My neighbor admits that we do end up paying higher costs for the uninsured, but

[YewNork]

he said that he still can't support a system that would help provide insurance for everyone.

He told me that he knows that medical costs are higher because the medical industry passes along the cost of treating people
who can't afford or are unable to buy insurance and who don't have the money to pay for their treatments.

But, he said that if everyone became insured and the medical industry didn't have to treat uninsured people any longer,
the prices wouldn't suddenly go down. He said that the prices are driven by supply and demand and that the prices
would stay that same but that the medical industry would just start pocketing the higher prices as profit instead of
using it to offset the loss of treating people without insurance. In his mind, all it would do would be giving insurance
to people who are too lazy to pay for it themselves. He used the airline industry as an example, saying that most airlines
started charging fees to check baggage last year when fuel costs went sky high, and when the fuel prices came down,
most airlines still kept the baggage charges because the public was willing to pay them. He said that the same would
happen if the uninsured started to have insurance. They wouldn't lower prices, they'd just keep it as profit.

When I asked him about people who are willing to pay for insurance but who have a pre-existing condition, he said that
he said that they should be allowed to buy insurance, but only if it can be done without giving insurance to people who
can pay for it, but who choose to spend their money on other luxuries.

[hobbit709]

1. These people confuse coverage with insurance

Single payer is not the same as health insurance. Of course as long as half of Congress is in the pockets of the INSURANCE companies, we'll never get what all the civilized countries have.

[TigerStar337]

5. Why not use medicare?

Medicare works. Lower the eligibility so more people can use it. Taking something that works, making it better, and expanding it to serve more people is simple and easy to grasp.

[ejpoeta]

2. I can't even deal with this anymore I get so upset. I went on a site I frequent

and made the mistake in going in the off topic forum and there was a thread about 'obamacare' and how the government wants to take over everything and had all the fox news talking points. And every reply to that post agreed and said how terrible the government is at doing things blah blah blah. I posted how if medicare is so bad the recipients would mutiny if anyone tried to mess with their medicare... and i said maybe we should privatize the police department and fire department then.... and all the maintenance of the roads. Uggh. I can't go back there... I was so upset all day yesterday after reading that crap. I just want to cry.

I have insurance. And I am thankful I have it, though i still don't know how much of the cost of this baby will be on me considering the type of insurance I have.... but the idea that people could be so selfish to not want everyone covered!! It just makes me so sad. So many selfish people out there. And no matter what I say, I know it won't affect any of them. They are like robots, just spouting off the talking points on cue, not even thinking who is behind these talking points and why they would be putting them out there.

[YewNork]

3. What?!? - Congress is going to take a month off.

The opposition is going to stop their negative campaigning during that time, right? It wouldn't be fair otherwise.

I mean, we can't deny Congress their vacation, even if it might mean losing out on finally establishing health reform, right?

[notesdev]

4. There's no sense of urgency

and there won't be as long as Congress gets gold-plated, cost-free health care paid for by you and me.