Why Michael Moore and those that want another healthcare

[mmonk]

delivery system are right: For the last few years, if you add up my premiums paid, co-pays, and uncovered doctor visits for disability issues for my kids, I've paid over $35,000 a year each of those years. There is no way a government system would increase my taxes by that much.

[bryant69]

1. I can see why that would convince you

On the other hand I've paid almost nothing on healthcare the last few years; should I then be opposed to it?

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[mmonk]

2. Because you could be me.

Employer paid coverage probably keeps your wages down and when you get older, the company aims to cut you loose.

[Raven]

3. Well, here's the thing, you could change your coverage, maybe

increase your deductable to save $ BUT do you know what happens when you try to do that...your insurer will reserve the right to "reunderwrite" you...in other words cancel you. Nice.

[mmonk]

4. Yep.

And also people assumed they are covered until a major surgery comes along. That's when teams of people working for the insurance company dream up ways to not cover the expenses.

[jwirr]

5. Or outright refuse to cover you disabled children.

[mmonk]

6. My oldest was uncovered until they made

descrimination based on his autism for basic medical coverage illegal. But they still can deny autistic related issues. With the new Supreme Court and rightwing judges, you can expect it will again be legal to desciminate against them for health insurance coverage even for regular doctor visits and sicknesses unrelated.

[cureautismnow]

7. Exactly.

Universal Healthcare would also allow more people the option to retire earlier, which in turn would open up more jobs for younger workers. Of course, we'd eliminate all the middleman HMO jobs, but those folks would just have to find more respectable work.

[mmonk]

10. Those middleman jobs comment reminds me of

the scene in Sicko whre the woman that worked for the insurance company said she tried to be mean and impersonal because she didn't want to get to know the insureds because she knew they would sometimes be denied coverages for their sicknesses and surgeries. She could indeed get a job where she could live with her conscience.

[irislake]

8. Don't kid yourself

that people in other advanced countries are taxed to death to support our health care. That's a lie fed to you by your corporate media. Countries with universal health care on the whole have a higher standard of living that Americans. We live very well. Socialist countries included.

Canada is not a socialist country contrary to some of your media idiots. I wish it were because "socialism" and "liberal" are not dirty scary words to me. (Neo-Con is scary!) I vote Liberal cuz NDP don't have a chance in Federal elections. Sometimes they win Provincial elections. They are good for nipping at the heels of the Liberals and driving them left.

Thank god we don't have to pay taxes to support wars for oil that are costing upwards of 12 billion a day! That must cost you a bundle!

But I'm on your side. I wish you luck.

[mmonk]

9. Thanks.

[Brigid]

12. Interesting.

This is not the first time I have heard Canadians say this. I'm sure that if it was as bad as some in this country claim, you would have changed it by now.

[Brigid]

11. We need this debate at the top of our agenda NOW!

I used to work customer service for a large health insurance company, until I just couldn't take it anymore. My blood pressure is lower now, and I sleep better. I'm not kidding. I quickly lost count of the times "members" (ha ha, what an ironic term; why didn't the company just tell the truth and call them "suckers") told me that their monthly premium was more than their mortgage payment. The company seemed to fight every single claim, putting most of them in "medical review," which meant a backlog of months there, which meant bills went unpaid and the hapless "member" ended up with a bad credit report after the provider turned the bill over to a collections agency. Some doctors in the area will no longer accept this insurance. Files concerning complaints to the state Department of Insurance about this company could probably fill a cathedral. And I know of plenty of cases where surgery was delayed for weeks or even months pending "pre-approval." Of course, all this is only if you can get any coverage in the first place (if you have any pre-existing conditions, forget it). I think you can guess by now why I no longer work there.

Let's face it -- the right may wail about "socialized medicine" all they want, but let's see what they say the first time they really have to tangle with an HMO or other payer. There is a reason why other countries may have problems with their health-dcare system, but I know of none that wants to copy ours. Let's get a one-payer system, and let's do it now. We don't have to slavishly copy any other country's system, and we shouldn't. We can develop one that works for us, the American people, and not the insurance companies and HMOs. Even the executives at the company I worked for admit that the system we have now just isn't sustainable.

Sooner or later, this is going to have to happen. Even the most stubborn devotee of the "free market," like it or not, is going to have to face this truth. Compared to what we have now, a one-payer system is a bargain.

BTW, interestingly enough, "Sicko" is not playing around here. But that won't stop the DVD from finding its way into the stores when it comes out.

[mmonk]

14. Great post.

I don't even consider this a free market system. Insurance companies add another layer of costs that distorts the concept of free market.

[frogcycle]

13. it does not require much to make the point

presume:

• the medical provider infrastructure continues to function largely as-is. that is, doctors seeing patients, hospitals taking them in, etc.
  
• all the providers get compensated - ie, doctors get salaries or bill patients if in private practice, hospitals bill sufficiently to cover costs- physical plant, nurses and staff salaries, REASONABLE salaries to administrators
  
• instead of payment being processed through HMO or for-profit insurance company, it is processed through a not-for-profit. Could be government staffed, could be something like the "Blues" (they are still technically not-for-profit, but top people make a lot of money) with govt regulation
  
• sufficient revenues are collected to fund these payments, and the processing of them
  

You have removed from the equation the obscene profits that go to multimillion dollar bonuses and dividend payments. You have reduced the overall cost of healthcare. You add those not now covered, who usually get some level of care now via expensive emergency rooms, often unnecessarily expensive because they could not get early care. This both further reduces costs AND provides better care to that population. It reduces costs because it generally gets provided today expensively and inefficiently and funded by either government or higher premiums on those who are covered.

The net result is less outlay, less cost. Administrative waste in fighting claims is eliminated, excessive profits are eliminated, everything else stays the same, but better.

Collecting the revenue to fund it will pull wealth from the general population but be more than offset by eliminating the costs on companies and individuals who now pay. It will be a stimulus to the economy - auto manufacturers will be better able to compete, individuals have more to spend. The rich few now sucking the rest of us dry are the ONLY ones hurt. And they are the ones paying for CNN's hit job.

All arguments against it are red herrings. Any issue or deficiency in a working system can be analyzed and corrected, if the system is fundamentally viable. The one we have now is NOT viable, because the drain of wealth from the many to the few is destroying our society.

[cally]

15. I pay $16,000 per year for medical coverage

We own a small business so we pay our own premiums. We have health insurance that we kept after my husband left a big company 12 years ago. (It's the law that you can still stay insured if you pay the full cost of the premiums.) If we ever miss a payment or move out of this coverage area, we would not be able to get insurance since my husband is a diabetic and I had breast cancer. We have Kaiser and cannot move anywhere where there isn't Kaiser.

You're situation is much worse and I know many others suffer far worse than I. I'm one of the lucky ones with coverage and decent health care but the system still doesn't work for me.

[mmonk]

16. A friend of mine had to keep

a restaurant job he worked at part time while he was in college because at the time, there was no portability and he developed a medical condition that prevented him from being "insurable" at another company commensurate with his degree when he graduated. So he had to work two jobs for many years due to insurance. I'm glad he is finally free to pursue his profession.

[Brigid]

17. This must be the only country in the civilized world . . .

where people have to make career decisions based on health insurance. Ridiculous. :grr: