Pending Health Care Legislation

[Moksha]

The United States has been in such a bizarre situation for so very long in touting human rights to other countries, but being the only industrialized country in the world that does not see to the health care needs of all its citizens. It has been estimated (before the economic crisis) that 45 million Americans are without affordable health care. That number has no doubt climbed by now. Regardless of how many millions are without such care, US citizens should be receiving some type of workable health care through a functioning health care system.


Republican's by now realize that the only time significant gains are made for the populace as a whole is when there is a Democratic President and both Houses of Congress are controlled by the Democrats. At these times, they are capable of passing such legislation as to bring Social Security, Medicare and now a health care system into being. This has been such a hot potato issue, but I realize after watching TV, that health care in Hoboken is indeed thought of differently than in the Hamptons. The Republicans taking their cue from the Hamptons have no choice but to act as an impediment to legislation that benefits the entire populace.

Yes, I realize that many of you think that health care for all is the work of the adversary, as well as the instrument that will plunge us headlong into full scale socialism.

What else?

[bytor2112]

Yeah, it's kind of like when the credit card is near the limit.....may as well spend the rest and worry about paying it later.

How much and what do we get and how do we pay for it and are you sure and do you believe it??? Questions that really ought to be explored.

[Seanette]

For many, it's not heartlessness that has us thinking nationalizing an industry is not a good idea. Rationing, anyone? Bureaucrat across the country overruling your doctor about what care you're allowed to have sound good? How about medical care with all the efficiency and compassion of USPS and DMV?

I'd also like to know where in the Constitution (established by God, per D&C 101:80) the Federal government is even authorized to do such a takeover.

[Maxel]

We don't have the money to provide health care to every person in the country. News flash: we're already trillions of dollars in debt. Where does the pontificating stop and the thinking begin?

A dry well can't bring forth water, and if we waste whatever precious water (time and resources) we have left, we will all die of dehydration. What happens to those poor souls currently without health care- who we can assume are the poorest of the poor- when the resources dry up? Who do you think is going to get the short end of the stick- those with material assets (the middle-class and the wealthy), or those who belong to entitlement programs run by a bankrupt- and therefore impotent- government?

These kind of short-sighted, idyllic crusades will be the ecnomic downfall of this country if we let them come into existence.

[Godless]

The bureaucracy and red tape is a big step up from the ibuprofin-and-whiskey health care program that millions of Americans are currently subscribed to.

[bytor2112]

The notion of lowering taxes and reducing/ending wasteful government spending doesn't seem to be an idea that gets any action in DC...except lip service by both sides of the aisle. If the government was smaller and efficient and didn't pass ridiculous pork laden spending bills and funnel gazillions of dollars to foreign countries and reformed taxes as well as reducing them, the idea might be more intriguing.

If Obama were to say," I want all Americans to have a health insurance plan and we are going to pay for it by eliminating a trillion dollars of wasteful spending" I would be so very excited and would applaud him for the effort. Moksha, points out the number of uninsured Americans. I wonder, how many of these uninsured simply won't pay for health coverage in favor of spending their money on something else? I wonder how much insurance would cost if consumers could by their plans from any state? Is Medicare the shining example of government run health care????? (Incidentally, I pay $269.00 per month for major medical coverage that covers my entire family. My deductible is a bit high at $1500.00, but we are covered.)

[Godless]

Originally Posted by bytor2112

I wonder, how many of these uninsured simply won't pay for health coverage in favor of spending their money on something else?

Like food and rent?

[bytor2112]

Originally Posted by Godless

Like food and rent?

Or beer and cigarettes?

[john doe]

Isn't this the plan that will put us in the red another trillion dollars in 10 years? At the rate we are going we won't be able to tax Americans enough to even service the interest on our debt, let alone pay down the debt we are incurring.

And since when is free health care a right? I don't remember seeing it in the constitution the last time I read it.

[Maxel]

Wanting everyone to have healthcare is an admirable goal- but when you set that priority above others that, by the natural order of things, should be above nationalized healthcare, you subvert the natural law and role of government and threaten to collapse the entire system.

The problem is much simpler than natural law, though- we simple don't have the money! Like Bytor said, if the government could find a way to nationalize health care while cutting costs and get us out of debt, I wouldn't be nearly as opposed (although I still would be- my opposition would have less fuel, though).

What's better (or worse): 45 million Americans who have health care (which, judging by prescient nationalized health care systems, would be abominable), or 306,728,428 (as of June 21, 2009) Americans with a bankrupt government? (Not so) ironically, if the government goes bankrupt then all that free healthcare goes south- and the poor who are currently protected by various entitlement programs currently established will be worse off than before.