More Thoughts on Healthcare

Okay, I want to continue talking on health care. I think it is an extremely important subject. My aunt, who is a member of the Tea Party, is adamantly against it. She is of the mindset that we need to cut back on government spending and not have the government involved at all. She believes that providing health care to everyone by the government is one step closer to becoming a communist state like Obama wants. Well, I think that is a stretch. Obama may be part of the problem, but Congress makes the rules and spends the money. Speaking of which, I noted, I think it was Bill Maher in his latest show stated that the Dems are showing their true colors. They were supposedly all for the public option, but said that they couldn't garner enough votes to get it through so they dropped it. Well, with reconciliation they could get it back in, but guess what, now they are against it too. Frankly, between, you, me, and the four walls, they never wanted it in the first place. They are basically showing that they are Republicans in Democrat clothing. Not a one of them is going to vote to upset the insurance cartel. We'd be lucky if any form of health care made it through. I would like to share a comment from a friend on Tribe to my last post:

"The problem is that capitalism doesn't work for any system in which the product supplied is not optional. Healthcare is not something people can or want to "choose". They NEED it. So by default, the supplier(s) has power over the consumer. There is no way for "supply & demand" to rein in supply or costs as the ideal capitalist model should work---the House always wins.

The Massachussetts model's problem is exactly that the consumer is fined so that no one is uncovered, but the insurance behemoth gets off scot free & continues biz as usual---WHERE is the check & balance in this system? Again, supplier/profiteer wins.

That's the problem here, that there are NO checks & balances on healthcare profiteers (insurers, manufacturers, doctors--I'm a doctor & while a small minority, there ARE doctor profiteers, etc) in this country, which is the ONLY way you will ever have a semi-successful private/public dual model. "

It is a very good point that she raised. Actually a few good points, but the big one is that capitalism does not work for a product that is not optional. Everyone needs healthcare. We all need doctors. We agreed that the whole Massachusetts solution is a farce in that it fines the consumer forcing them to get insurance and pay into the system while the insurers can continue with business as usual. The other point is that there are no checks and balances. The insurance companies have free will especially with the last government cutting all the regulations they could. Of course, the removal of regulations has allowed our food supply to be tainted also, but that is another deep subject.

I want to go back to something else that I keep hearing. So many people point to Canada and say that their health care system is abysmal and we don't want to end up like them, so reject any health care reform. Yet, I have seen an article on Facebook where Canadians wrote that they were getting tired of the lies being spread about their health care system. So if many of the Canadians don't think it is so bad, then why are we so afraid of it. Once again, it comes back to the FUD factor (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) that the insurance companies have been spreading to keep any type of reform from changing their status quo. Well, since I don't just like to point out things, but also try to put out suggestions, here is one. If their system somewhat works, why don't we, as Americans, take the model that they currently have and improve on it? Heck, if we know what is wrong with some of the socialized medicine systems, why can't we look at all of them and see how the other systems resolved the problem. We have a clean slate here. Look at what doesn't work and find a way to make it work, and then do for medicine what we have done for education. We make it free and available to everyone. Plastic surgery like breast enhancement and such would be like going to college, you have to pick up the tab for that, but basic health needs would all be taken care of. We are Americans, we claim to be the best in the world, the brightest in the world, then why do we not have the best health care system in the world? Why is it that we can provide free education to everyone, but not health care?

Of course, there are those who are adamant, that the government should not be providing any form of social services. Given that many cities and towns are looking to close schools now, maybe they have won. Maybe that is why health care is doomed to fail, because those who do believe that it should be a fundamental right, are too laid back, too easy going, that they don't have the viciousness of those who would seek to prevent it.

I heard one Republican Senator state that even if it goes through, the Republicans will be taking by the government next election, so they will be repealing it anyway. Yet, one of the arguments they make is that once this is in place it is set in stone and we will be stuck with it. So which is it?

I can see why many Americans are tuning out. First of all, Congress has shown that they really don't want this. They were making the motions to get votes, but when it came down to it, they sat on their hands and did nothing, even with a majority. They dropped the public option, and barely considered single payor because they said that they didn't have the 2/3 majority to get it past a Republican filibuster. Yet, when someone mentioned reconciliation, their bluff was called and now they are hemming and hawing and backing away from it. Is it any wonder people have no trust in their government? They truly believe and the Supreme Court backs it up, that Corporations own our government.

I am thinking about how to come up with a health care system or what I would like to see and may return to this subject. However, I want to bring up something I just found out. Let me leave you with this. Your company may very well have a life insurance policy out on you. Guess who the beneficiary is? Your company! Neither the insurance company or your company even has to let you know. If you die, your company makes money, not your family. You wouldn't even know about it. You know what they call it? Dead Peasants insurance.

http://deadpeasantinsurance.com/

So peasants! when are you going to wake up and start getting ticked at the way you are being played by corporations, the government, and especially the insurance companies?