retired from eliminated my health insurance the same day. I still have to pay almost 10% of my Social Security for medicare and 20% of the charges. Same should apply for those drawing unimployment or welfare checks. NO FREE RIDE. All should be responsible for a co-pay. Now, if you realistically and honestly identify $billions of medical cost savings that we here from the Obama administration every day. A very simple and working plan can be inplace quickly. Get rid of the minority stipulations in the existing plan and make it genuinely non racial, non-partisan and non political. Establish a PRIVATE institute to manage this plan. Exclude non legal and their dependents. This is harsh but these are hard times. We need health reforms, not a welfare program.

Examples:

Family's earning up to $30k $100 mthly Prem $10 copay

Family's earning up to $50k $200 mthly Prem #15 copay

Family's earning up to $75k $300 mthly Prem $20 copay

Family's earning up to $100k 400 mthly Prem $25 copay

Family's earning up to $250k 600 mthly Prem $25 copay

Add it up, this would be deficit neutral and very little impact on the taxpayer.

These can be adjusted but the message is there. Anyone can be elligible.

HEALTH CARE

The limited revelation of what's in the health care proposals don't seem to have any reduction in health care costs except to pay the doctors less. Where is Tort reform to reduce insurance doctors costs and extra tests to reduce their liability. Where is the price visibility that is needed for competition and price regulation in a capitalistic system.

I see price increases all around me caused by our government induced financial tsunami. Government does not have a lock on doing things smart or right. We should take health care change very slowly so that the true costs to be payed for by tax payers will sink in and be supported or rejected accordingly.

I am afraid that our government is about to bankrupt and destroy our country.

Expense and the already increasing debt...

Look, the stimulus package that Congress passed without giving any real critical review at the beginning of Obama's administration in January has yet to work and has increased national debt instead of decreasing it. Now, the Democrats in Congress want to pass a bill that is terribly, terribly expensive to support. Wait a minute! Does this make sense to anybody?!? Congress wants to pass legislation that needs huge amounts of money to work, but the nation is right in the middle of a recession that is not about to get better. Can someone explain this to me?!?

Need a job so I can pay for my own healthcare

The point is, we are in a depression right now, 9.5% of Americans don't have a job. That means they don't have a home, food and a way to buy clothes. The percent of unemployed Americans is predicted to increase. Not decrease. How much only god knows, but with unemployment high, you can be sure you are not getting a raise anytime soon, and may even have to work for less. Isn't it more important to get People back in a home, food on the table and financial security right now? Yes, 15% of people are uninsured, but they can go the ER if they need care or to clinic and pay out of pocket, which is not too expensive to see a primary care doctor. It is unfair in such difficult economic times to impose this burden on businesses and working americans. It is also counterproductive, because businesses will start laying people off to pay for obamacare and unemployment will increase more. I don't want a handout Obama, I want my own money, my own healthcare plan that I choose and you out of my pocketbook. What good is healthcare, if you don't have a job?

Healthcare reform is GOOD

Reforming the health care system seems like the fair and morally right thing to do. so why are republicans so opposed to it? Sure it may be expensive but thats no reason to let millions of people suffer while helthcare is only an service for the wealthy social elite. But Oh thats right i forgot, it doesnt matter if people die as long as someone up top making money. This seems to be the motto in our corrupt government composed of rich CEO's and bankers. Goodluck Obama...

This health bill is still expensive

Calculating the costs of a government premium (from the bill, section II, part C) there is not a significant cost difference (about 10% less for the most basic plan) than a low cost private provider plan for families within the income guidelines. Additionally, they are discussing whether or not to make this plan involuntary unless you can't afford it and the government decides whether or not you can afford it, not you. This could make matters much worse since this health plan doesn't cover all healthcare costs and won't help with dental and vision coverage.

It looks like this bill is not going to create any real change, just more taxes. It looks so much like the Massachusetts style health plan which is floundering right now and a huge gimmee to the insurance companies by putting health insurance coverage into law.

The industry does need to be reformed, but in small stages that we all can adapt to, not some sweeping reform that will heavily increase taxes without providing any real improvements in the cost of benefits.

People need to remember that those without insurance still pay their medical bills through savings, paying over time and sometimes loans.

The cost of insurance can be prohibitive and wasteful for people under certain income levels. Better cheaper options would be great, but this bill is too high cost low benefit to be forced to buy into it.

ObamaNeedSomeJuices

first they take $50 of from original of your 500 monthly? now it no longer pay for your Optomerty and Dental work and check up each year it an insult that they call this reform i thought they gone put it up from yearly to twice year but not. It was an insult on the poor people this was insult people life sort of reform thinggy specially for the poorer class of america. Need to say more that i saw the new and they say AIG have big bonus for it CEO right after they get a bailout by the the Obama administration and his congress, and the new reporter on TV say AIG might get big bonus at level milion for 10 something of it CEO. No wonder why Obama fire that General Chief Inspection sort of like an indepent person hire to do his job as look for coruption within our government that was funny because he was no nominate by Obama during the Bush year when Bush was in the office, i bet he have to fire the dude because he was close to sniff out something from people like lobbiest or someone who is have close relationship with Obama wasting american taxpayer money on pointless thing again

Healthcare Reform

The truth is we presently have Universal healthcare coverage. Ask any Mexican -they use our system to have children. Presently a Judge in the USA can force a child to get chemotherapy even if the family doesn't want it. Plead poverty and all life threatening situations are covered by Emergency Care in the USA.Plain and simple.If you have more than $2,000 in the bank they'll take it.More than one car or one home they'll take that too.

As for nursing homes -make it a penalty of 25 yrs to life if you commit medicare or medicaid fraud. And if you kill an elderly, disabled or child in a hospital knowing you've not repaired broken equipment -invoke the death penalty to those idiot Presidents and CEO's who make those decisions.

Isn't that criminal behavior now?

HEALTH INSURANCE DISCRIMINATION

The product of health insurance is to provide you with medical coverage when you need it.

Unlike other businesses that need to provide you with their product in order to make any money, health insurance companies actually make more money for themselves when they restrict and do not pay claims.

In other words, they make more money when they do NOT provide the product that you have paid them for.

Read the 50 to 70 pages of your health insurance contract.

Pay particular attention to the section entitled “limitations and exclusions”.

People’s health is not a product that needs to be left to the whims of money motivated CEO’s and stockholders.

If that is your thinking, you might as well have your police and fire department protection based on insurance premiums you pay.

Then you can go to the police and fire protection insurance page for ‘limitations and exclusions’ on whether or not the police or fire department would come out to your house in the event of an emergency.

The point is, you would never think of discriminating against another citizen if he was the victim of a fire or crime.

So why would you be ok with health insurance companies discriminating against fellow citizens who have pre-existing medical conditions?