On healthcare -- Is there a good response to this?
Mr. Obama,
I'm NOT going to be penalized for not having health insurance. I can't afford individual coverage or to be added to spouse's insurance ($500+ mo-WTF?!?!) and it's not my fault that I can't find a job that offers benefits. AND we don't qualify for state programs because WE WORK!
~T
****Congress, do your part today and protect us! Shoot it down!!!!****
= new reply since forum marked as read
...your last three responses are really not good. Not good at all.
Besides being condescending and making assumptions ("You just prefer the ones without"
, it is simply false. People are having a difficult time finding jobs at all, much less jobs with health insurance. I believe the Colorado firefighters are one of the latest examples of jobs without health insurance benefits, and those are usually considered good jobs.
Well, yeah, that's kinda the point isn't it? $500/month for an individual is a very high premium. More than half of the typical rent for a small place, and people with low incomes simply cannot afford it. And yes, they will forego health care as well. Of course, even with the $500/month insurance, assuming they can scrape together the money for it, they'll still forego health care due to high deductibles and copays.
Hooh boy, the old canard, "Wny should I be forced to pay for your (health care | food stamps | rent subsidy | big house | etc.)". For one thing, the whole point of insurance is that people pool their money, and only pay those people who need it -- i.e., you are already paying for someone else's health care, or alternatively, they are paying for yours. I could go on at length about this one, but suffice it to say, the old "Why should I be forced to pay for YOUR (whatever)" is a typical kneejerk rightwinger / Teabagger statement and you might want to re-examine your thinking on this.
Just my $.02
Stop talking about fixing anything involving private insurance companies! They are the problem with this countries health care. They need to be gotten rid of. Why does anyone think all those countries that went to Single Payer in the first place, outlawed health insurance companies from covering anything covered by that country's Single Payer system?
That is why the Mandate is bad. It guarantees private health insurance company profits with the force of federal law.
The best way is what EVERY OTHER civilized country and many not so civilized countries, has done decades ago. Government run Single Payer, Universal Health Care. The United States is the LAST hold out.
Everyone is covered. Employment or lack of same is no barrier. Change jobs? Still covered. Where you work goes bankrupt? Still covered. Want to start your own business? Still covered. Your kid wants to move out or reaches a certain age? Still covered.
The one and only answer to our health problems in this country is Single Payer, Universal Health Care. It he answer involves any health insurance company, that is not a workable answer.
So why is it so hard to go with the most obvious, the most humane course of action, which is what every other industrialized nation on the planet has already done? Single Payer, Universal Health Care. The hard work has already been done by these countries. All we have to do is cherry pick what works. What is so hard about that?
The United States pays twice as much for health care than any other country. See chart below
And yet 45,000 people a year are still dying for lack of access to basic health care. People are losing their homes, going deep into debt, going bankrupt for basic health care.
[center]How can we be the Greatest nation on earth,
if we can't/won't even take care of our own citizens?[/center]
How is it the same people that do not have a problem with two three four five four and a half wars, that are costing us, US, $16.5 trillion so far, have a problem with health care reform that will save us billions?
[center]
[/center
