Obamacare or Swine Flu?

[Rey C.]

As of right now, I am a student and fall under my parents health insurance due to my status as a "dependent." I'm not sure which health insurance my parents use (Both their jobs offer health insurance), but it's been great enough to take care of my families troubles.

I appreciate the reply. But this is my point: until you get on your own, you don't know what coverage you can get or what you're going to pay. When I was 22-23, I was self-employed because I owned part of the company I worked for. The only health issue I really had was from a knee injury from playing high school sports. Long story short, guess what wasn't covered on the policy that I bought? My knee! It was considered a pre-existing condition. I was a big strapping 22 year old guy. I didn't have any other health concerns. WTF good was it to have a policy that covered everything BUT what I might need coverage for??? And as it stands now, insurance companies can do pretty much as they please when it comes to coverage and lifetime caps. If you or either of your parents happen to get really sick and bump that lifetime cap, that I'm sure they have, you will not have insurance coverage any longer... unless you go out and buy your own.

So in point of fact, you don't really know if you have good health care/insurance coverage or not - you just think that You Might, correct?

Right now I'd rather pay a higher price to get in than have free healthcare and have to wait.

That is a legitimate concern. But depending on your situation when you begin paying the bills, how much can you afford to pay, and which pre-existing conditions might you have to pay for out of your own pocket?

Obama is right that the healthcare system needs to be reformed, yet universal healthcare is not the answer.

I agree with you, in that I don't think there is any ONE right answer to this. But the insurance system, the legal system and the health care system do need to be reformed, IMO.

The current bill is flawed in the fact that it does not offer incentives for people to become doctors.

What current bill? There's at least five proposals floating around. And that's part of the problem: people are mixed up and confused about what's going on. I blame all involved for that, including Obama.

Most doctors will quit practicing and move onto higher paying jobs.

Most doctors will quit? I seriously doubt that. What are they going to do, become investment bankers? We're talking about people who have studied science and biology their whole lives. I think it's a hyperbolic, red herring argument that no one will want to be a doctor if they only make $150K instead of $250K.

 

[Jagger69]

^
Very well stated, Rey. :thumbsup:

 

[SiCo]

Pepsi

 

[Member2019]

It was considered a pre-existing condition

Pre-existing conditions are an issue caused by government penalty if you do not get your healthcare from your employer, and the lack of options because most everyone gets it from their employer. If you didn't lose your insurance any time you changed jobs, pre-existing conditions would be your fault (if you didn't have insurance and then tried to get some), instead of your employer causing it.

Virtually every complaint I've heard of (other than some on cost) with allegedly "private" healthcare has been related to the fact that you get your insurance from your employer. During the Clinton administration / Republican Congress, they only passed various, additional laws to give some power back to the insured against the employer-based insurance industry. They didn't fix the problem, only exposed how stupid it really is.

The reality is that you do not have "free market" healthcare, but healthcare options that are limited by numerous, government stupidity. You are penalized if it's not your employer, and your employer can change your coverage at any time, hold it over your head, etc... It was the exact problem in JohnQ as well. His employer changed the terms and coverage without his approval, which they can do.

Until people have their own contract and terms, which other people can't fuck with, it won't get better. All we're doing is passing the problem from stupidly-regulated, 0 choice, facist industry over to the government. And, ironically enough, we'll probably get a baseline government program with the option for supplement plans that the poor can't afford to get "decent" coverage anyway, like the UK system.

 

[titsrock]

Sadly, this is the most intelligent Republican argument put forth in recent times....

Agreed.:yesyes:

 

[Rey C.]

Pre-existing conditions are an issue caused by government penalty if you do not get your healthcare from your employer, and the lack of options because most everyone gets it from their employer. If you didn't lose your insurance any time you changed jobs, pre-existing conditions would be your fault (if you didn't have insurance and then tried to get some), instead of your employer causing it.

Except that I (partially) owned the company, so...

What is (or was) available to very small companies and what is available to larger corporations is like night & day. When we sold our company to a larger bank, well, I could have been a 60 year old man with completely clogged arteries and they would have covered me with no issues. While at the bank, I had no coverage issues whatsoever.

Until people have their own contract and terms, which other people can't fuck with, it won't get better.

Agreed.