I would love to see healthcare reform in America. You may or may not agree with me. Perhaps when your company starts laying people off or shutting its doors in 7 or 8 years because it can't afford to pay $25,000 per year per employee for health insurance, you'll decide it's time then.
Regardless, I don't have to know a single fact about this current healthcare bill to know that nobody should vote for it. Here is why.
Let's liken healthcare reform to designing and building a new passenger jet. If the federal government decided to come up with a design for a faster, lighter, quieter, cheaper passenger jet to compete with Boeing and Airbus, I haven't the slightest doubt they could do it within the given parameters. They would get together a bunch of highly-paid guys who know aircraft design better than anybody else to come up with a great design.
Now, the problem is that before being approved, a bunch of people who know little or nothing about aircraft design, and who want to stop the new jet from being built entirely are allowed to come along and make major design changes to the jet.
What is the likelihood that a jet with lots of parts missing, lots of parts redesigned or replaced, and lots of parts added on by people (including Boeing and Airbus themselves) who don't want to see the jet get off the ground... what is the likelihood that you would volunteer to get on that jet, assuming it even flew? What is the likelihood that the thing would be a total disaster?
Any healthcare reform that gets passed now: America will be stuck with it. Americans would be stuck flying on that busted-ass jet I just mentioned. That's not the best solution; that's the worst solution.
Put this healthcare bill in the trash. It's worthless and we should just forget about it. A huge portion of Americans aren't ready for healthcare reform anyway, because they've been suckered by talk of death panels and socialism and whatever other ridiculous talking points the opposition can dream up to scare and anger and mobilize voters. The rest of America will just have to suffer from their stupidity.
The fact is that Americans do indeed need to suffer first — and they need to obtain their proof through suffering — before they will agree to change their ways. They need to see family members go without needed medical care; they need to go broke paying their insurance premiums before they decide that government-sponsored health insurance is a good idea. They need to have a heart attack before they stop eating at McDonald's every day. They need to pay $8 for a gallon of gasoline before they'll be interested in alternative fuels. They need to see a major American city submerged under a high tide before they'll accept global warming is real. They need to have a bunch of buildings knocked down before they realize that militant Islam is a threat.
Right... that's enough ranting.
Anyway, wait around for a few more years. Republicans will eventually either start being pressured from their constituencies (the folks who are too ignorant or stubborn to make the changes today) to support healthcare reform as the insurance companies go more and more out of control, or equally likely, Republicans will become so inconsequential that what they think won't matter anyway. Regardless, at some point in the future, real healthcare reform, developed solely and responsibly by the experts, will be able to be passed. And, I think we can all agree, it will almost certainly work better than whatever is being considered right now.
Jil,
ReplyDeleteNot sure if situation has changed or not but if not the bad thing of health reform for expats will be fact that will be ilegal for American not to haveinsurance and this punishable by fine or jail. Now it makes no sense for expats to be forced to by coverage they will not be using but to behonest they dont make a large enough voting block to warrat being taken into effect by our policy makers. That said it seems that health reform may petentialy be very bad for expats without a US insurance policy and the cost may brake many who live on fixed income. They may say but Im so far away no fear of jail, thats great except the gov can attach earnings and even benifits within limits.
Why not enact actual "Reform" and start with allowing insurance companies to compete across state lines, tort reform, fraud in Medicare, etc. No, instead they only look to collect tax 5 years before anyone gets one penny of coverage... That is why this current "Reform" is DOA.
ReplyDeleteThis is a major topic. I am totally against this whole healthcare bill. Now I do believe there needs to be changes but I do not believe in the public option. My child who is 14 is very worried about this. She has read everything there is out there on this. She feels that it is wrong to pass a bill that she will have to pay for when she currently has no voice in the matter. I took her to a rally so she could have her voice heard.
ReplyDeleteBeing in the September of my years, having only medicare part B, I'd like to see true universal coverage.
ReplyDeleteThis senate bill doesn't seem to be it. House bill is a little better, we'll see, I guess.
My sister hired me to keep books for her business just so I could be included in their group policy. After sending my application, her insurance company declined to cover my medical, just a small life insurance policy.
Of course, they didn't say why, but, we both knew why, my age.
My next severe illness will probably be my last.. I have never been ill enough for hospital care.
Congress should just pass a bill that covers all citizens, let the insurance companies die.
meanwhile, I'll just sing, "September Song".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdc4oBnu_fw
CT Dunn
Lubbock, Texas, USA
REASON TO BE AGAINST THE HEALTH CARE REFORM ACT:
ReplyDeleteThat is an easy answer..Name 3 succesful federaly mangaged and run entities of the goverment. They must be profitable for the country and considered a model for a business.
Anyone? Anyone? I challenge you (republican or democrat) to name and explain a few.