The Trouble With Healthcare Reform, In Numbers

Reader Comments
Back to blog

This move to kill health care reform, as in 1994, is little more than knee-jerk anti-government reaction dressed up as "patriotism." How many really know the sorry state of health care in this country? There is no health care "system." A system is parts working together as a whole. If anyone considers what we have to be a "system," Rube Goldberg would love to talk to you.
This is all about "me." MY taxes, MY insurance, MY "freedom." Unfortunately we Americans have too much "I" trouble. The heck with everyone else, as long as I have it MY way.
The venom from right-wing talk radio surely doesn't help a rational debate, when you have Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, etc. scaring everyone to death with falsehoods about "death panels" and "rationed care" (which we already have, but Republicans seem to be good with that as long as it's private business doing it). The hooliganism at town hall meetings with people carrying posters of the President with a Hitler moustache really shows intelligence, doesn't it?
In the meantime, 40+ million are uninsured, uninsurable and/or ineligible for help because they make too much money (working poor).
All Republicans have to offer is their tired mantra of "tax credits." How does a tax credit help someone with an unpayable $5,000 hospital bill and is being sued for collection? Health savings accounts? My wife has one. Believe me, they are not all they are cracked up to be. You have to almost bankrupt yourself paying the deductible until the insurance kicks in.
We are the ONLY (supposedly) "civilised" nation in the world in this situation. Not Canada. Not Australia. Not the UK. Not Germany. Not Switzerland. Not New Zealand. And yet we try and claim that our "system" is the best and based on "freedom?" How "free" is someone in hock to a medical bill they cannot pay? How "free" is someone who cannot get insurance due to a pre-existing condition?
Before ANY politician tries to block this, tell them to give up THEIR GOVERNMENT health care.
It is going to take a health care revolt to really get anything done...like people refusing en masse to pay medical bills.

Kurt Steiner of MI 12:01AM August 28, 2009

Folks, think about whether you want the gov't to REQUIRE you to buy something. I don't. What's next? We're forced to buy the house, car, clothes, etc. the gov't wants us to? Freedom isn't free. Neither are things [goods/services]. You get what you pay for. There will always be poor folk like me and others who are "rich" ("rich" being relative given each person's perspective). My parents said "life isn't fair so get over it." They also instilled in me independence/backbone. I had to earn my way and not expect my neighbor to give me the benefits of their labor.
There are only so many dollars available in a family's budget. By taking earned monies from me and my neighbors, the gov't strips our ability to be independent; it strips our ability fund charities and our families; it strips our ability to start businesses that give jobs to our neighbors. Why should I bother to work, if the gov't will take what I've worked to create?
An OVERHAUL and gov't takeover of the health care system is NOT needed; an adjustment to the health care system IS needed to limit costs in the form of CONSUMER PROTECTIONS. Specifically: instigate and implement laws that, 1) pay doctors by outcome NOT by volume; 2) train sufficient doctors/alternatives [e.g., physcian's assistant] and pay off their medical schooling if they work in a co-op wellness clinic for 5 years] 3)allow pre-tax medical savings accounts that are indexed to inflation and can roll over into following years; 4) prevent insurance companies from increasing premiums by age [currently this is done and it's age discrimination]; 5) prevent insurance companies from cancelling or denying insurance e.g., because of pre-existing conditions; 6) encourage wellness/preventative medicine by giving tax breaks for no smoking, no drinking, no illegal drugs, no over-eating, etc.; 7) limit annual medical cost increases [all medical goods] to the Social Security CPI; 8) implement tort reform where the lawyers' share is limited [e.g., 10% of the total award] and where expenses for frivolous lawsuits [determined by the jury] are required to be paid for by the person bringing the frivolous suit.
Vote out of office all elected officials that vote for mandatory health care insurance and increased taxes.

Observero0 of WA 5:08PM August 27, 2009

Could we save money by, instead of employers locking their employees into one or two plans, paying (the amount they are paying now) into an account (perhaps modifying the existing "Medical Savings account"), and let the employee shop for coverage? At least is should provide some customizability.

Tony of OH 5:00PM August 27, 2009

...when you could pay your doctor with a dozen eggs for a house call. Many opponents of ANY style of reform seem to buy into the fallacy that "if it isn't in the Constitution, there's no right to it." Do they honestly think that the decent men who drafted the Constitution would today approve denying health care to anyone based on ideology?
And the apocryphal rumours about other countries are largely just that: rumours. I live on the Canadian border. Believe me, there aren't hordes of disaffected, sick Canadians flocking over here because of waiting lists 10 miles long. Their system is not perfect, but I have not met ONE of them that would trade their system for our mish-mash of a non-system. And the right wing is also fond of attacking the UK, but they conveniently ignore countries like Germany, Australia, New Zealand and France (basically everywhere but here) who cover all of their citizens, not perfectly, but successfully. The vast majority of waiting lists are for elective procedures.
The "socialism" bit doesn't wash either. Republicans have successfully invoked "the Red Menace" from at least the days of McCarthy through Reagan's very wrong-headed "government is the problem" 1981 State of the Union speech to squelching the 1994 Clinton plan, and they're trying to do it again today. Except for Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam and maybe China, NO country has truly "socialised medicine," where the government owns ALL facilities and ALL doctors and nurses are government employees.
Funny, I don't see these government-bashing Republican legislators giving up their taxpayer-provided GOVERNMENT health care.
I have had "government" care in the military, and now Medicare (I am disabled). Both work FAR better than ANY private insurance I've ever had, period. Thank God I've had them, because no insurance company would touch me.
These Republicans also don't seem to notice that it can happen to THEM too. Their insurance can be cancelled, they can be denied coverage and all the platitudes about the "free market" don't mean a thing.
This really needs to be put to a national referendum, where the PEOPLE truly decide.

Kurt Steiner of MI 3:41PM August 27, 2009

Dave from MD- ditto, well said!

Lynn of OH 3:32PM August 27, 2009

Dave from MD- ditto, well said!

Lynn of OH 3:32PM August 27, 2009

If someone is on Medicaid they are considered insured. They may have access issues because of low reimbursement rates which vary from state to state but they can obtain care without paying out of pocket.
Veterans with VA plan are considered insured.
The State of Maryland regulates healthcare pricing for hospitals, the only state that does and has some of the lowest costs in the country.
Access is a different issue from coverage.
Costs are up due to increased profits for big pharma, medical supply companies, and increased demand. Uncompensated care adds to costs and insurance companies are big contributers to uncompensated care. They will often deny payment for care provided and hospitals have to pass these costs on or take the losses. Hospitals (non-profits) typically operate with a 1-3% profit margin.
I've been in healthcare as a nurse and nurse manager for over 30 years and until healthcare is reformed, costs will continue to go up. Lack of care COSTS more than providing good care up front. Hard to understand why folks don't get this. And when did Americans get so hard hearted? We are the ONLY industrialized country in the world without universal care. I find it fascinating that some of those most vocally opposed to a public plan have Medicare, which is a government run plan. A bit oxymoronic if you think about it. Or maybe just selfish...

VK of MD 2:43PM August 27, 2009

I suggested this to Seator Feinstein, with no comment back. We all know Medicare has Fraud waste and abuse associated with it - a typical Government run program with very little over sight. I have witnessed the "Medicare Parade" of doctors rushing past a dying patient,so they can collect their share of the medicare premium. If the Government spent a few Million Dollars on some really good, capable auditors - contractors - they could use Medicare as a Prototype to determine most of the ills of our current Medical system, make corrections to see if they work and then the Congress could implement fixes that are proven to work. Right now they are trying the typical Government Knee Jerk reaction and that is what ALL thinking Americans are upset about - this is not a partisan complaint. However, it appears to be a partisan push toward the unknown. Think how long it will take Congress to fix it if it isn't right!!!

Bill Schwab of CA 2:43PM August 27, 2009

Everyone sees only the news they wish, and puts their own spin on their individual view. What I don't see in all this talk about increasing health care costs is the fact that part of it comes from the new care we're getting now. Costs are up partially to pay for treatments and medications that didn't exist 10 years ago. Granted we're subsidizing the development of drugs sold elsewhere in the world for pennies on the dollar spent here. So I'm mot saying that all's right with the world. But its not right to entirely ignore the fact that part of the increase in spending we're seeing is keeping people healthier and living longer. (And giving old men better erections, but that's a different issue.)
Let's at least acknowledge that medicine offers answers it couldn't 10 years ago, and longer, and give the system some credit.

Dave of MD 10:16PM August 23, 2009

305,529,237 Population est. 1/1/09
30 million on Medicare (75% of these have private also)
50,000,000 are uninsured? How many are on Medicade programs?
Are we to assume over 220,000,000 Americans have adequate coverage? Then why don't we concentrate on the uninsured ONLY and if they are receiving any kind of public assistance why can't they be enrolled in a Medicare-like Part B premium paying program and clear the slate for real equity in reform? A uniform COST ceiling price for medical services should be enforced (ala Office of Price Support Days) How many Veterans are covered by VA plans? Are they among the "insured" or not insured? Lets have the rest of the story.

James T. Smith of MS 12:04AM August 23, 2009