Because Obama is the first black president. There is simply no rational argument — small business hiring is up, premium increases are down, health care costs are going down, health coverage for the middle class and poor will be vastly improved, and a new freedom to quit your job if you’ve ever been sick. But this is what we have to destroy the American economy over? Please, if you can’t govern, at least get out of the way.
If the “healthy folks” sign up, as the should for ANY insurance company/organization to succeed, even as flawed as the GOP insisted on making it, as with having to buy private insurance instead of “single payer”, the program isn’t a wreck, but high speed rail compared to our current system.
Looking at my mom’s over-priced drugs purchased without competition in Medicare, the error of Republican “thought” regarding health care is obvious, well, blatantly a ripoff of the taxpayers!
I paid for health insurance out of my savings account for over 4 years until it went up to $350 a month.Back then if I went to the doctor, I paid a $35 copay and the insurance company paid about $145.When I told the doctor I just needed my prescription refilled last week, I was told he would charge $50 or $60 since I don’t have insurance anymore. We have been ripped off for many years.
Does that mean that you don’t want health care to be improved, or you don’t think it’s possible?-Is it like Mitch McConnell said, the greatest health care system in the world and needs no improvement?
@Uncle Joe, Hawthorne, and Rockngolfer (and anyone else who might care:
Allow me to help you understand.
Back in the good ol’ days, let’s say I wanted $100 for a particular service. I would bill, say, Blue Cross $100. They said they’d give me $50. So I asked for $125, and they gave me $70. So I asked for $150, and they said $85, and not a penny more.
So, if I wanted to earn $85, I had to bill $150. And this is a large part of the reason fees became so high.
Now, it is against the law to charge a person more simply because that patient has insurance. Fair enough. But, the flipside of that law is that it is against the law for me to charge you less because you DON’T have insurance.
For the same service, even though we all knew I was only going to get $85 from the insurance company, I was not allowed to charge $85 to a non-insured person. I had to charge $150, the same price as insurance companies were billed. THIS is where the penalties started for simply not having health insurance.
I have lee-way. I can always adjust my fees to help someone in need, but it has to be on an individual basis. As soon as someone can determine a pattern of behavior—that is, that I have separate fees for the uninsured—I am guilty of insurance fraud. I may serve jail time, and I might lose my license to practice.
Does this help you understand how we got to this incredibly convoluted place? There will never be a system where uninsured people will pay less as a result, no matter how humane it seems on paper. And it is not up to doctors to make that call, unless, as was postulated to Rockn’, he was provided a discount for being a long-term patient.
I would be just as happy to bill the same $85 I get from insurance, but I don’t want to have to get a new profession.
Explain to me: What is the great advantage of having insurance costs deducted by your employer, versus paid for by your taxes?Either way, we pay. The costs have been skyrocketing for years. The number of people covered by employer provided insurance has been dropping for decades.Do you think we should plan on doing something about the ever growing number of working Americans who work for companies that don’t offer insurance, who don’t qualify for the employer plans, or can’t afford the premiums? The Republicans can try to change the ACA to something more amenable to them, or offer a better idea. They show no desire to do either. I wish they would.
Obama himself has delayed several deadlines in Obamacare before they were implemented. So…..how is this the Republican’s fault for it being a train wreck?
Nope, got that wrong. It is the best alternative available, and it does put some important reforms in (such as elimination of the ability of insurance companies to dump someone who develops severe illness).I prefer something else (or something more, maybe), but it’s better than the alternative, which is nothing.
pirate227 over 10 years ago
“…if it’s the last thing I do.”
Kylop over 10 years ago
It brings to mind…..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STeVTzWelns
braindead Premium Member over 10 years ago
I still don’t understand why Republicans/Fox “news” viewers don’t want health care to be improved in this country.
ARodney over 10 years ago
Because Obama is the first black president. There is simply no rational argument — small business hiring is up, premium increases are down, health care costs are going down, health coverage for the middle class and poor will be vastly improved, and a new freedom to quit your job if you’ve ever been sick. But this is what we have to destroy the American economy over? Please, if you can’t govern, at least get out of the way.
rockngolfer over 10 years ago
Ten myths, note number 5 especially..http://people.howstuffworks.com/10-myths-about-health-care-reform.htm
Dtroutma over 10 years ago
If the “healthy folks” sign up, as the should for ANY insurance company/organization to succeed, even as flawed as the GOP insisted on making it, as with having to buy private insurance instead of “single payer”, the program isn’t a wreck, but high speed rail compared to our current system.
Looking at my mom’s over-priced drugs purchased without competition in Medicare, the error of Republican “thought” regarding health care is obvious, well, blatantly a ripoff of the taxpayers!
rockngolfer over 10 years ago
I paid for health insurance out of my savings account for over 4 years until it went up to $350 a month.Back then if I went to the doctor, I paid a $35 copay and the insurance company paid about $145.When I told the doctor I just needed my prescription refilled last week, I was told he would charge $50 or $60 since I don’t have insurance anymore. We have been ripped off for many years.
Robert C. Premium Member over 10 years ago
Sowell is a self-declared Libertarian…so this opinion is not surprising.
braindead Premium Member over 10 years ago
Does that mean that you don’t want health care to be improved, or you don’t think it’s possible?-Is it like Mitch McConnell said, the greatest health care system in the world and needs no improvement?
I Play One On TV over 10 years ago
@Uncle Joe, Hawthorne, and Rockngolfer (and anyone else who might care:
Allow me to help you understand.
Back in the good ol’ days, let’s say I wanted $100 for a particular service. I would bill, say, Blue Cross $100. They said they’d give me $50. So I asked for $125, and they gave me $70. So I asked for $150, and they said $85, and not a penny more.
So, if I wanted to earn $85, I had to bill $150. And this is a large part of the reason fees became so high.
Now, it is against the law to charge a person more simply because that patient has insurance. Fair enough. But, the flipside of that law is that it is against the law for me to charge you less because you DON’T have insurance.
For the same service, even though we all knew I was only going to get $85 from the insurance company, I was not allowed to charge $85 to a non-insured person. I had to charge $150, the same price as insurance companies were billed. THIS is where the penalties started for simply not having health insurance.
I have lee-way. I can always adjust my fees to help someone in need, but it has to be on an individual basis. As soon as someone can determine a pattern of behavior—that is, that I have separate fees for the uninsured—I am guilty of insurance fraud. I may serve jail time, and I might lose my license to practice.
Does this help you understand how we got to this incredibly convoluted place? There will never be a system where uninsured people will pay less as a result, no matter how humane it seems on paper. And it is not up to doctors to make that call, unless, as was postulated to Rockn’, he was provided a discount for being a long-term patient.
I would be just as happy to bill the same $85 I get from insurance, but I don’t want to have to get a new profession.
adherent#1 over 10 years ago
If Obamacare doesn’t work – there is no need for the Democrats. Their entire existence is a lie.
Uncle Joe Premium Member over 10 years ago
Explain to me: What is the great advantage of having insurance costs deducted by your employer, versus paid for by your taxes?Either way, we pay. The costs have been skyrocketing for years. The number of people covered by employer provided insurance has been dropping for decades.Do you think we should plan on doing something about the ever growing number of working Americans who work for companies that don’t offer insurance, who don’t qualify for the employer plans, or can’t afford the premiums? The Republicans can try to change the ACA to something more amenable to them, or offer a better idea. They show no desire to do either. I wish they would.
Don Winchester Premium Member over 10 years ago
Obama himself has delayed several deadlines in Obamacare before they were implemented. So…..how is this the Republican’s fault for it being a train wreck?
braindead Premium Member over 10 years ago
Yet another non response.
rossevrymn over 10 years ago
It’s amazing to watch those with the power still act like victims………….it’s actually disgusting………..how can anyone live with this type of mentality?
Motivemagus over 10 years ago
Nope, got that wrong. It is the best alternative available, and it does put some important reforms in (such as elimination of the ability of insurance companies to dump someone who develops severe illness).I prefer something else (or something more, maybe), but it’s better than the alternative, which is nothing.