Hey everyone, sorry its been such a long time. Katie was here for a week so I didn't have a lot of time to get typing. My best friend, Andrew, is on his way for the weekend so I don't know that I'll get anything else up until middle of next week. Anyways, here it is.
So I think it is pretty obvious where I am going with this. Health care has kind of dominated headlines the last week, especially considering the publicity tour President Obama has gone on to promote it. I think we are really close to getting something comprehensive and groundbreaking done here, but the last push is always the hardest. These next few weeks are gonna be a real fight. That said, I don't think there is anyway that this bill doesn't get passed. In particular, I'm excited about the talk about mandated health insurance. This is something that should have happened a long time ago. If auto insurance is required in this country, why shouldn't health insurance be the same way? This whole idea makes the argument about costs almost a moot point. Right now, if an uninsured person goes to the hospital, you foot the bill anyway.
There is also a more selfish reason for my support of public health care. In four short years, I will no longer be eligible to be on my parent's insurance. What am I supposed to do then? Chances are that in four years I won't be in a secure job that offers a strong health insurance plan. In four years, I will probably be in law school, and working a side job to pay bills. A public insurance plan would greatly benefit me, and millions of other twenty-somethings. Most recent college graduates either can't afford or don't have access to insurance. It's not because they are lazy or stupid. It is because rates and premiums are so insanely high that they just flat can't afford it, even if they have a decent job. This is where I will probably be. Let me give you an example. Nursing student Sarah Posekany, age 27, recently had to have colon surgery, and the long recovery did not allow her to have a job. The procedure cost thousands of dollars. Sarah does not have much money saved and can't afford either insurance or to pay her bills. On top of that, she can't get insurance easily in the future, due to her need for frequent check-ups and the possibility of future procedures. She was forced to declare bankruptcy. At age 27. This is a tragedy, one that could have been easily avoided if she were offered something she could afford and that didn't hinge on her holding a job. Sarah's not a bum. She simply had the misfortune of needing surgery, and consequently, the system in place simply decided that Sarah was going to just have to be a casualty. Right now, big insurance refers to us 20-somethings as the "invincibles," because we are perceived as never getting sick or hurt. Thus, getting us affordable insurance is not a big deal. This isn't oversight, or something that can be fixed by getting indignant at the companies. This is company policy, something they are loathe to change. The only way around this is to put an option out there that will wake them up and, if they are unwilling to change, drive them out of business. This is capitalism at it's finest. Keep up or die. Basically what the insurance business has been telling us for the last 50 years.
I have a few more subjects I wanna talk about, but I'm not at home and my computer is about to die, so I will try to get back tonight or tomorrow.
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Oh where to start???
ReplyDelete1. You make an inaccurate assumption that healthcare is a RIGHT, when in fact it is a benifit.
2. It is a punishment if you don't, not entirely true. It is a conciquence of choices. Your choice: education over working to pay for your healthcare. Not easy to make but it is based on what will pay out best for you in the future. we all have make these choices some do them better than others and some get lucky. (why rob from everyone?)
3.The government is responsible for our health. The fact is it is unconstitutional for them to do so. Where is that in our Constitution. (Didn't you get mad when the Bush Admin didn't stay within their Constitutional parameters? Where is the outrage now?)
4. "Persuit of happiness" does not MEAN Guarranteed happiness at the expense of others.
5. Life is not fair...suck it up! If you are a Christian, God is in control and he will not give you more than you can handle. It's not fun but he never said it was going to be.
6. Also if you are a Christian, which I thought you were, how can you be in support of something that will force you to pay for other people to have an abortion. The house bill has a provision that will include the murder of babies. That goes against my belief as a Christian. What happened to my 1st amendment right? Obama will FORCE taxer payers to go against their beliefs to pay for murder! When it is all said and done he will be larger genicide than Hitler and Stalin COMBINED!! Good side to be on Justin! Didn't you say something about what would Jesus do???? Lets not torture admitted terrorist but KILL THE INNOCENT BABIES AT ALL COST!!!!!!
7. "let me give YOU an example" Lou Jean Wolff gets cancer. She is 65 and retired from the work force. She can not "contribute" to the good of society in the eyes of the government. She is living on social security and her husbands retirement plan. She lost her original private healthcare when Obama's plan drove it into oblivion. She is told by her doctor that her treatment is too expensive and she can only be given an inexpensive pain reliever to make her more comfortable. After all Ibprophin is cheaper than Chemo and surgury. She is sent home to die in some form of comfort....under the Obama plan we become goverment expenses which lets them decide who is worthy of life saving treatments. We could lose our right to life granted to us in the Constititution...again where is the outrage?
Final Thought: We have the best Health Care in the world. Lets face it we have problems that need to fixed...ie: malpractice lawsuits that cause rates to skyrocket and FORCE doctors to run unnessasry test. It's not a perfect system but I don't see Obama and Congress running off to Canada, Cuba, England or France to see a doctor (those countries leaders come HERE)! I have paid for health care for my wife while she was in school and for my self between jobs. I sacraficed but I did it myself. $120-130/month plans. There are cheaper out there too. It might not be the easiest but it was MY RESPONSIBILITY...not yours, not your parents, and not Bill Gates. The rich work hard and made it, they should get to decide what to do with it. It might not seem fair but it is. Your dad has a Corvette. I want one. Because he already has one I think it is his resonsiblity to pay for me to have one too!!! Or is it?
hey first of all: Congrats on the birth of little Scarlett! she looks like a cutie and i hope to make it down soon to see her in person. and ur facebook profile pic cracks me up lol. and i have been telling people to read ur comments when they read my blog, cause i think ur arguments are well thought out and make sense.
ReplyDeleteand now to business lol:
1. i am of the opinion that if health care isnt a right, then it should be. we have enough doctors and technology that nobody should be denied care.
2. i shouldnt have to make the choice between school and health. i should be guaranteed both. maybe im spoiled but i shouldnt be denied because of "bad luck"
3. no the Constitution does not explicitly talk about health care. the fact is, it doesnt explicitly talk about a lot of things. however, the writers purposely wrote in an elasticity clause so that things that they could not forsee would be done
4. i agree. however, i believe that, since i am generally happy, i should do everything i can to help make others happy. thats just my personality.
5. i know lifes not fair and i know God will provide. if God decides that public health care is not His plan, then so be it. but i feel that supporting this plan is the right thing to do.
ReplyDelete6. i am a Christian, as you know, and i do not believe abortion is right. i dont support this amendment. if i can do anything to get it out i will, you have my word. let me ask a question though. i dont know about you, but the death penalty goes against my religious beliefs. now, in the state of Texas, your taxes go to supporting and carrying out executions. do you feel this is right? if not, is this enough reason for you to stop paying taxes? plug in anything that might violate your beliefs but you still help pay for and ask yourself this.
7. the government isn't going to decide who can contribute and who cant. there will be outrage if it does. everyone will have equal opportunity to access care. if her private plan is gone, she can get on the government plan. listen, this public option isnt like the health care in other countries, where every citizen is on it. most people in this country will stay with their private plan, and only people who need it are gonna go with the public plan, because most people dont trust the government. so i think all this talk of long lines and selective care is ridiculous.
your right, Obama and other officials dont run off to other countries: because they are on a plan provided by their employer, the GOVERNMENT. and as long as i can remember, ive seen stories on the news about people going overseas for procedures because its not affordable or availible here in the states.
while you may be able to afford you and lindsey's care, i dont make nearly enough. my paychecks are $200-250 biweekely. i have a car payment, credit card payment, soon to be school payment, and i need food and gas. after that, i have very little money. my hope is that the rich would look at all the money they have, and then look at people like me, who work hard, and study hard, and are dowing everything be the book, and feel a little compassion. i hope that they decide that, hey, maybe helping others out isn't a burden, but the right thing to do, and an obligation they have to fellow citizens. look, we r all in this together. help the poorer people out, get them some care, and maybe they will be able to get a better education, work harder, and make their contribution to the well being of other. i have a strong belief in the general goodness of others, and i hope that faith isnt misplaced. i like to think that if one day i am blessed enough to have a lot of money, that i will share my wealth, and help others who arent as fortunate as me, instead of hoarding it, crying about taxes, and bemoaning the lazyness of the poor. i dont support this health care plan because i want complete government control over your life. i support it because i think it is a good step towards easing the suffering of others. i may have too much compassion, but so be it. at least at the end of the day, i know i did my part to help my fellow man.
I think you are trusting what Obama says way to much. Look at his actions and what is in the bill not what he says about it. The restrictions that will be put on private insurance will not allow them to compete and thus force them out. Business trying to say money this go with the "public option" and because most of us get our health insurance from our employer we will NOT be able to keep our private plans. Inivation comes mainly because of profit, and by limiting the amount of profit I believe will limit progress.
ReplyDeleteI too believe in the general goodness of others. But forcing them to give up what they have will not cause them to want to give more. The rich donate tons to the foundations they want to, but taking almost 60% of income will decrease these donations. You are forcing their "goodness" which contradicts you believing they are naturally good. By taking it from them you assume they aren't as good as you think they should be.
I believe that the death penalty is just. It is a punishment that the criminal knows exsist and they choose to break the law anyway. Its kind of why I choose to pay taxes, I don't want to be punished. But I don't not support MASS genocide of millions of innocent people, and could not support anything that does based on selfishness.
If the elasticity clause can allow government officals to due what they see fit, because the founders "couldn't have forseen this", you can't get hold the Bush Admin. accountable for their actions. They did what they thought was needed for the security of the American people. Government needs to have restrictions and by upholding the constitution is our only way to restrict power a power hungry government. Isn't it the job of the government to work for the people. THe last statistics I saw had the public agaisnt this healthcare plan at somewhere around 60-65%. Obama should back off until they get a plan that works. Why does everything, especially something that is this big and important, be crammed down our thoats? Let take the time to make it right, not just pass something so he can use it on his next campaign.
The government will have no option but to deny some people the care they need. The cost will be so astronomical. it is either deny coverage or go bankrupt. As we saw with medicare and medicaid the cost will continue to grow and will someday be unsustainable. While it may not be his intention, it will happen.
Auto insurance is manditory because it protects others from you. Liability is manditory but people choose better plans to help protect themselves as well. Healthcare is a selfish pleasure. I mean logically it doesn't even make sense: to bet on our health and that we won't get sick.that is what we are trying to do. It is a gambling game.
We grew up in an age of wealth. We are not entitled to everything we want but our generation thinks we are, and the scary thing is, I see it even worse in the next generation coming up through the school system right now. Everyone wants something for nothing but it never cost nothing. Someone has to pay. The world does not revolve around us and we shouldn't expect others to support us. They can if they want but it is not their responsibility. If we show the support to the ones that do support our cause, then maybe the others will catch on or go out of business. But it is definatly not their responsiblity!
We are responsible for ourselves. that is how life works.
Government employees actually have a private plan. The government is the employer but the insurance provider is private. Technically I am considered a government employee and I still have a private plan. Same as in Washington.
I think this is the biggest way the government can control our lives. Because if you want health care you will have to eat what they tell you to eat, exercise the way they want you to, you can’t smoke or drink because if you do your lifestyle will have caused your health problems. And there will not be another option because the restrictions will be too great to be profitable and private providers can’t confiscate their funds like the government does. It will be too costly to pay for the damages of everyone’s bad habits. While it would be nice if people could take care of themselves, it is ultimately their choice. The Government should not have that kind of control and they will if they control the future of our health. I don’t care what Obama says!!!! He is a sales man. His words say one thing, but logic and history say something completely different. What government run program has ever worked they way they have PLANNED or has worked efficiently? Have you ever stood in line at the DMV or the Social Security office. I am highly skeptical!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis plan, higher taxes, and going green restrictions are too much for our economy right now. Again, why not give benefits to Doctors who help the uninsured? Or you even said yourself we pay for the uninsured anyway!!! If that is true why change anything?? They must already be getting treatment, why make everyone suffer more than they already do?
PS. Thanks!!! I think Scarlett is AWESOME but I am a little bias. I would love it if you could come down and meet her. Plus we could talk about this stuff in person. That way my spelling and typos won't make me look like such an idiot, only my radical views will.
just one more argument. i have a problem with what the bush admin. did because it was illegal according to our laws. torture, bypassing checks and balances, fabricating reasons to go to war: this is all illegal stuff. what the obama admin. is doing isn't illegal. you may not agree with what they are doing, but they are breaking no laws.
ReplyDeletei would love the chance to talk in person as long as we keep it semi-civil lol. actually i dont think that will be a problem, im not really the type to attack someone verbally, even if i disagree! but i will be in touch. let me know by way of facebook when a good time for you guys will be and i will work it in. later man