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Family and Friends is my everyday journal. Captain's Log is where I pontificate on religion and politics.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Concerns

With Mom in rehab and all the news filled with the health care debate I thought I'd put my two cents worth in again.

70% of doctors want a public health plan.They are tired of fighting for their money with bureaucrats. Over 70% of the public want a public plan. 20% of the people have been whipped up into a frenzy because they think illegal immigrants would be getting these benefits. Which they already are on Medicaide. The AARP wants a public plan. If everyone goes broke paying for private health care, if businesses go under because they can't make a profit due to high premiums then no one is paying into the Medicare system for them. Right now the poor have a government health plan, the elderly have a government health plan. Both of those plans spend 3% on administrative costs. The working and middle class are the only ones without a government health plan (unless you work for the government and have their plan) They are the ones paying through the nose for health insurance. Private insurance companies spend 20% on admin costs, mostly to deny coverage or delay payments as long as possible. A public option would require everyone to pay into the system which is a burden only on 20-30 year old men. Women have medical expenses the minute they go on birth control. At age 40 and up men start having dental, vision and health issues that need being covered.
Last year the U.S. had 700,000 medical related bankruptcies. Canada, England, Germany, France, Italy, Japan all of them had zero (0) bankruptcies due to health costs since they have universal health care.
Obviously the private insurance companies want to stay defective slot machines that never pay off. The New York Times three days ago had an article about Wall Street wanting to cash in on those with terminal illnesses. If you have a life insurance policy and are diagnosed as terminal you can cash in your policy at 40 cents on the dollar. If you have a million dollar policy they'll pay you 400 grand, pay the premiums until you die (hopefully very soon) and they reap 600 thousand dollars. The only thing that would ruin this new gravy train would be 1) people get cured and don't die 2) we get decent health care and those who have terminal illness don't have to cash in their policies to pay medical bills.
This hit home for my family as my sister was one of those forced to cash in her life insurance early, thus depriving her husband and daughter the 60% they sacrificed that would help them go on with their lives now she's gone.
The only thing that will get good paying jobs back in this country is affordable health care.
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4 comments:

Unknown said...

Of course, PM if we stopped outsourcing our manufacturing that would help too. Here in Arizona we have a good State sponsored system called Access. Our insurance companies are deplorable in so many ways, indeed.

P M Prescott said...

I'm glad Arizona has a workable system as does Massachusetts. It would be wonderful if the whole country had access too.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

You make some great points. Something has to give on healthcare in this country and I can quibble with the plans in the house and senate but I'll be supportive of anything that has any promise of working. Of course, I live in OK so it doesn't matter if I support it or not.

P M Prescott said...

I think there are some other states that are talking about not joining in.