My RSS Feeds
IS THE FEAR PEOPLE HAVE REGARDING HEALTHCARE, JUSTIFIED? Q & A!
Let's meet healthcare reform questions head on! Fear of the unknown is an emotion that keeps a number of people from moving forward in life. They cling to what was, not because it's good, but out of the fear of moving into an area where things are unfamiliar to them.
1) WHY IS HEALTHCARE REFORM NECESSARY? - A major reason for reform is due to the high cost of healthcare in the U.S. The costs have run so high that many employers (especially small businesses) can't afford to cover employees. Many larger businesses have used this cost as reason to move businesses overseas where healthcare cost are small or non-existent. This, along with cheap labor, overseas, has been a bonanza for big businesses outsourcing jobs - and continues to be an incentive for businesses to give up on the most productive workers in the world.
We also have 45 million people who don't have any health insurance coverage whatsoever, leaving many to either go without or having to go to emergency rooms when health conditions have gotten much more severe. This is more expensive to the country adding on to our tremendous debt. If we keep what we have, we'll exacerbate the problems we currently have. Reform is necessary!
2)WHY ARE HEALTHCARE COST SO HIGH? - Besides what has been stated, there is little competition among health insurance companies allowing them to behave as oligopolies setting healthcare costs, including a 40% profit. Medicare costs are through the roof due to fraudulent behavior in the medical industry, waste in procedures and paper work, and because the industry has used the elderly as a cash cow (Medicare, the Prescription Drug Plan, etc.).
3)WHO BENEFITS FROM THE HIGH COST OF HEALTHCARE? - Health insurance companies, HMO's, some doctors, medical equipment companies, drug companies, nursing homes and investors. Many folks forget the huge profits made in the healthcare industry and the outrageous salaries of CEO's, or the dividends paid to investors off our health. Drug companies get billions in research and development only to charge U.S. citizens higher prices than they charge the rest of the world.
The Prescription Drug Plan for the elderly that Republicans passed, not only was highly expensive (first costing $400 billion then increased to $750 billion in two days), but had a provision (put in by the lobbyists) that didn't allow the government to work out a better deal with the drug companies for consumers.
4) WHAT IS A SINGLE PAYER PLAN? - Here in the U.S., it would mean a plan where all healthcare premiums would be paid to the government, taking the profit factor out of healthcare costs. Due to the number of people who would be on the plan, the government could negotiate better prices for drugs, medical procedures, medical equipment, etc. reducing the cost of healthcare to U.S. citizens.
5) WHO IS AGAINST THE SINGLE PAYER PLAN? - Lobbyists for the medical industry, most Republicans in the Congress and Senate as well as some Democrats, people (some Boomers & many elderly) who fear they will no longer have access to what they're familiar with, and those made fearful by right wing conservative talk show hosts who take advantage of the ignorant.
6)WHAT'S THE BEST SOLUTION? - A private healthcare industry plan that's forced to compete with a single player plan offering a no frills healthcare plan to cover those without coverage and/or who can't afford a private one, or for those who maintain good health not wanting an expensive plan. This way, those who like their current plan with private insurance companies can keep it, and may even find their costs come down due to the competition from the government plan.
What too many citizens don't realize is that YOUR HEALTH is determined by you, in most cases, not the medical industry. When you're aware of the fact that medical industry errors are responsible for 100,000 deaths a year, and drug errors are responsible for another 98,000 deaths per year (almost 200,000 death per year combined), GOOD HEALTH is determined by what YOU do to maintain it - not your doctor. This calls for PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!
There's a complaint by those who wish to keep things as they are, that says, DO YOU WANT THE GOVERNMENT TELLING YOU WHAT OPERATION YOU CAN AND CAN'T HAVE? It ignores the fact that HMO's' and insurance companies' administrators are making those same decisions everyday - not doctors! So what's the difference? How many Americans have faithfully paid there medical insurance premiums, over time, only to find they aren't covered for the procedure they need, when the time comes? Sounds like rip-off to me!
7) DON'T WE HAVE THE BEST HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN THE WORLD? - Americans are delusional regarding how our healthcare stands up to the rest of the world. We spend more on healthcare in much greater proportions than the rest of the world, yet come in 37 among 191 countries around the world, according to the World Health Organization. We complain about not wanting what they have in the United Kingdom, yet they come in ahead of us at number 18. Italy is number 2 in the world, with little countries like Marino, Andora, Malta and Singapore following closely behind. Columbia, Chile and Costa Rica are doing a better job of providing healthcare to their citizens than we are. Oman is #8, Saudia Arabia is #26, United Arab Emirates is #27 and Morocco is #27. Only American arrogance (and delusion) makes us believe we are number one!
This healthcare bill has not come together yet. We have to wait for what happens in the Senate, where Democratic Senator Max Baucus took single payer healthcare off the table. Necessity with bring this back to reality when the Senate bill will have to be combined with the House bill. Meaning, congressional Democrats have more of a reason to choose a plan that includes Single Payer because they are up for re-election in 2010 and need a successful bill to present to voters in order for them to stay in power.
Yesterday's entry spoke of making decisions without having all the information needed. This entry was to give you more of the TRUTH of what's happening with healthcare reform without the gobbledeegook. The President wants what works for the people. Too many in Congress are looking out for the lobbyists that are more concerned with profit than they are whether you have the best healthcare available.
The power is in the hands of the people. Contact your representative and senators and let them know where you stand on the issue. And feel free to use this entry to indicate your stance on the issue.
QUESTION EVERYTHING! THAT'S WHERE THE TRUTH RESIDES.
It's a wonder how conservative talk show hosts and the Republican Party,
who backed George Bush in everything he did domestically and foreign policy
wise, producing a failing economy and foreign policy, NOW want to tell
people they know what's right for the country! The funny part is how many
people are STILL allowing these clowns to scare them away from progress and
prosperity. How many times do folks have to get screwed by both groups
before they finally realize THESE FOLKS ARE FOR THE RICH & BIG BUSINESS!