QUESTION: Should people be required to pay for some form of health insurance or spend their money on pull tabs and chemical substances?
I had a neighbor who went without health insurance but stood in line at Hy-Vee to wait his turn to get to the pull tab machine. There would actually be a line at that machine. When he had to seek medical attention, all of us who bought health insurance had to pay just a bit more to pick up his coverage….that work for you?
Let’s not bring up freedom, but rather bring up moral obligation. How about the guy who smokes two packs of cigarettes a day at a cost of $5.00 a pack and in a round about way you are providing his coverage as well. Ten dollars a day is $3,650.00 a year.
This manufactured ”indignation” about Obama-care is wearing a little thin with me.
Peter Children
Insurance is one big pool. The companies take a risk that the premiums they collect will cover the cost of claims.
Those without insurance, are either high risk, have pre-existing conditions, or cannot afford it. They should be offered insurance if they so choose. The problem there is, the costs will be higher than private insurance. If the premium is too high, and they qualify financially for aid, part of the premium can be covered by Medicaid (NOT ADMINISTERED).
A private group policy would be the natural choice to administer such a program, with oversight from Medicaid to resolve problems and maintain integrity (read fraud – which could also be done in private industry). The rules of the policy would be governed just the same way as normal carriers. In this way citizens are offered medical coverage, at a far more reduced cost than normal Medicare, and without all their silly rules. I believe as someone else mentioned, HSA’s would probably be popular with younger folks as they really don’t have that many health issues.
Another plus is our hospitals would end up getting far better reimbursements, lessening the need to increase rates to others to cover costs.
This would also naturally reduce the bureaucracy in Medicaid, and their overall budget. This seems far too simplistic, but in reality, it covers those who need it, and reduces the overall burden on the rest of the system.
Once again, Peter “The Not So Great” has shown his liberal ignorance in a major way.
The ”indignation” you claim that is out there, is not manufactured but it is real. And if it’s wearing thin with you, too damn bad. Get over it!! It is unconstitutional for government to force the public to purchase services or goods it doesn’t want. The founding fathers did not write the Constitution for this purpose.
And if you do not like the fact that some neighbor of yours stood in line to spend his own money to purchase pull tabs versus having health insurance, get over it. Why not go to him and complain then?? It’s the price we pay for living in a free society. Free from government oppression; at least for now. Besides, how do you really know that maybe he didn’t pay out of pocket for the medical attention he received?? You are the very last person to cry about moral obligation!! It’s not for you to decide what is moral or what isn’t!!
I assure you, the last thing you want is for the government to take over health care. If people are unhappy with the way government works now, wait until government regulates health care. Obamacare is very bad law. It was ramrodded down the throats of the American people against our will by democrats and needs to be struck down ASAP!!
It passed both houses of congress and was signed into law by the president. Frankly, the supreme court, being the 3rd equal branch of power in our government, should have declined to hear arguments on it.
A more dangerous threat to our democracy was the Citizens United case that allows for unlimited corporate political spending, which the corporate owned conservative wing of the court allowed.
Wonder where the real influence is in America? Wonder who is unhappy that healthcare might become available to everyone, and that medical bills, which are the leading cause of bankruptcy in America, might lower to reasonable levels?
Business.
No one cares for your opinion. You’re not worth enough.
But moral responsibility is priceless.
One glaring fact that you failed to mention is the fact that yes, Obamacare passed in the Congress and Senate because Republicans were powerless to stop it. Democrats held the majority in Congress and had a super majority in the Senate! Lets not forget the democrats mouth piece, Nancy Pelosi, “We need to pass this bill to see whats in it.”
And you totally ignored the unconstitutionality of government forcing its citizens to purchase goods or services against their will! Is this the type of overbearing government you democrats desire? If you support Obamacare, then you must!
I work for a company that just had it’s health insurance go up 40%. So they did what probably all companies do, up the deductible and lower the coverage. I don’t know if this watered down version of national health care is the answer but something HAS to change.
Insurance will only pay 40% on medical problems from smoking or obesity and hospitals can’t pass unpaid bills on to paying customers. Maybe I won’t have to pay 20 bucks for two tylenol whem I’m in the hospital!
“When he had to seek medical attention, all of us who bought health insurance had to pay just a bit more to pick up his coverage”
How do you know he didn’t pay out of pocket for it?
I’ve pissed away 10s of thousands of dollars on health insurance in my life. Four visits to the doctor’s office and a $600 emergency room visit for a cut finger don’t even make a dent into the premiums paid.
An HSA without the mandate to have high deductible insurance with it would work much better for me. I’d rather put $4000 a year into that knowing it would be there for me when I needed it; Rather than pouring cash down a rat-hole for insurance.
the one question no one seems to say or answer. it is said that if “we” are not forced to get health insurance (which by the way the HOUSE AND SENATE PASSED FOR THE PRESIDENT TO SIGN) we all have to pay for others, right? ok if everyone had insurance, would “we” not being paying for others too?
maybe i missed something. so could someone pleas explain what the difference is? other then the fact “we” would be forced to pay more, as the insurance company know “we” are forced to have it.
as for those who hate smokers, how about this put a $300/gal tax on boose? i’m sure drinkers don’t have heath problems, right? tax the hell out of cookies, cake, candy, and that oh so healthy big mac?
I agree with you; I think there should be health tax on item that cause your health to deteriorate. I vote with you…
A tax on being alive, I love it!
Smokers r scumb, no question about that. I just quit after 26 years. I’m totally healthy now, don’t need no insurance.
i been tryn ta quite fr long time, dont need your ignorant rant! we r not scum as u call it y dont u stfu and get a life
Try not smoking. It’s easy to do.
Is that right, it’s soooooo easy?
I wonder if you are the sort who tells people with Depression, to just “be happy” or some such rubbish. It is just like telling the alcoholic, “just stop drinking”.
Yes indeed, miracle cures.
I quit smoking 27 years ago and I still crave nicotine every single day. I still smoke in my dreams. I’ve heard that nicotine addiction is harder to break than heroin. I finally did it with the gum and breaking the pieces into smaller and smaller pieces. It took forever, about 3 years, but I finally quit. They didn’t have the patch back then. I encourage everyone to do whatever it takes because I have been much healthier since I quit, but I know how hard it is.
How about this Larry; we add on $2.00 a pack that goes into a national health program to help defray medical realated cost due to smoking? When you buy gas for your car your are paying tax to repair roads
Peter-I would go for the $2.00 p/pack as long as it went for their health care. The problem is, every time the governmemnt gets its hands on some money they take it for other crap like a bridge to nowhere. Also, how are you going to do that for obese people and handicapped people. Maybe a tax on the Big Mac. Where does it end??
OOPs-typo-I meant fact of life.
Obama care is government interference at it’s finest. They have absolutely no business trying to control our lives and tell us what to buy. I agree it sucks to have these people who smoke and can’t afford insurance but do you really think a government mandate will make any difference to them and smoking is still legal. (I do not smoke anymore) I quit after 52 years and have now been 3 years without it but as long as it is legal it is a personal choice and not government controled. If it is so bad make it illegal. What about obese people they are as much of a health hazzard as smoking and a lot of those people don’t have insurance or can’t get it, as smokers. You always see them at the bars drinking and they have money for that. In other words, where do you stop? What about handicapped people that are a drain on the system for their whole life. What are you going to do about them?? Call it a fat of life and live with it.