Democrats roll out bill to extend health care to millions

Friday 30th October, 07:00 AM JST

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Taka313 at 01:14 AM JST - 31st October

I just left a briefing with the director from TRICARE North. He stated something that absolutely blew me away.
In 2000, health care was the number 17 reason people gave for joining the military. In 2009, government health care is the 2nd most popular reason given for joining the Uniformed Forces.

It's time for health care reform, no matter what the mouth breathers say.

Taka
donkusai at 02:00 AM JST - 31st October

Well, taking into account a 2005 study that showed about half of bankruptcies in the US are caused by debt resulting from medical bills and most of those were from your "average Joe" demographic (google Himmelstein's study). More recent data shows that 1 in every 92 homeowners have been forced to foreclose on their homes, and of those, a quarter will be due to medical bill debt (http://works.bepress.com/christopher_robertson/2/). That means about 1 in every 350 homes will be sold from under a family's feet so as to settle medical bills. This has a huge flow-on cost to the US economy. This isn't illegal workers or lazy layabouts we're talking about here, but average Americans.

The whole "I'm not paying for some lazy, disease-ridden illegal alien's healthcare" argument really is just a huge strawman argument. But hey, who am I to argue if you want keep rolling the dice and hoping you don't get rolled by the system. In my country we have a national healthcare system and the total number of people here who've lost their houses due to medical bills.... zero. I personally take out private healthcare because the private companies offer me extras that the government system doesn't. It's called competition. Companies offer services that people want and they do well. That's the way things work.
Taka313 at 06:01 AM JST - 31st October

I personally take out private healthcare because the private companies offer me extras that the government system doesn't. It's called competition.

Thank you for dropping a logic bomb on this argument.

The canard that insurance companies won't be able to compete is an argument a 3rd grader could beat.

Other businesses have been able to compete with the govt. and thrive. FedEx does just fine competing against the government's USPS.

A little honest thought and research would go so far in the health care debate but as long as ODS is in full swing, stupid soundbytes is all we will ever hear.

Taka
adaydream at 06:03 AM JST - 31st October

skipthesong

adaydream: You are dreaming again. No one says its going to be Obama's fault.

I enjoy listening to Shawn Hannity, Laura Ingram and Mike Savage. I hear how the conservatives blame everything on Obama. Some times they sound so desperate that they shreak and whine telling me how Obama, Reed and Pelosi are ruining the country. Calling Obama and his ilk Marxist, Socialist and Communist. < :-)
Sarge at 08:02 AM JST - 31st October

"In 2009, government health care is the 2nd most popular reason given for joining the Uniformed Services"

Let's hear it for government health care! lol
adaydream at 11:01 AM JST - 31st October

So tanglewood, where would you draw the line on compensation? How would you establish tort reform? I'm not for tort reform, but I'm just trying to see your side. < :-)
sailwind at 11:16 AM JST - 31st October

Taka

The canard that insurance companies won't be able to compete is an argument a 3rd grader could beat.

Other businesses have been able to compete with the govt. and thrive. FedEx does just fine competing against the government's USPS.

How are they suppose to compete with this restriction put on them if this passes?

They would be required to spend 85% of their income from premiums on coverage, effectively limiting their ability to advertise or pay bonuses.

Sounds real fair if they can't even advertise their services anymore doesn't it?
sailwind at 11:22 AM JST - 31st October

adaydream,

So tanglewood, where would you draw the line on compensation? How would you establish tort reform? I'm not for tort reform, but I'm just trying to see your side. < :-)

You might find this very interesting......Tort reform works, boy does it work.

When Sam Houston was still hanging his hat in Tennessee in the 1830s, it wasn't uncommon for fellow Tennesseans who were packing up and moving south and west to hang a sign on their cabins that read "GTT" – Gone to Texas.

Today obstetricians, surgeons and other doctors might consider reviving the practice. Over the past three years, some 7,000 M.D.s have flooded into Texas, many from Tennessee. [Why Doctors Are Heading for Texas] Corbis

Sam Houston.

Why? Two words: Tort reform.

In 2003 and in 2005, Texas enacted a series of reforms to the state's civil justice system. They are stunning in their success. Texas Medical Liability Trust, one of the largest malpractice insurance companies in the state, has slashed its premiums by 35%, saving doctors some $217 million over four years. There is also a competitive malpractice insurance industry in Texas, with over 30 companies competing for business. This is driving rates down.

The result is an influx of doctors so great that recently the State Board of Medical Examiners couldn't process all the new medical-license applications quickly enough. The board faced a backlog of 3,000 applications. To handle the extra workload, the legislature rushed through an emergency appropriation last year.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121097874071799863.html
skipthesong at 11:40 AM JST - 31st October

Hey Taka, do you feel comfortable knowing a guy like me was one of those providing you with such health care services?
adaydream at 11:46 AM JST - 31st October

Before the asbestos and silica MDLs were created, nonmalignancy plaintiffs settled with defendants for anywhere between $30,000 to $150,000 per case. No one knows how many bogus cases were settled in the state with large cash payments. Lawyers who specialized in defending those cases say there were tens of thousands.

i read with interest the article on tort reform supplied by sailwind. Interesting article. The above example sited is an example of stopping ambulance chasers and frivilious cases, which I agree with totally.

The tort reform that certain doctors are screaming about is limiting all law suits at $250K and no-fault findings.

Sure you'll get good doctors to come to Texas. You'll get more bad doctors who can't practice in other states anymore or don't want to chance their sloppy doctoring getting caught in another state.

But to give carte blanche and amnesty to fault like so many are looking for is unreasonable. < :-)
Taka313 at 01:08 PM JST - 31st October

Skip,

None at all. Should I?

Sail,

LIMIT ADVERTISING....and their bonuses.

Wrong emphasis. Where did you go?

Taka
adaydream at 01:23 PM JST - 31st October

Taka313, did I miss something? How is skipthesong providing your health care service? < :-)
Taka313 at 11:04 PM JST - 31st October

Yeah, I'm not sure there either Alan. But, Skip has my respect. We had our differences but put them behind us I believe. Plus, he's a musician so you know he can't be all bad. ;-)

Taka
mtimjones at 03:24 PM JST - 1st November

With this healthcare reform bill, Obama will sell out America's future to create a new entitlement that will be fraud-ridden and abused. Liberals love to spend money, especially when it's someone elses.
Taka313 at 01:55 AM JST - 4th November

Orrin Hatch recently did something rather uncharacteristic for a republican. He told the truth when he said that republicans aren't worried about health care reform failing, they are worried about it being a success because they know a grateful nation will turn to the Democratic party and the republicans will lose even more relevence.

Honestly, I'm far from surprised that the republicans would stick it to Americans in order to stay relevant.

Taka