Obama

[flippyshark]

The drug and insurance companies are the devil I currently know and despise. I have no idea if a public option would be better, but I am personally, and literally, desperate for a change. I'm one of those slip-through-the-cracks cases - I work three or four part time jobs, have no coverage, and as of a couple of months ago, could no longer afford to carry myself. There is no question in my mind that the current system doesn't give a shyte if I cack it tomorrow (Am I really just supposed to just keep checking into the Emergency Room?- Am I really supposed to just shrug and accept that these are the breaks, and I deserve this for the poor choices I made earlier in life? Swell)

I'm SO ready for something different. My contributions to this topic would not be informed by impartiality and reason. I confess that I am worried and panicky. And not very hopeful either way the ball rolls. Those who support the status quo are welcome to try to talk me down.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by flippyshark

I'm one of those slip-through-the-cracks cases - I work three or four part time jobs, have no coverage, and as of a couple of months ago, could no longer afford to carry myself.

I'm currently one of the slip-through-the-cracks cases. I can't afford COBRA (even with the subsidization it's too much for this single income household). I certainly can't afford a policy on my self. I'm lucky that I'm healthy and my parents were willing, and able to take out a catastrophic policy on me.

Government health care isn't all bad, or inherently bad. Congress has "government health care" and they seem to love it. Military health care seems to work for the most part. MedicAid sucks, not sure about MediCare other than my dad doesn't have any issue with it.

Something has to change starting with "Pre-existing condition clauses". When I was laid off 2 years ago I was denied an inexpensive individual policy (couldn't afford COBRA that time either) because I took Zyrtec for allergies on a daily basis (this was before it was OTC). How many people who have been laid off and can't afford continuous coverage are now going to be facing insane insurance costs if/when they find a new job.

[wendybeth]

It may have been noted here already, but I'm too lazy to go back and look: We already subsidize health care. Indigent people who receive care at ER's, people who skip out or file bankruptcy on their bills....basically, all those who are unfortunate enough to not have health care or have sub-standard health care are subsidized by everyone else. We are overcharged by our providers and the hospitals because of their losses elsewhere. Our premiums are skyrocketing because of these reasons. One thing I find interesting is that the majority of my clients who bitch about national health care are on Medicare. What the hell do they think that is?

A recent letter to our newspaper caught my eye- the writer asked when was the last time you saw riots or protests in Canada or Sweden or England that were against national health care?

[Alex]

Originally Posted by BarTopDancer

Congress has "government health care" and they seem to love it.

No they don't, they have traditional private insurance just like I do through my employer. Congressmen, though, as part of the largest employee pool in the United States (they have the same insurance options as all federal employees) just has the bargaining power to get relatively cheap rates.

The VA is our example of British-style government provided health care. Medicare is our big example of Canadian-style single-payer (but not government provided) health coverage.

The current proposals in Congress set up neither a single payer system nor government provided health care.