Health Insurance Discussion

[TooMuchCredit]

None of the proposals include illegals. However, I don't think they should be made scapegoats. I think that it is overly harsh to very hard working individuals that are brought into this country and allowed to stay here because they do jobs that other people will not. Their employers can pay them alot less too and not have to pay any benefits. They work hard. And while they may not pay income tax, they pay sales taxes, and property taxes (via rent). Most cities/counties rely on property, sales, and business licenses fees for their income. And who pays for the city/county hospital? So when those illegals go to the hospital ER, they have paid into the system. I would bet that most of these folks are not making enough to have to pay significant amounts of income tax anyway. And they aren't paying into soc. sec. or medicare but they aren't receiving any of the benefits of those programs either. If they were not in this country we'd be paying alot more for our fruits and veggies (70-80% come from California).

That said, I do think the law needs to be changed so that their children arent automatic citizens. I think that one of the parents must be a citizen (naturalized, or by birth) for that to happen.

The push for universal healthcare is not anything new either. Obama didn't start it. They've been fighting for universal care for decades. The most recent was in the 90s with the Clintons.

And while those with lifethreatening conditions may not get turned down, they might not be able to afford the treatment, which will put them in the boat many here are now - bankruptcy. And we all pay for that indirectly too. It also creates a bottleneck in the ER where there are long waits, whereas if those folks had primary care doctors, they would not usually be in the ER.

From what I have been told, physicians actually prefer medicare to insurance companies. Medicare requires LESS paperwork and pays on time. Insurance companies take their sweet time paying. Private insurance companies also have an overhead of about 17-20%, whereas medicare is 3%.

I think it's better to have a certain % be dedicated from ones salary to cover the healthcare. Pay it into one big pot, with non of it being siphoned off to insurance company profits. There would also need to be a funding mechanism for those that are unemployed, maybe a national Value Added Tax so that everyone pays something and not just those working. Add a few fees for vices - alcohol, cigarettes, and unhealthy prepared food. A few fees for activities that you knowing put your life at risk like mountain climbing or rock climbing (or maybe require some additional private insurance for that that would pay if you fell or if they had to come rescue you). Whatever it is, it would need to be dedicated into a specific Healthcare fund that can't be tapped for anything else.

We also need electronic records. That way if you get in an auto accident far from home, the ER will know your history and not have to guess. It would eliminate all that paperwork that has to be done now. I went in for a minor surgical procedure. I had to fill out pages of paperwork and then was asked for the same information 4 times by the various nurses - all my past surgeries, medications, etc. If it was all electronic, I wouldn't have to try and remember all that stuff - or if I couldn't talk, they'd know.

[HRx]

Privately operated health insurance is already a mess. This unrealistic fear of "government" control doesn't make any sense. People have this false idea that privatization of an organization will have the best interests of people at hand, which is completely untrue. Health Care is a major, major money making business, and a lot of big wigs money is a risk if health insurance is improved to start paying out for coverage versus denying everything to keep growing their bottom line. Obama's initiative to instigate, review and discuss health care reform is the one of the best social interest initiative we've seen over the past eight years. It's definitely better than the wasteful, "War on Terror" move.

The status quo is the worse thing that can be down with health insurance situation right now. Is a universal or government operated insurance the answer? Not necessarily, but across the board reform is needed sooner rather than later.

[AngelinaCatHub]

Yes HRX, but if we do go Public Insurance through our government, it will be far, far worse. They intend to allow even those illegally in this Country to get insurance on the cuff. I am tired of paying the IRS for other peoples benefits, including free food and Wic, etc.

Now getting Public Insurance was a ridiculous hassle. Even though I and Mrs. have been with BCBS since our births, have had only one SS number and in every job it was BCBS, she has an existing condition. So, several items will not be addressed if she has any complications from them, even though they paid in the past for everything all our life (through insurance by them). Also the premium is higher. Now I am on Medicare and have to be by law, and they are talking about limiting my coverage since the government grossly underestimated the cost of this. I have no choice and many doctors do not like dealing with Medicare and its partial payments and its paperwork.

I agree that the Health system needs updating, but no control by the government. It was not a big problem until 'Bammy invented the emergency, just as he did to bail out the union workers at GM and Chrysler, and took over the banking system to "help" get us out of the recession, now turning into a depression. It has become appearant that he says something in the morning and denies saying the same thing in the afternoon, and the rascals he has hired remind me of some of my customers when I fixed cash register in Chicago. They were mostly mob emplacements.

Bottom line: Leave it alone as it is. Nobody with life threatening conditions are turned down. Open the borders for across state sales and watch the free market bring down the costs. Right now, there are a handful of companies in FL and have to be licensed in FL, when there are more than a thousand in this Country.

'Hub

[HRx]

From an HR perspective I can attest to the fact that quality, affordable health care is major issue and will only worsen unless effective reform is implemented. Cost of premiums are increasing while coverage is decreasing---definitely doesn't make any sense. I'm personally fortunate my employer pays 95% of the published cost---leaving me with only a $70.00 per month insurance tab for a BCBS HMO (family) plan.

[HRx]

With all that's going on regarding this topic right now and the way insurance premiums as a whole has a significant financial effect on families today, I think this is a worthwhile thread to have.