Naysayers for a public option say that healthcare will become rationed & you'll lose control/choice

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

Healthcare in this country is already rationed and you already have no control/choice.

Your for-profit healthcare providers/insures are currently rationing your care and making all your decisions concerning doctors, hospitals, approved treatments, etc. What do you think a lifetime limit on healthcare is? One catastrophic illness can wipe out that cap in one fell swoop.

This argument is a total idiotic strawman, but one that is pushed by the media and the industry connected as hard as they can.

Why has every other major country rejected the private, for-profit model? Why does our healthcare rank so poorly on so many levels when we are compared internationally?

Why do Americans keep falling for the demonstrably false canard that we have the "best healthcare in the world"? That is ONLY true if you are extremely wealthy and can afford the very best specialists without regard to costs, and even then it has its limits.

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Like I always say, even Superman couldn't afford our American system:

January 31, 1996: News reports said Christopher Reeve was supporting a bill by U.S. Senator James. M. Jeffords (R-Vermont) that would bar insurance companies from setting lifetime caps of less than $10 million, when most now have limits around $1 million. The Washington Post reported Reeve's expenses were $400,000 a year and his insurance's cap was $1.2 million. Dana Reeve said "When I really got into depth looking at the policy, to be honest, it was ... as horrifying to me as when Chris first had his accident."
http://www.chrisreevehomepage.com/n-1996.html

[pnutbutr]

1. interesting piece about public care

http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_3_canadian_healthcare.html

[patrice]

2. Whose jobs in this country are SACROSANCT? Looks like we're going to find out.

Insurance companies OWN the United States of America.

[dgibby]

3. Pure BS from the naysayers.

I'm retired military. I have TRICARE Standard, and can see any provider in the system (which is all most all of them). In addition, as a 70% disabled vet, I have access to any VA facility in the country. I choose not to use the VA in order to make more space for vets with war related injuries/illnesses and because there are civilian hospitals closer to my home.

I've had no problem finding good doctors, have had no excessive waiting time, and get my meds for about $3.00/script at the local Publix pharmacy.

TRICARE is similar to Medicare and the system afforded Congress---single payer. Any argument against single payer is just scare tactics from the insurance industry and their paid shills in Congress.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

4. Thank you. That is a GREAT point!

I'm a former military brat and I know that my parents had excellent healthcare through Tricare.

John Kerry's suggestion in the last election was to simply open up the Congressional system to those who needed coverage.

[pnutbutr]

5. for most things

My father is a retired Captain and when my mother had a stroke they would only pay for 30 days of rehabilitation.

[dgibby]

6. I know, but it's a lot better than what most of us have (or don't have) now.

It certainly isn't a perfect system, but the problems could be ironed out with some tweaking. Just think, if everyone was on a similar system, they could probably afford a long term care supplemental.

Sorry to hear about your mom. I hope she's better now.

[dgibby]

7. You're welcome.

The best thing I ever did was join the Navy. The second best thing I ever did was stay long enough to retire. I'd probably be homeless if not for my military benefits, and I thank the American taxpayers every day for my good fortune.