MyWay:Obama puts forward $1 trillion health care plan

[88Comrade2000]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100222/D9E19OD80.html

http://www.whitehouse.gov/health-care-meeting/proposal

[sacase]

OK here is my quick review (Title 1 only):

Title I: Total Crap. First, since when is the age of Majority 26? I can understand a college student up to 22, but after that, they should be on their own.

All this act does is put a lot of restrictions on the insurance companies. Quality of care will decrease because companies are going to start having Dr's go with the cheapest remedy instead of the best remedy. I guess the president feels that deficit spending is the norm, but he forgets that insurance companies cannot print their own money. These are privately run businesses and if they are agreeing to delivering what that are contractually obligated to then they should be allowed to do so. I think this is a play to bankrupt them so they can start a national healthcare service.

Exchanges make sense, allow small businesses to creat them, no problems with that.

Biggest tax break - Whatever, just means that people who make a lot of money are now forced to support the medical care of those who make under 90k.

Limiting out of pocket expenses - Once again where is all of this magical money coming from, someone has to pay for it. The inurance companies are private business. They whole point of insurance is that the more of a risk you are the more you have to pay to cover that risk.

Required to have insurace- Once again forcing Americans to purchase insurance. By virture of being born you are now required to get insurance.

Title II:

Expands madicade. Not to well versed on medicade but it seems like this would further cost more money.

Homecare services for people on medicare? Does this really save money?

Title III:

Nothing significant

Title IV:

Always good to have people take an active role in their health. Not sure that you can or should force them to.

Finidng cures for diseases are good.

Title V:

Not sure how you are going to increase the size of the workforce when you are taking away one of the biggest attractions, the money.

[boobiemiles]

They are increasing private health care premium 39% in California. I put together quotes for Health Insurance. A small monthly premium is 250.00 a month, witha 5,000 annual deductible. Then you have a lifetime 3 million dollar treshold. To put it short, something has to be done, and soon. We are the only developed country without a univeral health plan. What gives?

[Seabee1973]

They are increasing private health care premium 39% in California. I put together quotes for Health Insurance. A small monthly premium is 250.00 a month, witha 5,000 annual deductible. Then you have a lifetime 3 million dollar treshold. To put it short, something has to be done, and soon. We are the only developed country without a univeral health plan. What gives?

And while we are trying to model other countries they want to model us

[EersSkins05]

And while we are trying to model other countries they want to model us

They want to model our top level of care, available to those with insurance. (Some restrictions apply.)

Other nations aren't clamoring to model their entire delivery system around ours.

[ccsl2]

And while we are trying to model other countries they want to model us

They dont want to model our health care system thats for sure.

[JMS]

And while we are trying to model other countries they want to model us

Nobody in the world models their healthcare system after the United States. Every industrialized country on earth has universal coverage systems..

1 Trillion dollars over 10 years sounds like a lot of money, but it's only 2% of what the country will spend on healthcare over that decade. We're projected to spend 35 Trilloin on healthcare by 2020.

[JMS]

They are increasing private health care premium 39% in California. I put together quotes for Health Insurance. A small monthly premium is 250.00 a month, witha 5,000 annual deductible. Then you have a lifetime 3 million dollar treshold. To put it short, something has to be done, and soon. We are the only developed country without a univeral health plan. What gives?

Since 2000 American wages are down, inflation has been very low... Healthcare has gone up 59%...

The state government in California told blue cross and blue sheild they had to justify their 39% hike in premiums. Blue Cross has since postponed that rate increase.

[alexey]

Quality of care will decrease because companies are going to start having Dr's go with the cheapest remedy instead of the best remedy.

Price is not the same as quality when it comes to health care. More expensive is not necessarily better.

A hospital may release somebody too early, for example, just to have them check back in a week later. Set them up. Run more tests. That's expensive. If we revise the payment structure away from the fee-for-service model, however, the hospital will have additional intensives to make sure patients don't come back. That would result in better care for less money.

[Tulane Skins Fan]

They are increasing private health care premium 39% in California. I put together quotes for Health Insurance. A small monthly premium is 250.00 a month, witha 5,000 annual deductible. Then you have a lifetime 3 million dollar treshold. To put it short, something has to be done, and soon. We are the only developed country without a univeral health plan. What gives?

That's weird... California has some of the most stringent medical malpractice reform in the country, including caps on the amounts that can be awarded.

It just can't be that insurance companies are charging more without having to pay "crazy jury verdicts." How is that happening? Unless, you know, medical malpractice reform is a red herring to increase profit margins of insurance companies without passing any savings to insureds.

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

OK here is my quick review (Title 1 only):

Title I: Total Crap. First, since when is the age of Majority 26? I can understand a college student up to 22, but after that, they should be on their own.

The industry standard at the moment is 25. As long as you remain a full-time student, you can remain on your parents' health insurance until 25. This is particularly important if you have a pre-existing condition.

All this act does is put a lot of restrictions on the insurance companies. Quality of care will decrease because companies are going to start having Dr's go with the cheapest remedy instead of the best remedy.

I take it that you have never heard of the industry wide concept of "medical necessity." This takes place now.

I think this is a play to bankrupt them so they can start a national healthcare service.

With any luck....

Biggest tax break - Whatever, just means that people who make a lot of money are now forced to support the medical care of those who make under 90k.

Under EMTALA, this happens now.

Required to have insurace- Once again forcing Americans to purchase insurance. By virture of being born you are now required to get insurance.

I currently am required to have car insurance and home insurance. This is a tyranny apparently.

Title II:

Expands madicade. Not to well versed on medicade but it seems like this would further cost more money.

Not necessarily. You don't seem to understand the underlying problem. People don't have insurance. This means that they don't go to the doctor. This means that the cut on your foot that could be healed by some gauze and a tetanus shot is not treated until you have gangrene and an infection throughout your bloodstream. Get more people insured lowers costs in the long-run. Because people actually get treatment timely.

Currently, the only way for an uninsured person to get treatment is at an emergency room. ERs are the most expensive care you can receive.

Homecare services for people on medicare? Does this really save money?

Oh, God yes. Look at a room in a hospital. Look at your bedroom. Which room looks more expensive.

[Burgold]

OK here is my quick review (Title 1 only):

All this act does is put a lot of restrictions on the insurance companies. Quality of care will decrease because companies are going to start having Dr's go with the cheapest remedy instead of the best remedy.

Since when doesn't insurance push for the cheapest remedy and reducing the stay to the shortest amount of time possible now? Talk about a phony complaint.

And like everybody else has said, nobody is trying to emulate our health care system. We aren't even No. 1 in quality anymore in many, many areas.

[sacase]

Since when doesn't insurance push for the cheapest remedy and reducing the stay to the shortest amount of time possible now? Talk about a phony complaint.

And like everybody else has said, nobody is trying to emulate our health care system. We aren't even No. 1 in quality anymore in many, many areas.

How many folks have had medical care in other countries, please raise your hand....

[barefoot]

I currently am required to have car insurance and home insurance. This is a tyranny apparently.

Not trying to argue or nitpick, but this isn't true, if you don't own a car or own a home you are not required to have insurance. :logo:

[sacase]

I currently am required to have car insurance and home insurance. This is a tyranny apparently.

I was going to be a smart ass but you cannot equate being born into the world as being optional. Owning a car and home are optional activities. I am sure you knew that you just wanted to play dumb though I guess.

[aREDSKIN]

I guess the Dems have concluded that they'll lose both houses in Nov. right now anyways so wtf is the difference if they ramrod this legislation that no one except a few want. It'll be the end of the dems for a while if they use reconciliation. So typical of the our way or the highway crowd. Ya sure. A 1 term if this goes the ways the dems are playing it.

[Burgold]

How many folks have had medical care in other countries, please raise your hand....

How many folks by their medicine from other countries because its cheaper than buying it from the factory across the street?

(Besides, anecdotal evidence is always weak. I've been on trips in the U.S. where I've needed help and found a bunch of really ****ty and unknowledgable/unhelpful doctors here) In fact, I quit Kaiser a little while ago because of how their failure to listen to me made a situation go from bad to emergency room is he going to die bad.

[DjTj]

How many folks have had medical care in other countries, please raise your hand....

When I was a kid, I got stitches in Taiwan. I didn't die. :doh1:

[Lombardi's_kid_brother]

How many folks have had medical care in other countries, please raise your hand....

I have not. My wife had. A Swiss doctor met her at her office on a Saturday, gave her something for an ear infection, and sent her on her way. I think it cost $5.

Anyway, you seem to be intentionally confusing quality of care with delivery of care and paying for care. They are three separate things.

The US has very good quality of care. I would say where we are weakest is delivery of care. How we pay for care is all over the map. Some people have good insurance. Some people have bad insurance. Some people don't count because they simply don't pay.

[greenspandan]

my wife has. she required medical attention in canada during her pregnancy. no complaints.

granted, that's anecdotal evidence. it means nothing.

[Bang]

My wife and mother in law are Canadian citizens, Once a year my wife flies home for two weeks to visit family and get every single annual checkup and practice done scott free.

My mother in law broke her arm this past november, and my son broke his in October. My son spent 6 hours in the hospital before being allowed to leaveand after we were told by the doctor on call (at home, looking at emailed x-rays) that his arm would be fine all week4end in a soft cast, and didn't need to be set. Monday when we went in for the hard cast, our doctor of choice told us that it did have to be set, which was now an entirely more complicated prcedure. So next day back to the hospital for the setting. The anesthesiologist double dipped the insurance company which resulted in the insurance company trying to stick me with 60% of the bill instead of the 20% I am supposed to pay. After wrangling on the phone with them for a half an hour, I was finally charged the proper amount.

His wrist is now healed and fine.

My mother in law is in her 70s and broke her arm on the sidewalk in Toronto. She spent about 4 hours at the hospital, got the proper care, and she also got a home care assistant to come by her house 3 times a week to make sure she was able to do everything she needed to do.

No insurance forms, no out of pocket expense. No interminably long wait. no problems.

She's healed and her wrist is fine now too.

Two broken wrists, two entirely different experiences.

Anecdotal, sure, but there it is.

~Bang

[Ned Flanders]

I am for everyone having equal healthcare, but what I'm not for is higher taxes. So in essence, the government is going to make every one of us who works their asses off just to make ends meet, pay a little more. This is a very complex issue, and it should not be rushed through. Yes it's a good 'happy feeling' idea, but it's going to screw a lot of us hard working Americans who work for everything we have.

[Sweet Sassy Molassy]

I am for everyone having equal healthcare, but what I'm not for is higher taxes. So in essence, the government is going to make every one of us who works their asses off just to make ends meet, pay a little more. This is a very complex issue, and it should not be rushed through. Yes it's a good 'happy feeling' idea, but it's going to screw a lot of us hard working Americans who work for everything we have.

What about the hard working American's who don't have healthcare at their job, nor can they afford the money it costs to get healthcare on their own?

[twa]

Not necessarily. You don't seem to understand the underlying problem. People don't have insurance. This means that they don't go to the doctor. This means that the cut on your foot that could be healed by some gauze and a tetanus shot is not treated until you have gangrene and an infection throughout your bloodstream. Get more people insured lowers costs in the long-run. Because people actually get treatment timely.

Currently' date=' the only way for an uninsured person to get treatment is at an emergency room. ERs are the most expensive care you can receive.

[/quote']

But how much does this proposal change that?

Ya still got overcrowded emergency rooms and deductibles/copays and drs office hrs that will not match yours.

Unless you change our system of providers and the restrictions it will only mean more crowding and a higher tax bill.

Give me a tube of super glue and access to meds and I can fix that foot in no time

btw Tetanus has no relation to gangrene:silly:

[Burgold]

I remember how many times the health care industry absolutely failed my Grandmother in this country and how many it times it did so in a completely unforgivable way.

One time, my grandmother got a kidney infection which got her sent to the hospital. A doctor looked at her blood salt levels and decided it was too low. He ordered them raised. The result was congestive heart failure. Totally understandable and forgiveable. 6 months later, she developed another kidney infection which sent her to the hospital. The same doctor at the same hospital looked at her blood salt levels and made the same decision leading to the same result. Not forgivable.

Another time, in a nursing home my grandmother had a fall and was in considerable pain. We asked for her to be examined. The nurse came over and said that it was a three day weekend and they were short staffed so, we asked for them to get an ambulance. They refused. Now, my grandmother was very osteoporotic. She got fractures at the drop of a hat. Everyone knew this. The nurse never examined her only eyeballed her. It took us 48 hours of nonstop complaining to get them to respond (which they eventually did only because we went over their heads). The emergency room doctor was truly angry and practically demanded that we sue the nursing home. She had a compound fracture of her leg. It was broken in four places and even cursory visual observation showed that the leg was bent and splayed in a most unnatural way. Because of her general physical condition at the time they didn't want to try surgery to repair the leg. Too much time had passed. A few months later, she died.

The health care system in this country is broken in too many ways to count. From insurers to care givers, to the pharma companies there are huge problems at every level. Most of it has to do with money and the desire to be cheap on the patient end while deriving enormous profits on the corporate end. It's entirely backwards and wrong.