Lets make a deal

[RadiomanATL]

'You're an idiot' is not a health care debate - St. Petersburg Times

On this health care thing, let's make a deal just for the next few minutes.

The deal is, I don't yell that President Barack Obama is a crazy socialist trying to ruin the country. In return, you don't demand that every fool idea that pops into Congress' head has to be passed tomorrow.

Same deal in reverse, too. I promise not to call you names if you are skeptical. In return, please promise not to call me an imbecile if I am willing at least take a look.

Okay. As you know, we've got two big problems with health care. The first is that it costs too much — by any yardstick — and is getting more expensive too fast — by any yardstick. If we ain't ruined already, this could do the trick.

The second problem is that too many people in America don't have any health coverage. I do not know whether it is "47 million," the magic number everybody keeps using. But I am pretty sure it's a lot.

Now, here are some of the things the president and the Democrats who run Congress are talking about:

• Creating a "public option" for health insurance in America — expanding government-run health care, akin to Medicare.

• Making every American sign up for some kind of coverage, private or public. This also means we kick in the dough for people who need it.

• Making employers, down to a certain size, either buy into health coverage through some kind of "pool," or else pay a fee.

• Making it harder for private insurers to cancel coverage, making them insure more things, and making coverage "portable" for people who move or change jobs.

• Cutting costs by a variety of methods, including setting up a big national outfit that would decide what gets covered.

Nothing is decided. The House and Senate have different ideas. The president has not been specific.

Here's the part that I absolutely agree with:

Okay. As you know, we've got two big problems with health care. The first is that it costs too much — by any yardstick — and is getting more expensive too fast — by any yardstick.

Anecdotal story:

When I first started with my current employer 5 years ago, health coverage cost about $400 per month for my family of 4. I had the cadillac of the insurance plans that my employer offered. And I was willing to pay it because I with starting a new job and a new child, our finances couldn't take a hit of possibly coming out of pocket for something large. So I decided better to pay a little more now instead of being hit with a possible wallop in case something happened.

Now it costs over $600, for significantly less coverage. I now have a hospital copay of $500 when it used to be $100, etc. Also, the insurance company is now not allowing us to go to the largest healthcare provider in our area (Wellstar). Despite there being 3, count 'em, THREE Wellstar hospitals within 10 miles of where we live, we have to drive to the boonies to another provider over 20 miles away if we need to visit the hospital. If there is an emergency with my family of course I'm going to the closest hospital...which is out of network...which I'm going to pay an arm and a leg for. Might as well not even have insurance. But I can't opt out of course until open enrollment in 5 months.

Reduced coverage, higher costs. Within 5 years, 50% increase in cost, more than double the drive.

Absolutely f***ing ridiculous. I don't pretend to have the answer, but this is untenable IMO.

 

[strollingbones]

you are lucky to be able to get even bad insurance now days......my husband had a grand mal....he has only had that one....but they have denied him insurance over it for about 10 years..then when we got insurance with a decent program...they cancelled it...and wanted to give him a policy with a 5 grand co pay....

 

[strollingbones]

doctors scream about malpractice insurance....like they are the only ones paying insurance

 

[RadiomanATL]

you are lucky to be able to get even bad insurance now days......my husband had a grand mal....he has only had that one....but they have denied him insurance over it for about 10 years..then when we got insurance with a decent program...they cancelled it...and wanted to give him a policy with a 5 grand co pay....

Sorry to hear that 'bones.

 

[Amanda]

This is the part I like...

The deal is, I don't yell that President Barack Obama is a crazy socialist trying to ruin the country. In return, you don't demand that every fool idea that pops into Congress' head has to be passed tomorrow.

Same deal in reverse, too. I promise not to call you names if you are skeptical. In return, please promise not to call me an imbecile if I am willing at least take a look.

You can see people not doing this everyday. Turn on the TV and talking heads scream at each other and pretend it's journalism. Come on here and everyone is at each others throats. I'm beginning to believe the division in this country may not be healable.

 

[RadiomanATL]

This is the part I like...

The deal is, I don't yell that President Barack Obama is a crazy socialist trying to ruin the country. In return, you don't demand that every fool idea that pops into Congress' head has to be passed tomorrow.

Same deal in reverse, too. I promise not to call you names if you are skeptical. In return, please promise not to call me an imbecile if I am willing at least take a look.

You can see people not doing this everyday. Turn on the TV and talking heads scream at each other and pretend it's journalism. Come on here and everyone is at each others throats. I'm beginning to believe the division in this country may not be healable.

Absolutely. Both sides (from elected officials to posters on the 'net) are now more concerned with "winning" for their side rather than doing what's right and governing.

 

[toomuchtime_]

This is the part I like...

The deal is, I don't yell that President Barack Obama is a crazy socialist trying to ruin the country. In return, you don't demand that every fool idea that pops into Congress' head has to be passed tomorrow.

Same deal in reverse, too. I promise not to call you names if you are skeptical. In return, please promise not to call me an imbecile if I am willing at least take a look.

You can see people not doing this everyday. Turn on the TV and talking heads scream at each other and pretend it's journalism. Come on here and everyone is at each others throats. I'm beginning to believe the division in this country may not be healable.

Absolutely. Both sides (from elected officials to posters on the 'net) are now more concerned with "winning" for their side rather than doing what's right and governing.

Imo, that's because the issue is being discussed in terms of ideologies and motivated by efforts to gain political advantage instead of the bread and butter issues of how to get good health outcomes a the lowest possible cost. Do people with fee for service insurance have better health outcomes than people with HMO's? Do people who see doctors in private practice have better health outcomes than people who go to clinics? Do people who have private insurance have better health outcomes than people on Medicaid? Do people who go to free clinics, government funded or privately funded, have worse health outcomes than people who have health insurance? Would your health outcomes be different if you went to free or sliding scale clinics for your routine health care needs and only bought catastrophic care insurance than if you bought much more expensive comprehensive care insurance? This is the kind of information voters need to make informed decisions about how to obtain good health outcomes for themselves and their families and how to best provide good health outcomes for the uninsured, not the kind of propaganda coming from Congress and the WH about private vs. public or rich vs. poor.

 

[ozzmdj]

This is the part I like...

The deal is, I don't yell that President Barack Obama is a crazy socialist trying to ruin the country. In return, you don't demand that every fool idea that pops into Congress' head has to be passed tomorrow.

Same deal in reverse, too. I promise not to call you names if you are skeptical. In return, please promise not to call me an imbecile if I am willing at least take a look.

You can see people not doing this everyday. Turn on the TV and talking heads scream at each other and pretend it's journalism. Come on here and everyone is at each others throats. I'm beginning to believe the division in this country may not be healable.

But we have the messiah to healable us.

 

[auditor0007]

'You're an idiot' is not a health care debate - St. Petersburg Times

On this health care thing, let's make a deal just for the next few minutes.

The deal is, I don't yell that President Barack Obama is a crazy socialist trying to ruin the country. In return, you don't demand that every fool idea that pops into Congress' head has to be passed tomorrow.

Same deal in reverse, too. I promise not to call you names if you are skeptical. In return, please promise not to call me an imbecile if I am willing at least take a look.

Okay. As you know, we've got two big problems with health care. The first is that it costs too much — by any yardstick — and is getting more expensive too fast — by any yardstick. If we ain't ruined already, this could do the trick.

The second problem is that too many people in America don't have any health coverage. I do not know whether it is "47 million," the magic number everybody keeps using. But I am pretty sure it's a lot.

Now, here are some of the things the president and the Democrats who run Congress are talking about:

• Creating a "public option" for health insurance in America — expanding government-run health care, akin to Medicare.

• Making every American sign up for some kind of coverage, private or public. This also means we kick in the dough for people who need it.

• Making employers, down to a certain size, either buy into health coverage through some kind of "pool," or else pay a fee.

• Making it harder for private insurers to cancel coverage, making them insure more things, and making coverage "portable" for people who move or change jobs.

• Cutting costs by a variety of methods, including setting up a big national outfit that would decide what gets covered.

Nothing is decided. The House and Senate have different ideas. The president has not been specific.

Here's the part that I absolutely agree with:

Okay. As you know, we've got two big problems with health care. The first is that it costs too much — by any yardstick — and is getting more expensive too fast — by any yardstick.

Anecdotal story:

When I first started with my current employer 5 years ago, health coverage cost about $400 per month for my family of 4. I had the cadillac of the insurance plans that my employer offered. And I was willing to pay it because I with starting a new job and a new child, our finances couldn't take a hit of possibly coming out of pocket for something large. So I decided better to pay a little more now instead of being hit with a possible wallop in case something happened.

Now it costs over $600, for significantly less coverage. I now have a hospital copay of $500 when it used to be $100, etc. Also, the insurance company is now not allowing us to go to the largest healthcare provider in our area (Wellstar). Despite there being 3, count 'em, THREE Wellstar hospitals within 10 miles of where we live, we have to drive to the boonies to another provider over 20 miles away if we need to visit the hospital. If there is an emergency with my family of course I'm going to the closest hospital...which is out of network...which I'm going to pay an arm and a leg for. Might as well not even have insurance. But I can't opt out of course until open enrollment in 5 months.

Reduced coverage, higher costs. Within 5 years, 50% increase in cost, more than double the drive.

Absolutely f***ing ridiculous. I don't pretend to have the answer, but this is untenable IMO.

This is exactly what is happening when it comes to choice. Even with private insurance, our choices are becoming very limited and they are completely controlled by which insurance our employers decide to make available, which is of course based on cost. As the costs continue to increase, options will become fewer and fewer for everyone, including the insured. It's just a matter of who will make the decision to ration your healthcare.

Of course, if you are independently wealthy, you can always pay out of pocket.

 

[auditor0007]

This is the part I like...

The deal is, I don't yell that President Barack Obama is a crazy socialist trying to ruin the country. In return, you don't demand that every fool idea that pops into Congress' head has to be passed tomorrow.

Same deal in reverse, too. I promise not to call you names if you are skeptical. In return, please promise not to call me an imbecile if I am willing at least take a look.

You can see people not doing this everyday. Turn on the TV and talking heads scream at each other and pretend it's journalism. Come on here and everyone is at each others throats. I'm beginning to believe the division in this country may not be healable.

When it comes to healthcare, we are creating a situation where there are the haves and the have nots. While the haves are currently the majority, as costs continue to spiral out of control that will change, and as it does, the arguments used by the haves will become moot.

While many are against the current potential changes, those who are against them never had the foresight to promote positive changes that could have been positive. Instead, they just continued towing the same old line.