Healthcare reform passed the House (political)

meyemn28 · November 2009

I for one am really excited. This was an issue I actually called my Rep about and everything. We are a self-employed family and right now the only insurance options we have really suck. We can't get maternity coverage at all, so if we ever want to have another LO we have to pay OOP. That is not ok that families who are willing and able to pay insurance companies for coverage cannot get the coverage they want Angry

So, this is a very happy day for me. I'm really hoping all goes well with the Senate. Please call your Senators if this is something you care about (or if you want to help out families like ours who really need reform to go through) Smile

**Gretchen** · November 2009

This is very good news.

I hate that people can't leave jobs they detest because they'd lose health insurance.

Temp159135562506975 · November 2009

fredalina:

This is HORRIBLE news. Horrible.

P.S. Something needs to be done, but not this. Definitely NOT THIS.

Ditto.

This is a BAD day that we will all look back to someday and say "that is when it started".... people just don't understand.

yes, heathcare needs reform- but this is NOT the way.

Pelosi REMOVED the part of this bill that said that the members of congress would have to take the public option plan --- I think that says it all.... She doesn't want that as her health care- but it's fine for everyone else.... interesting...

MegDC · November 2009

I agree with OP! Fantastic news! My pregnancy was denied by my insurance company. They were wrong to do it, we fought and guess ? what... they ended up covering me! Why? Because the GOVERNMENT got involved and forced them to. I will be thankful forever that we live in DC which is a place that takes care of consumers not insurance companies.

MrsWanee · November 2009

Goldie_Locks_5:
fredalina:

This is HORRIBLE news. Horrible.

P.S. Something needs to be done, but not this. Definitely NOT THIS.

Ditto.

This is a BAD day that we will all look back to someday and say "that is when it started".... people just don't understand.

yes, heathcare needs reform- but this is NOT the way.

Pelosi REMOVED the part of this bill that said that the members of congress would have to take the public option plan --- I think that says it all.... She doesn't want that as her health care- but it's fine for everyone else.... interesting...

i agree with you both. i think the main thing that should be done with health care is making it harder for doctors to be sued (unless they actually do something wrong that is clearly their fault). i feel terrible for all the obgyns in New Jersey and other states with ridiculously high medical malpractice insurance costs that have pretty much left the state b/c they can't handle it. medical care should not sink to a lower level in order to avoid suits... these doctors go to 4 years of medical school at least 4 years of residency. i think they should be allowed to make their own decisions (within reason), not fear that they may be sued if they do something against their hospital policy (which is based on what procedures will result in the least lawsuits).

meyemn28 · November 2009

fredalina:

P.S. Something needs to be done, but not this. Definitely NOT THIS.

I hear this a lot and I often wonder what the alternative would be. I don't think that the whole Republican spiel about reducing malpractice suits would do much of anything. The problem lies in the sheer greed of the insurance companies. They are literally getting away with murder. The only way to stop them is for the government to regulate.

If the airlines suddenly realized they could turn huge profits by making crappy planes that crashed and killed people, would we expect the government to step in and put a stop to them? Hell yeah. No different with healthcare IMO.

outnumbered · November 2009

This news makes me sick to my stomach. I cannot believe that I am waking up to this. I will be calling my senator and urge them to vote against this bill! Health care reform is necessary, but this is going to cost this country trillions of dollars. You do realize that you will be paying a lot for this care? Good luck to our children and grandchildren when they get sick. Good luck to all the students in medical school. Britain and canada have major doctor shortages because noboddy wants to go into medicine anymore. Good luck to all the people who have cancer and want to try another treatment and are denied by the government because they are deemed terminal. Good luck when you want to choose your own doctor and go to the hospital you choose for treatments when you get seriously ill. I am sorry to sound so dramatic but this reform is not the answer.

MegDC · November 2009

Have you ever been sick and uninsured? Or needed care and not even able to buy insurance that would cover you because of a pre-existing condition. Insurance companies make profits by denying sick people care. If you like your coverage you can keep it, but right now if your insurance company drops you and you are sick you have no recourse. Its an immoral system that has lead to the US being 41st in the world in infant mortality. Its a broken system that needs to be fixed right now.

Chrysallys · November 2009

I saw that and am so excited. Come on Senate!

Aliliv · November 2009

Be prepared for ridiculous wait times. We have a government run health care system, and although it definitely has its major perks, it also has some major downfalls..... Hopefully, your new one will be run different than ours.

MegDC · November 2009

fredalina:
MegDC:
Have you ever been sick and uninsured? Or needed care and not even able to buy insurance that would cover you because of a pre-existing condition. Insurance companies make profits by denying sick people care. If you like your coverage you can keep it, but right now if your insurance company drops you and you are sick you have no recourse. Its an immoral system that has lead to the US being 41st in the world in infant mortality. Its a broken system that needs to be fixed right now.

If you're sick and uninsured, you can walk into any ER in the country and get cared for. Yeah, you'll have to pay for it. Shouldn't you have to pay for it?

If you're uninsured, WHY are you uninsured? Because you didn't buy insurance when you weren't sick. Why? Because it cost too much. So making it more expensive makes sense how?

If you like your coverage, you can keep it until your company opts out. Or until your insurance companies go out of business in a few years because of this horrendous plan.

Some people are unisured because insurance companies will not sell them a policy. For example:

If you are born with a medical condition and age out of your parents insurance in many states you become unisurable. No company will allow you to buy insurance that covers your condition. (This would apply children born with heart and liver defects for example.)

If buy individual insurance on the open market and have a c-section, can you be dropped from your coverage and any plan you buy in the future can deny you coverage for pregnancy. A women testified the Senate hearings that her employer based coverage required her to be sterilized if they were going to cover her at all. Why? Because she had an emergency c-section.

mrsbhk22 · November 2009

fredalina:

MegDC:
Have you ever been sick and uninsured? Or needed care and not even able to buy insurance that would cover you because of a pre-existing condition. Insurance companies make profits by denying sick people care. If you like your coverage you can keep it, but right now if your insurance company drops you and you are sick you have no recourse. Its an immoral system that has lead to the US being 41st in the world in infant mortality. Its a broken system that needs to be fixed right now.

If you're sick and uninsured, you can walk into any ER in the country and get cared for. Yeah, you'll have to pay for it. Shouldn't you have to pay for it?

If you're uninsured, WHY are you uninsured? Because you didn't buy insurance when you weren't sick. Why? Because it cost too much. So making it more expensive makes sense how?

If you like your coverage, you can keep it until your company opts out. Or until your insurance companies go out of business in a few years because of this horrendous plan.

It's pretty ingorant to assume people don't have insurance because they chose not to buy it when they were healthy. I have a good friend who has a genetic form of cancer that has returned a couple of times since he was a teenager. When he lost his job (due to layoffs) the insurance at his new company denied him because of his history. Now that's an AWESOME system. He understands he'll have to pay higher deductibles etc, but he needs SOME coverage.

Some people are lucky enough to have been healthy for their whole lives and have good insurance through their jobs (myself included). Just becuase others don't have this type of luck doesn't make them lazy, cheap or just sitting around waiting for the gov't to take care of them.

jam425 · November 2009

fredalina:
meyemn28:
fredalina:

P.S. Something needs to be done, but not this. Definitely NOT THIS.
I hear this a lot and I often wonder what the alternative would be. I don't think that the whole Republican spiel about reducing malpractice suits would do much of anything. The problem lies in the sheer greed of the insurance companies. They are literally getting away with murder. The only way to stop them is for the government to regulate.
If the airlines suddenly realized they could turn huge profits by making crappy planes that crashed and killed people, would we expect the government to step in and put a stop to them? Hell yeah. No different with healthcare IMO.

i don't have all the answers, but we should start with defining the problem. The problem that Obama laid out was the number of uninsured people and the cost of insurance today.
Tell me how an increase in insurance costs in the TRILLIONS and fining people who choose not to participate solves either of these problems.
Here's what i think should be done:
1) Allow people better choice in medical care by allowing people to *really* shop medical insurance (as well as actual care). In order to do this, people may need more responsibility for the costs. A higher deductible insurance plan is a good start. Additionally, remove the regulations that keep insurance from crossing state lines. Let someone in Utah shop for insurance in California if the want.
2) Give people incentives for participating rather than penalties for not participating. Let's say that an individual plan's deductible is $2000 a year (meaning they will have to spend $2000 out of pocket before insurance kicks in); give them an $800 tax credit per year for this deductible in an HSA or flex spending account of some type.
3) Reform medicaid for those who are uninsured, but don't expand medicaid (which is essentially what this bill does).
4) Tort reform.
Will that solve the problems? i don't know. i think it will be a good start, and won't saddle people with terrible debt for the next 4000 years!

Amen! I'll vote for you any day!!!

I believe that this bill says that everyone will have to join public option by 2013 which frightens me. I hope that this does not pass in the senate.

mrsbhk22 · November 2009

fredalina:

It's pretty ingorant to assume people don't have insurance because they chose not to buy it when they were healthy. I have a good friend who has a genetic form of cancer that has returned a couple of times since he was a teenager. When he lost his job (due to layoffs) the insurance at his new company denied him because of his history. Now that's an AWESOME system. He understands he'll have to pay higher deductibles etc, but he needs SOME coverage.

And he didn't get COBRA why? (Because if he'd stayed insured during the time of unemployment with COBRA, his new company's insurance could n ot have denied him. Everyone with a pre-existing condition should be aware of this and do everything they can to remain insured!) Because he couldn't afford it, right? So... reduce the costs, perhaps have a bridge policy for those situations, or a social program to help pay COBRA costs, or allow people who are unemployed to go on Medicaid, something like that.

Seriously, the vast majority of people have really good coverage. Why change that instead of fixing the minority's specific issues?

He did cobra. That's what he has to keep now. Do you know how expenisve cobra is? He's an engineer with a Master's Degree so he can afford, but what about people that couldn't? Even though he kept COBRA, the new insurance denied him.

I agree with the option for the bridge policy of something of sorts, but Medicare is so broke already I don't see how it could absorb anything as the baby boomers really start to use it.

I'm not 100% sold on the current legislation too, but at least they are attempting to do SOMETHING. There are a lot of people dissenting in Congress, but I don't see them offering a solution either......

The debt of this country is completely out of control. I also agree that completely socialized health care isn't the answer either (look at the broken Veteran's system), but this health care bill isn't the #1 cause of our massive debt. Going to war and cutting taxes at the same time, gov't waste, gov't bailouts, etc contribute just as much (if not more) than this health care bill.

outnumbered · November 2009

**Gretchen**:

This is very good news.

I hate that people can't leave jobs they detest because they'd lose health insurance.

I agree and another important reform would mandate portability of insurance from job to job. This would stabilize the market. Reforming medicare price controls could save the country a lot of money. All this could be done without the health bill that is now being proposed. there are alternatives. People need to do their own research and reading and not rely on the Today show to give them all their facts. Boy I needed to get more sleep last night!

outnumbered · November 2009

Great suggestions. Instead of using the federal government to change the health care system from the top down, policymakers should transfer direct control of health care dollars back to individuals and families. Such a system of personal ownership would allow Americans to exercise real personal choice of health plans and benefits by choosing those plans that best meet their needs. This would also make health plans and providers compete directly for their dollars. Personal ownership of health care would help to control costs and guarantee better quality.

brideofscowboy · November 2009

outnumbered:
This news makes me sick to my stomach. I cannot believe that I am waking up to this. I will be calling my senator and urge them to vote against this bill! Health care reform is necessary, but this is going to cost this country trillions of dollars. You do realize that you will be paying a lot for this care? Good luck to our children and grandchildren when they get sick. Good luck to all the students in medical school. Britain and canada have major doctor shortages because noboddy wants to go into medicine anymore. Good luck to all the people who have cancer and want to try another treatment and are denied by the government because they are deemed terminal. Good luck when you want to choose your own doctor and go to the hospital you choose for treatments when you get seriously ill. I am sorry to sound so dramatic but this reform is not the answer.

Simply not true. It's damn near impossible to get into med school here. It's very competative and there are not enough spots for med students. It's a shame really.

meyemn28 · November 2009

jam425:
fredalina:
meyemn28:
fredalina:

P.S. Something needs to be done, but not this. Definitely NOT THIS.

I hear this a lot and I often wonder what the alternative would be. I don't think that the whole Republican spiel about reducing malpractice suits would do much of anything. The problem lies in the sheer greed of the insurance companies. They are literally getting away with murder. The only way to stop them is for the government to regulate.

If the airlines suddenly realized they could turn huge profits by making crappy planes that crashed and killed people, would we expect the government to step in and put a stop to them? Hell yeah. No different with healthcare IMO.

i don't have all the answers, but we should start with defining the problem. The problem that Obama laid out was the number of uninsured people and the cost of insurance today.

Tell me how an increase in insurance costs in the TRILLIONS and fining people who choose not to participate solves either of these problems.

Here's what i think should be done:

1) Allow people better choice in medical care by allowing people to *really* shop medical insurance (as well as actual care). In order to do this, people may need more responsibility for the costs. A higher deductible insurance plan is a good start. Additionally, remove the regulations that keep insurance from crossing state lines. Let someone in Utah shop for insurance in California if the want.

2) Give people incentives for participating rather than penalties for not participating. Let's say that an individual plan's deductible is $2000 a year (meaning they will have to spend $2000 out of pocket before insurance kicks in); give them an $800 tax credit per year for this deductible in an HSA or flex spending account of some type.

3) Reform medicaid for those who are uninsured, but don't expand medicaid (which is essentially what this bill does).

4) Tort reform.

Will that solve the problems? i don't know. i think it will be a good start, and won't saddle people with terrible debt for the next 4000 years!

Amen! I'll vote for you any day!!!

I believe that this bill says that everyone will have to join public option by 2013 which frightens me. I hope that this does not pass in the senate.

It does not require everyone to have the public option. It requires everyone to have insurance, either public or private. When people choose to go uninsured and get sick it raises costs for everyone.

It's no different than the requirement for education for all children You can choose public or private, but you can't choose to simply not educate your children.

MegDC · November 2009

Amen! I'll vote for you any day!!!
I believe that this bill says that everyone will have to join public option by 2013 which frightens me. I hope that this does not pass in the senate.

It doesn't say that AT ALL. The public option would be AVAILABLE as a choice in 2013. Other provisions like the ban on pre-existing conditions and gender discrimination in pricing would go into effect sooner. It NEVER says that people have to join the public option. Its just as it says, an option.

Chrysallys · November 2009

I'm not going to get into a major debate today because my head just can't deal with it, but COBRA isn't the magical thing people think it is. COBRA is damn expensive, even with the government assistance the President put into place for layoffs. Both my DH and I were laid off. DH had himself and my SD put onto his COBRA. At the time I was still covered so I stayed under my insurance for as long as I could. After DS was born my insurance was done and I could not get on COBRA because I couldn't afford it, not with two lay-offs in the house. I paid for private insurance for DS only, for one month so he could have his 2m appt and shots, and went personally uninsured. No one could be added to DH's because it was after the fact. I even looked into Medical but guess what, California is practically bankrupt and they had children, babies for chrissakes, on a 6 month waiting list to even APPLY! That's just our story.

The state of medical insurance is terrible in the US.

grinsandgiggles · November 2009

Eh...this is horrible.

CalinsBride · November 2009

Okay. . .

So when I read that people thought the reform was bad, I was kind of shocked. I live in Canada, where (in ON especially) our health care kicks a$$, so of course I agree with public health care.

However, I'm reading through the bill, and it's awful. How do they expect the health care sector and insurance sector to even operate under these conditions? I agree with the spirit of the bill, and some of the aspects of it, but all together it just spells disaster.

I'm so sorry for you guys.

Heather577 · November 2009

Yay!!

MegDC · November 2009

fredalina:
i'm not 100% on this because i'm so not an insurance expert, but i have many pre-existing conditions, and when i consulted an expert, they said that as long as i didn't become uninsured for over 30 days, that no employer-sponsored health care plan (large enough for the gov't regulations to apply, obviously) could not deny me coverage.

i'm not un-sympathetic or un-empathetic to those without insurance. i don't think people without insurance are by and large cheap or lazy as someone implied that i said, but i would not mortgage my home to buy someone else's cancer treatment (except my family). i can't afford it. And i bet you can't, either. So why are we all going to be in debt for this? Just because it's taken out of our paychecks and we don't see it doesn't mean we aren't going to be the ones paying the debt.

And i think it's absolutely pathetic that this plan does none of the things it was supposed to do, many bad things, and yet people are happy about it.

So what you are saying is that as long as you don't work for a small business, have to buy individual insurance and your insurance company follows the rules you should be ok? Well guess what?

If you change jobs and the new employers insurance breaks the law and will not cover you (happens all the time) while you go through lengthly appeals processes and court cases you would not be insured. Doctors would not treat you and the ER would become your family doctor. Insurance companies don't play by the existing, albeit crappy, rules. The public option gives people who have insurance that does not serve them a choice. The bill isn't about you having to pay for other people its about protecting your family from having to go without care.

meyemn28 · November 2009

MegDC:

So what you are saying is that as long as you don't work for a small business, have to buy individual insurance and your insurance company follows the rules you should be ok? Well guess what?

If you change jobs and the new employers insurance breaks the law and will not cover you (happens all the time) while you go through lengthly appeals processes and court cases you would not be insured. Doctors would not treat you and the ER would become your family doctor. Insurance companies don't play by the existing, albeit crappy, rules. The public option gives people who have insurance that does not serve them a choice. The bill isn't about you having to pay for other people its about protecting your family from having to go without care.

This Yes

CdnBabyG · November 2009

outnumbered:
This news makes me sick to my stomach. I cannot believe that I am waking up to this. I will be calling my senator and urge them to vote against this bill! Health care reform is necessary, but this is going to cost this country trillions of dollars. You do realize that you will be paying a lot for this care? Good luck to our children and grandchildren when they get sick. Good luck to all the students in medical school. Britain and canada have major doctor shortages because noboddy wants to go into medicine anymore. Good luck to all the people who have cancer and want to try another treatment and are denied by the government because they are deemed terminal. Good luck when you want to choose your own doctor and go to the hospital you choose for treatments when you get seriously ill. I am sorry to sound so dramatic but this reform is not the answer.

not true...med schools are packed...waiting lists and all. The problem is that the doctors do not have to stay in the country. They actually fly to the States where they make 80% more money and are taxed less.

I think these posts make me really happy about having public health care because I know that ANYONE can get free and safe health care. Period. If that means that I can't have the "extras" and those will cost me out of pocket, I am willing to pay it. As long as everyone has the RIGHT to health care.

And, government healthcare is actually looking into funding fertility treatments here in Canada. The first step (drugs) is already covered. The gov't actually would like to cover the first IVF treatments as well.

I think it is funny that this makes people more angry than the TRILLIONS of dollars spent in the war.

Priorities.

mel72 · November 2009

fredalina:
Chrysallys:

I'm not going to get into a major debate today because my head just can't deal with it, but COBRA isn't the magical thing people think it is. COBRA is damn expensive, even with the government assistance the President put into place for layoffs. Both my DH and I were laid off. DH had himself and my SD put onto his COBRA. At the time I was still covered so I stayed under my insurance for as long as I could. After DS was born my insurance was done and I could not get on COBRA because I couldn't afford it, not with two lay-offs in the house. I paid for private insurance for DS only, for one month so he could have his 2m appt and shots, and went personally uninsured. No one could be added to DH's because it was after the fact. I even looked into Medical but guess what, California is practically bankrupt and they had children, babies for chrissakes, on a 6 month waiting list to even APPLY! That's just our story.

The state of medical insurance is terrible in the US.

This is exactly the point. Rationing of care on government plans, especially when the costs are as high as what we're talking here.

And for those who think you're going to have the choice to keep your employer's plan, or current private plan, good luck with that. Private insurance costs are going to go WAY up because the feds will institute even more Medicare type price caps, making the costs go up for everyone else (hospitals still have infrastructure and administration costs, doctors have to make a living). The average cost per employee to a company-sponsored plan is WAY over $750 a year, so when that opt out goes into effect, the vast majority of companies (especially in a down economy when they're looking to cut costs, not draw employees with good benefit packages) will opt out, putting most of us on the government plan and taking away our choice.

My foster daughter is on Medicaid and it sucks. My father-in-law in on veteran's insurance, and it sucks. Guess what's going to happen to the rest of our insurance...

Yup, there are pros such as being able to get coverage if you have a pre-existing condition, that's the only one I'm aware of. Doesn't take a genius to figure out how this will go. Look at social security. How many of us (who are and have been paying into it for years) will be able to collect? Medicare, do you really think it's going to be there for us? Please, this country can't even have an election without messing up the vote counts, remember the "chads"?

Aliliv · November 2009

CdnBabyG:

outnumbered:
This news makes me sick to my stomach. I cannot believe that I am waking up to this. I will be calling my senator and urge them to vote against this bill! Health care reform is necessary, but this is going to cost this country trillions of dollars. You do realize that you will be paying a lot for this care? Good luck to our children and grandchildren when they get sick. Good luck to all the students in medical school. Britain and canada have major doctor shortages because noboddy wants to go into medicine anymore. Good luck to all the people who have cancer and want to try another treatment and are denied by the government because they are deemed terminal. Good luck when you want to choose your own doctor and go to the hospital you choose for treatments when you get seriously ill. I am sorry to sound so dramatic but this reform is not the answer.

not true...med schools are packed...waiting lists and all. The problem is that the doctors do not have to stay in the country. They actually fly to the States where they make 80% more money and are taxed less.

I think these posts make me really happy about having public health care because I know that ANYONE can get free and safe health care. Period. If that means that I can't have the "extras" and those will cost me out of pocket, I am willing to pay it. As long as everyone has the RIGHT to health care.

And, government healthcare is actually looking into funding fertility treatments here in Canada. The first step (drugs) is already covered. The gov't actually would like to cover the first IVF treatments as well.

I think it is funny that this makes people more angry than the TRILLIONS of dollars spent in the war.

Priorities.

I used to LOVE our health care system, too. That is, until Natalie needed essential testing and I found out how long it can take to get things like MRI's. I think there needs to be a happy medium, where everyone gets the health care they need for basic stuff, plus are not dying waiting for essential testing if they need it.

MegDC · November 2009

mel72:
fredalina:
Chrysallys:

I'm not going to get into a major debate today because my head just can't deal with it, but COBRA isn't the magical thing people think it is. COBRA is damn expensive, even with the government assistance the President put into place for layoffs. Both my DH and I were laid off. DH had himself and my SD put onto his COBRA. At the time I was still covered so I stayed under my insurance for as long as I could. After DS was born my insurance was done and I could not get on COBRA because I couldn't afford it, not with two lay-offs in the house. I paid for private insurance for DS only, for one month so he could have his 2m appt and shots, and went personally uninsured. No one could be added to DH's because it was after the fact. I even looked into Medical but guess what, California is practically bankrupt and they had children, babies for chrissakes, on a 6 month waiting list to even APPLY! That's just our story.

The state of medical insurance is terrible in the US.

This is exactly the point. Rationing of care on government plans, especially when the costs are as high as what we're talking here.

And for those who think you're going to have the choice to keep your employer's plan, or current private plan, good luck with that. Private insurance costs are going to go WAY up because the feds will institute even more Medicare type price caps, making the costs go up for everyone else (hospitals still have infrastructure and administration costs, doctors have to make a living). The average cost per employee to a company-sponsored plan is WAY over $750 a year, so when that opt out goes into effect, the vast majority of companies (especially in a down economy when they're looking to cut costs, not draw employees with good benefit packages) will opt out, putting most of us on the government plan and taking away our choice.

My foster daughter is on Medicaid and it sucks. My father-in-law in on veteran's insurance, and it sucks. Guess what's going to happen to the rest of our insurance...

Yup, there are pros such as being able to get coverage if you have a pre-existing condition, that's the only one I'm aware of. Doesn't take a genius to figure out how this will go. Look at social security. How many of us (who are and have been paying into it for years) will be able to collect? Medicare, do you really think it's going to be there for us? Please, this country can't even have an election without messing up the vote counts, remember the "chads"?

This election was pretty clear. People want health care reform.

And other pros: insurance will not cost more just because you are a woman, you will not be able to be denied coverage because you have been a victim of domestic violence, there will be no lifetime maximums so if you need expensive treatment like chemotherapy you cannot be dropped once you reach an arbitrary "limit", insurance companies will be encouraged to make coverage affordable because they will have to compete with a government option. Whew. Seems pretty good to me.

mel72 · November 2009

MegDC:
mel72:
fredalina:
Chrysallys:

I'm not going to get into a major debate today because my head just can't deal with it, but COBRA isn't the magical thing people think it is. COBRA is damn expensive, even with the government assistance the President put into place for layoffs. Both my DH and I were laid off. DH had himself and my SD put onto his COBRA. At the time I was still covered so I stayed under my insurance for as long as I could. After DS was born my insurance was done and I could not get on COBRA because I couldn't afford it, not with two lay-offs in the house. I paid for private insurance for DS only, for one month so he could have his 2m appt and shots, and went personally uninsured. No one could be added to DH's because it was after the fact. I even looked into Medical but guess what, California is practically bankrupt and they had children, babies for chrissakes, on a 6 month waiting list to even APPLY! That's just our story.

The state of medical insurance is terrible in the US.

This is exactly the point. Rationing of care on government plans, especially when the costs are as high as what we're talking here.

And for those who think you're going to have the choice to keep your employer's plan, or current private plan, good luck with that. Private insurance costs are going to go WAY up because the feds will institute even more Medicare type price caps, making the costs go up for everyone else (hospitals still have infrastructure and administration costs, doctors have to make a living). The average cost per employee to a company-sponsored plan is WAY over $750 a year, so when that opt out goes into effect, the vast majority of companies (especially in a down economy when they're looking to cut costs, not draw employees with good benefit packages) will opt out, putting most of us on the government plan and taking away our choice.

My foster daughter is on Medicaid and it sucks. My father-in-law in on veteran's insurance, and it sucks. Guess what's going to happen to the rest of our insurance...

Yup, there are pros such as being able to get coverage if you have a pre-existing condition, that's the only one I'm aware of. Doesn't take a genius to figure out how this will go. Look at social security. How many of us (who are and have been paying into it for years) will be able to collect? Medicare, do you really think it's going to be there for us? Please, this country can't even have an election without messing up the vote counts, remember the "chads"?

This election was pretty clear. People want health care reform.

And other pros: insurance will not cost more just because you are a woman, you will not be able to be denied coverage because you have been a victim of domestic violence, there will be no lifetime maximums so if you need expensive treatment like chemotherapy you cannot be dropped once you reach an arbitrary "limit", insurance companies will be encouraged to make coverage affordable because they will have to compete with a government option. Whew. Seems pretty good to me.

As I said, there ARE pros, but there ARE cons. Do you even KNOW what exactly is involved? And election, yep, there are always issue, do you watch the news? Dead people voting, people voting more than once. Funny you didn't address the other government run programs.

MegDC · November 2009

mel72:
MegDC:
mel72:
fredalina:
Chrysallys:

I'm not going to get into a major debate today because my head just can't deal with it, but COBRA isn't the magical thing people think it is. COBRA is damn expensive, even with the government assistance the President put into place for layoffs. Both my DH and I were laid off. DH had himself and my SD put onto his COBRA. At the time I was still covered so I stayed under my insurance for as long as I could. After DS was born my insurance was done and I could not get on COBRA because I couldn't afford it, not with two lay-offs in the house. I paid for private insurance for DS only, for one month so he could have his 2m appt and shots, and went personally uninsured. No one could be added to DH's because it was after the fact. I even looked into Medical but guess what, California is practically bankrupt and they had children, babies for chrissakes, on a 6 month waiting list to even APPLY! That's just our story.

The state of medical insurance is terrible in the US.

This is exactly the point. Rationing of care on government plans, especially when the costs are as high as what we're talking here.

And for those who think you're going to have the choice to keep your employer's plan, or current private plan, good luck with that. Private insurance costs are going to go WAY up because the feds will institute even more Medicare type price caps, making the costs go up for everyone else (hospitals still have infrastructure and administration costs, doctors have to make a living). The average cost per employee to a company-sponsored plan is WAY over $750 a year, so when that opt out goes into effect, the vast majority of companies (especially in a down economy when they're looking to cut costs, not draw employees with good benefit packages) will opt out, putting most of us on the government plan and taking away our choice.

My foster daughter is on Medicaid and it sucks. My father-in-law in on veteran's insurance, and it sucks. Guess what's going to happen to the rest of our insurance...

Yup, there are pros such as being able to get coverage if you have a pre-existing condition, that's the only one I'm aware of. Doesn't take a genius to figure out how this will go. Look at social security. How many of us (who are and have been paying into it for years) will be able to collect? Medicare, do you really think it's going to be there for us? Please, this country can't even have an election without messing up the vote counts, remember the "chads"?

This election was pretty clear. People want health care reform.

And other pros: insurance will not cost more just because you are a woman, you will not be able to be denied coverage because you have been a victim of domestic violence, there will be no lifetime maximums so if you need expensive treatment like chemotherapy you cannot be dropped once you reach an arbitrary "limit", insurance companies will be encouraged to make coverage affordable because they will have to compete with a government option. Whew. Seems pretty good to me.

As I said, there ARE pros, but there ARE cons. Do you even KNOW what exactly is involved? And election, yep, there are always issue, do you watch the news? Dead people voting, people voting more than once. Funny you didn't address the other government run programs.

Um yeah... If you were around on the tri boards you would know that this is my job...

MrsWanee · November 2009

fredalina:
MegDC:
fredalina:

MegDC:
Have you ever been sick and uninsured? Or needed care and not even able to buy insurance that would cover you because of a pre-existing condition. Insurance companies make profits by denying sick people care. If you like your coverage you can keep it, but right now if your insurance company drops you and you are sick you have no recourse. Its an immoral system that has lead to the US being 41st in the world in infant mortality. Its a broken system that needs to be fixed right now.

If you're sick and uninsured, you can walk into any ER in the country and get cared for. Yeah, you'll have to pay for it. Shouldn't you have to pay for it?

If you're uninsured, WHY are you uninsured? Because you didn't buy insurance when you weren't sick. Why? Because it cost too much. So making it more expensive makes sense how?

If you like your coverage, you can keep it until your company opts out. Or until your insurance companies go out of business in a few years because of this horrendous plan.

Some people are unisured because insurance companies will not sell them a policy. For example:

If you are born with a medical condition and age out of your parents insurance in many states you become unisurable. No company will allow you to buy insurance that covers your condition. (This would apply children born with heart and liver defects for example.)

If buy individual insurance on the open market and have a c-section, can you be dropped from your coverage and any plan you buy in the future can deny you coverage for pregnancy. A women testified the Senate hearings that her employer based coverage required her to be sterilized if they were going to cover her at all. Why? Because she had an emergency c-section.

Medicaid is in place for your first example. Medicaid sucks, and needs to be reformed, but that's why it exists.

In the second, yes, some regulations preventing you from being dropped or allowing a bridge government plan for those specific things that insurance companies won't cover (i.e. pregnancy in the case of the C-section) and some other changes would be good. Better options in the open market by removing some of the restrictions (i.e. forcing you to stay in your state) would also help.

But, those are important but minor exceptions. More than half of those uninsured in this country are not uninsurable. They are uninsured by choice. So we're talking about a very small percentage of people who can't get coverage. Let's fix THEIR problems without changing EVERYONE ELSE's coverage and making the whole system's costs astronomical!

amen. i really like you, fredalina

MrsBeckaT615 · November 2009

Aliliv:
Be prepared for ridiculous wait times. We have a government run health care system, and although it definitely has its major perks, it also has some major downfalls..... Hopefully, your new one will be run different than ours.

You shouldn't have to go bankrupt if you're sick and need to go to the ER.

MrsBeckaT615 · November 2009

Also.. the wait time thing.. CRAP!!!! All european countries provide excellent care and if you need something they cannot provide immediately.. THEY FLY YOU TO THE US to get the services you need. THAT'S taking care of their constituents.

Want a personalized experience?

Healthcare reform passed the House (political)

Re: Healthcare reform passed the House (political)

Choose Another Board

Search Boards