First, thank you very much for engaging a polite, informative discussion about this important topic. I, too, saw Newt on Today Show. He is right, if the message in non-partisan and will encourage today's youth to stay in school and be a productive part of society, then our POTUS should use his pulpit to inspire. Notice I said 'non-partisan'. If he was recruiting for future liberals or socialist, or capitalists or conservatives, it is not right.
That somewhere, someone decided the person who never saved a penny to purchase insurance should receive the same care as those who did is just plain wrong.
We already have the uninsured getting covered, by walking into the expensive ER, getting fixed and sticking the bill to the system. The hospital is by far the most expensive way to cover the uninsured.
It's possible that if everyone has access to doctors for regular visits, the use of hospitals will go down, hence, less drain on the Medicare type system.
I cannot give a good argument for or against the future profitability of hospitals under a national MEdicare system. However, I would expect a public option system to include good tort reform as well.
Who is your insurance company by the way, most have to compete with a non-profit Blue Cross/Blue Shield so their profits are minimal at best.
I use United HC. They are the only private group insurance company who will write coverage for a business with less that 8 actively participating employees. I would have everyone get indivudal policies, but because of UHC's BS, they list my wife as having a pre-existing condition, so I cannot get coverage on her. So we pay 1200/mo plus a $2300 deductible and when something big happens, they bill me for it. I paid $24,000 last year for premiums, deductible and uncovered expenses last year. I tell you what, i will abondon my sincerely loyalty to capitalism only to see HI comanies suffer for what they have done to our economy.
Here is just one little excerpt, from Kiplingers, on the Medicare insurance coverage people have to buy because the medicare insurance is so bad.
I'd equate the HI public option topublic school. You will have it if you don't choose anything else. Ask home owner, you pay in because of ppty taxes, as renter, you pay thru your rent to owner who pays ppty taxes. plus you'll have a small premium. like public school, if you want a superior education, you can go find a private school. You aren't getting a break on your ppty taxes for private school now, so you probably wont get a break on taxes for private insurance premium.
If you want to get a better-than-average coverage while on the public HI option, you can get a supplemental. Just as a public school student can pay a tutor to make them better.
There is no simple solution, but after watching my Republican leaders run the White House for the better part of the last 24 years, they've done nothing to get control over this nonsense. And I ask anyone on this board or OSO to tell me they've been pleased witht heir company after paying all those premium and then having something very expensive declined. Or even worse, let your HI coverage lapse, then get stuck with the bill for a big procedure. If you are still supportive of status quo, then maybe you need more than just healthcare, you need a lobotomy. :sifone:
