After getting upset about the Arizona fiasco, I just heard on the NPR news tonight that the Republicans want to drastically cut Medicaid and Medicare in 2012, while at the same time reducing the top tax bracket from 35% to 25%.
The Medicaid plan is to give block grants to the states and then wash their hands of it, and the Medicare plan is to give seniors a fixed amount to buy private insurance. Wow! That will be SO much help when you have multiple medical conditions, and no private firm is willing to insure you, or if you DO find a company, the premium is MUCH higher than what the govt. is giving you. And the amount they give will not be adjusted for inflation or anything else.
Another example of the increasing selfishness and mean-spiritedness of the rich who want to balance the budget on the backs of the poor, elderly and chronically ill. After all, they EARNED their wealth – why didn’t you?
Yes everyone agrees on eliminating the pre existing conditions - it is a tough nut to crack. But if you were an insurance company would you write a homeowners policy after the house is on fire? I do not know the answer but I have a proposal - willing to listen to something noone has the kahoonas to propose.
Have the politicians stop lying to the population and telling everyone that health care will be free. Its not free it will cost. So pass a sales tax that those who consume the most will pay the most and then give everyone a voucher to buy a private insurance plan of their choice. Eliminate the burden on businesses for employer provided health care and all citizens pay and all citizens gain no more favored class of government employees and union members w good care and much less for everyone else. Our property and school taxes would go down, employerrs would not hesitate to add employees and the overall exonomy would grow. Meanwhile american manufacturers would gain an advantage or lose a disadvantage as all the imported goods would contribute to the treasury.
I wish that were true but unfortunately there are always some (many) who will take advantage oif teh system and make things more difficult for those who really need help. Look at the welfare Mom’s who refuse to lead a stable family life and have more babies just to get more money. In NY 30 years ago they started doing fingerprints and had like a 2/3 reduction in people on welfare. I am sure sone civil libertarian found fingerprinting welfare people to eliminate cheaters is unconstitutional. We need to help those that need help and we need to eliminate the waste and abuse and we need to grow the econmomy so there are less that need help.
People used to wait to bear children until they were in a stable relationship and could afford kids. Now its a right and someone else will pay for their house, food, medical care and education!!!
Correct me if I am wrong here Dick, but didn’t the federal government bail out your former employer? There were a lot of people that did not think that former employees (that would be you) should be getting benefits like health insurance when they were no longer working – many would even call that “excesses that need to be cut.” Why is it that other people are expected to lose coverage but you don’t think Medicare is good enough for you?
Dick I actually like this idea. I have a hard time with the private insurance buisness as profiteering leads to higher prices. I know you will disagree with this but if a buisness is not cutting a profit it won’t be around long. I agree that the government takes over there are a whole lot of inefficiencies but in theory these could be cut down. I think shifting the “tax” to non-essential consumable goods does lead to less of the folks that dependent on the states and governmnet to live but can still afford a smart phone with a full data plan. Luxury items should have a higher tax than non luxury items.
Yet a US citizen (who is not part of their government’s large buying group) can get meds substantially cheaper in Canada than in the US. Something more than simple economics is happening there…
My point is that you seem to think the poor have it so good, and the fact is that they don’t. They usually run out of money before they run out of month. I had no marketable skills, and used welfare to get one. And you don’t work your way through school when you have a toddler to take care of. I left my husband because he was abusive. Do you think it would have been better to stay in a marriage where he almost killed my child? I’m sorry you really don’t get the point.
didn’t have to be in that situation Natalie (and I think you were right to do what you did. just my vote) But I agree with you on everything you just said. My problem was my health and 2 kids I had no choice but to turn to it.
Dick I hate to tell you but I worked as hard as I could while I could but later my health got in the way then my daughter who was born with only one hand got TYpe 1 like her mom then a few years later my husband suffered 3 heartattacks.And yes he worked very hard til that happened. Judge not least you be judged.
Natalie, I agree it’s pretty mean spirited and absolutely greedy and the method by which the “haves” operate. BUT, I do believe and have faith that there are enough good people elected who will block this tactic and keep us in our medicaid. I just read an article that said, cutting Medicare, Medicaid and/or Social Security will cost the gov’t more money than it is paying out now. That’s not going to happen if someone does the math. We just have to storm our legislators and explain the facts of life to them…they obviously have forgotten who elected them.
I said it before and I’ll say it again. Medical care is NOT subject to the economics of the free market. Choice does not exist, and if you are critically ill, or dependent on medications, there is no go-without factor. You can go without a new TV or a new car, or even a new pair of shoes, but you can’t go without insulin! The dynamic is obvious (to the open-minded), and in other developed countries, they have dealt with it. It’s just us stubborn Americans who can’t deal with logical things like the metric system, or the social contract that even apes are aware of!
“Out of Balance? A Harvard business prof and a behavioral economist recently asked more than 5,000 Americans how they thought wealth is distributed in the United States. Most thought that it’s more balanced than it actually is. Asked to choose their ideal distribution of wealth, 92% picked one that was even more equitable”
Interesting chart from Mother Jones points out that the 5000 US citizens polled did not get close to guessing the degree of inequality in income distribution. It also points out that 100% of the wealthiest members of Congress (7/10 of whom are Democrats…) voted to retain the Bush Tax cuts. There’s some other simple and interesting charts here.
I read through the thread quickly. The other thing I disagree with is that “closing loopholes” should be across the board. People who have real needs that can be met with tax deductions should have “loopholes” to cover their reasonable expenses (test strips maybe? :-)) but GE does not need loopholes. The upper income brackets don’t need loopholes. If you are rich, it’s great. Thank you for profiting off of OUR economy. Please contribute into the hat.
no absolutely not canada is their own market and they bargin their own prices with the said pharms. or docs etc…
now the price that we buy from canada is substanially cheaper than locally but that doesn’t mean canada is not makeing a profit from selling it to us.
canadiens i believe pay = to about 7 dollars for a 3 month supply of insulin, (icould be wrong but i think me is close)…
now as long as the candiens are selling at cost plus a few dollars that is just simple math…
they have done a better job at being able to negotiate price for the whole country then we have as indivduals or as insurance providers…
Thanks for the reference, AR. Our government certainly needs more revenue, and it’s obvious where it has to come from. Those who can only think of cutting spending are only talking about half the equation, and it’s sad that they can’t see the other half.
sir i don’t need to ggoogle anything you provided stats i just asked you to back them up…you can choose not to back themup but then that kinda deflates your POV…no???
Just for comparison’s sake, Jeremiah, my COPAY for insulin is $25 per ONE month supply. And I think the insurance co. is paying about $100 or so. QUITE a difference!
to dickangel guy, your quick plan here fails to tackle thissimple question and i would love an asnwer which i haven’t gotten a one yet…
if you believe pre exsisting conditions shoud have access to purchase any health insurance desired:
then how do you propose you force a private company to accept A TOXIC ASSET such as myself or anyone else with a disease??? if you truly believe in less government in your life and deregulation…
reminding that they are a PRIVATE company, it’s not like the government makes me feed people who don’t have the cache(or money lol) out of my restaurant??
Conspicuous consumption culture is ridiculously enhanced by media. Do we really need “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills/ New York/ Atlanta/ Miami” etc.?
I have only seen it in passing, walking back and forth between the fridge and my lair but it seems like all they do is blow money on crap. Yes, it’s a free society and if they really need $2500 shoes, hey go buy them. At the same time, I don’t have any problem sending the commisars to their “farm” to nationalize their assets. That would be a show I’d watch!
