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+--- Thread: Republicans, what is your "end game" on health care? (/showthread.php?tid=91427)
Republicans, what is your "end game" on health care? - john dough - 01-20-2010
I am not posting this to be glib or partisan, I am serious when I ask this.
I am asking as an individual who pays for their own health care insurance for their family (me and my wife) and has seen, since 2001, premiums go from about $90 a month to over $250 (same plan) and has seen coverage go down, way down.
My wife had surgery recently where my out of pocket was $3000 on a $6,000 total bill. Her sister had the same procedure in the early 90s on a similar health plan as ours and said she paid nothing out of pocket. I consider us to be fortunate to be able to pay that out and not have to go into debt, as $3k to some is devastating.
This thread is not to point out what the "other side" has done or is doing, I am asking what your plan is. This issue is not going to go away just because you could now vote it down in the Senate. People are going broke in the US -- decent, middle class families where both parents work and watch their spending. These people could be your neighbors, other forum members, people who go to your church, etc.
If not for the plan of Obama, what is your option? Doing nothing will only get us into more trouble.
I could not care less where the idea comes from, as long as something changes the trend.
Anyone?
Re: Republicans, what is your "end game" on health care? - rgG - 01-20-2010
We pay for our own health care insurance, as my husband and I are both self employed. Ours is well over $1000 a month, for a family of three, and we have a $5,000 per person deductible. As you have said, I don't care which party reforms health care, just that someone should.
Re: Republicans, what is your "end game" on health care? - Mac1337 - 01-20-2010
JD, there is nothing in this bill that solves your problem. With all the new demands on insurance companies your rates will go even higher.
Re: Republicans, what is your "end game" on health care? - john dough - 01-20-2010
Dakota wrote:
JD, there is nothing in this bill that solves your problem. With all the new demands on insurance companies your rates will go even higher.
I do not have my heart set on this bill at all. What I am asking for is that something gets done. This pace of increasing premiums and getting LESS is not sustainable and am asking for plans of action here. Like I said, just saying "no" is only keeping the status quo, which is failure.
Rather than what this bill is or is not and rather what can't be done, what can?
Re: Republicans, what is your "end game" on health care? - kanesa - 01-20-2010
Dakota and RgG, Neither one of you answered john dough's question. What are your solutions to the problems of health care? And all I ask is please do not say "Tort reform". Or maybe you think everything is hunky-dory and should not change.
Re: Republicans, what is your "end game" on health care? - rgG - 01-20-2010
kanesa wrote:
Dakota and RgG, Neither one of you answered john dough's question. What are your solutions to the problems of health care? And all I ask is please do not say "Tort reform". Or maybe you think everything is hunky-dory and should not change.
I would prefer a Public Option, along the lines of Medicare, but apparently that isn't going to happen.I have no idea what the Republicans want to do to "fix" health care. From what I have heard, they don't think it is broken.
Edit: just so everyone is clear on this, I am a staunch independent voter. I vote for a person, not a party. Right now, I don't know if there is anyone in the House or Senate that I would vote for. I voted for Obama and had high hopes that Congress would work with him to get this done. They have had a year, and we seem to be no closer to real reform.
Re: Republicans, what is your "end game" on health care? - kanesa - 01-20-2010
Thanks RgG I, too, think there should be a public option so I am very disappointed in the present bill. I think a public option should be available for everyone and not just the poor and uninsurable. A public option that allows you to pay according to your means. I believe the health care system really got screwed up when health insurance became tied to employment. There are so many people who are not employed or are unemployable.
Re: Republicans, what is your "end game" on health care? - TLB - 01-20-2010
What are the goals of health care reform? I don't know if either side has clearly articualted what the goals should be and it is difficult to have meaningful debate if we don't know the problems we want to solve. I think there are 2 things most should be willing to agree to:
-It should leave no one uncovered
-Medical debt should no longer be a cause of personal bankruptcy in America
From there, I think ideas diverge. IMHO, the next two critical attributes are that it must provide relief to employers, so rising costs don't cause economic disaster and that it must promote both efficiency and innovation so that the entire medical establishment--doctors, nurses, hospitals, drug and medical companies and insurers collectively responsible for making care better, safer and less costly.
What I would like to see happen first is to clearly address point 1:
-insurance reform to eliminate loss or denial due to pre-existing conditions
-allow unmarried children coverage on parents plan to age 29
-mandate insurance for those who currently have access, but by choice do not participate, probably with some type of phase in period
-expand medicare and/or VA healthcare to cover the remaining uninsured
This would provide the coverage needed, but will generate supply/demand issues--which would impact cost and affordability. Health care is a service with unlimited demand, but limited supply. To control costs, we need to limit demand, probably through a combination of preventative measures, education and some type of "rationing". We currently ration to some extent based on economic means--we need to develop a more equitable system. We also need to address the supply side, by incentives to create more primary care professionals--nurses, PAs and physician.
This is too long, so I need to quit for now. Oh, I'm not a registered republican, but I probably lie right of center.
Re: Republicans, what is your "end game" on health care? - Gutenberg - 01-20-2010
I can agree with that, TLB, but I don't look for it to happen. The irony of all this is that health care reform will be scuttled by the vote of a state that has subsidized universal health care, at least in theory. It's a dog-in-the-manger type of thing, I suppose.
Re: Republicans, what is your "end game" on health care? - Mac1337 - 01-20-2010
I have been asked this question and answered it countless times. First, you have to decide if you want health insurance run as a private business. If so, they will be governed by the laws of nature. You have an income and you have expenses and at the end of the day you have to make a profit. When you keep demanding that they must do this and that be prepared for your premiums to rise. Sure they will take someone with a guaranteed $100K a year bill in expenses but they have to recover it elsewhere. Either this, or just nationalize healthcare so you can hide all the expenses in tax hikes.
Now, what is the solution? Simple. Ask yourself this question. In the past week, how many Geico commercials you have seen begging for your business compared to Aetna. For me a big O for Aetna. Why? Because Aetna gets together with the HR and in some back room and cuts a deal. I am nowhere in the equation. They are not competing for my business. If I had my way insurance companies would be my biggest enemy.