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The government already has a lot to do with health care through Medicare and Medicaid. If there is a public option in the Bill presented to Congress this Fall (not certain that public option will be in the Bill much less if the Bill will pass at all) it won't represent a takeover of health care. Single payer(actual takeover by government) is nowhere in the picture at all. Won't be discussed, won't be voted on, just plain won't happen, period.)
Depends on how you want to look at it, either the government took over health care decades ago, or a public option might be government moving into health care more than in the past, but most of health care is still in the hands of private companies and will continue to be that way regardless of what kind of Bill gets through Congress.
The "Takeover of Health Care by Government" is a red herring issue. Regardless of what happens in Congress, most decisions about your care will still be made by insurance companies, not the government and certainly not by your doctor.
You guys are worried that the government is going to start making life and death decisions about health, and in the meantime, your insurance company (if you are lucky enough to even HAVE insurance) is making them right now.
An insurance company can be bound by laws and the courts. Government can bypass laws, since it's hard to sue them. Government needs to be removed from healthcare, since they created the mess of HMOs and rising costs by not fixing the problems.
Dude, have you ever tried to get your health insurance company cover some medication or procedure that is critical to your health, and which should be covered according to your 'contract' with the insurance provider, but which the insurance company doesn't feel like covering?
If not, I will give you the shortened version.
Step 1- Trying to get in touch with someone. This could take days, weeks, or longer
Step2- You lay out your case for why you have to have whatever it is, to continue working, continue breathing, continue living, whatever.
Step3- They do whatever they feel is in the best interest of the insurance company. Your health needs are at best irrelevant.
Step4- If you want to appeal the decision, start over at Step 1.
I always find it frustrating discussing health care reform with someone who is steeped in conservative media. You say government needs to stay out of health care. You are living in a hypothetical pre-1965 world where government wasn't involved so much in health care.
The world we actually inhabit has the US government involved with about 30% of the health care field, with Medicare and Medicaid, maybe more.
If private insurance was doing what it was supposed to be doing, and if everyone was already covered, none of this would be an issue.
The propaganda you are exposed to is an effort by insurance companies to keep things they way they like them, the way they are now.
They defeated socializing health care in 1994 with a similar campaign, and things have only gotten worse since them.
Time to look at the real world and fix the real problems, if Congress happens to get around to doing that.
The Government should have never been involved with healthcare (beyond military/vets) beyond regulations, retirement should have structured to allow individuals to handle their own retirement even if a small percentage was required to be diverted to those accounts, wealthfare should have never existed (maybe in limited form to ensure people get a decent job, which will allow them to pay into the coffers), and many other aspects of control they have stolen with everyone asleep.
Building another red tape filled organization that will control both the public and private option, sorry I don't trust the government to handle it right. I'll bet they would be worst than the insurance companies in restricting access to control costs.
Now Congress can do something that might really reduce the costs of medicine, than give me a line I won't hold my breath waiting for a decent bill that will do what it claims it will do. The current mess will be become worst after they fill it with pork and other non-related subjects.
I can't stand people believing that Government who helped cause this mess, can magically fix the problems and than start running the system as well!
Gramps just the other day you said you 'tested' centrist in all the political polls ...
right and I just saw a pig fly too ...
now .. don't get me wrong - I am not opposed to a national heath care system if ALL the people were covered - but that is not what the dems are pushing so hard for. If we really had a good health care system the pharm companies would not make as much money as they make now .. there would be 4 times as many people taking pills than before ... but right now they are charging 10 - 20 times more than they should be able to charge. Right now the pharm companies can get the DR's to dole out medicine that is way expensive and may not be the best option for them. If you want true medical reform - you have to get the big Pharm companies OUT of the equation... that ain't going to happened until you have a more 3rd party candidates in congress and the WH who aren't owned by lobbyists and special interest groups .. and that day is a long time from coming. Follow the money and you can see who is going to profit from this current exploitation of the health care system.
thebaron
One of the movers and shakers behind healthcare: multi-faced organization that loves to play politics, steal tax payers moniesm, and use underhanded methods taught by people such as our current president to get their way!