Obama says health care critics use 'scare tactics'

Wednesday 12th August, 07:00 AM JST

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Sarge at 04:19 PM JST - 15th August

And then we have posters who label Americans who criticize Obama's trillion dollar health care program as uneducated.
hworta269 at 09:39 PM JST - 15th August

Obama, "I have not read the bill but I know whats in it and whats not" That sounds fishy to me.
Taka313 at 09:52 PM JST - 15th August

And then we have posters who go out of their way to prove my point for me.

Taka
rewetzel1 at 02:26 AM JST - 17th August

I'm FOR nationalized healthcare myself. But I still haven't seen a clear cut "where the money is going to come from" answer.
mygrain at 04:01 PM JST - 17th August

"The best way for any non-American to understand why health care is being debated is to look at the areas of the country where health care reform is most opposed and comparing that with said state's educational ranking."

Wrong ! The best way for any "non-American" to understand this health care debate is to first look at the facts. Fact- almost 85% of Americans between 22-44 have health care. Fact- Almost 90% of Americans aged 45- and up have health care. Fact- the vast huge majority of Americans have health care. What we are really talking about is the 18 million illegal aliens in the US that drain the coffers for millions and millions in free health care benefits every year. That is the issue here people ! It's no wonder the average American with health care sees no benefit in paying more and more for illegals. Obama needs to debate his immigration reform act first before health care. Dudes got his cart ahead of his horses.
yabits at 05:51 PM JST - 17th August

Fact- almost 85% of Americans between 22-44 have health care.

Where are you getting that "fact" from?

Fact- Almost 90% of Americans aged 45- and up have health care.

Fact: Nearly 100% of Americans over age 65 have health care because of a program known as Medicare. That serves to cloud the percentage of uninsured between the ages of 45 and 65, which must have been your intent.

What percentage of personal bankruptcies in the U.S. are due to paying for health care? Lots of people have "health care," up until the point that they become ill and actually need it -- and then their insurance company drops their coverage.

The number of illegal aliens drawing on the health care system is nothing but another diversionary scare tactic.
jbro888 at 07:06 PM JST - 17th August

no one is going to read the bill because itll be 1000+ pages long. and just like when the bailout bill was finished. the repubs will have just a few hours to go over the bill before voting begins
Redhots at 08:57 PM JST - 17th August

mygrain--I'd like to where you are getting your facts from. I am from the US, have two college degrees and work as an accountant. I don't have health coverage (and haven't since I was 18) nor can I afford it making $9 an hour. I am just one of the MANY in the US who are in the same situation.
therealmusashi at 05:54 AM JST - 18th August

@Redhots - the answer here is a little introspection on your part, not a massive government overhaul, and added bureaucracy. You have 2 college degrees and you're making $9/hr? Try something else.
yabits at 06:54 PM JST - 18th August

the answer here is a little introspection on your part, not a massive government overhaul, and added bureaucracy.

A little introspection on your part would be more appropriate: Taking a look at the distribution of $9/hr jobs in the current U.S. economy -- jobs that don't normally come with any health care -- what percentage of those currently employed at that salary will find higher-paying jobs waiting for them if they decide they want to "move up."

The simple fact is that the U.S. economy is shedding many more jobs than it is creating, which only adds to the dire situation with health care.
Redhots at 10:11 PM JST - 18th August

@therealmusashi--I hate to be rude but don't make me laugh. We are in the middle of one of the worst recessions ever and you want me to "try" something else? What else should I try? I apply, interiew, reapply and reinterview for jobs constantly. I have good education, solid experience and great references--they haven't helped me yet...and here you come telling me to try something else. You know what? There isn't anything else and that is the god's honest truth.

@yabits--thanks man!
mnemosyne23 at 11:39 PM JST - 18th August

For those who want to know where the data comes from for health insurance coverage: the US Census Bureau.

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins/hlthin07/hlth07asc.html

Quoting: "Both the percentage and number of (American) people without health insurance decreased in 2007. The percentage without health insurance was 15.3 percent in 2007, down from 15.8 percent in 2006, and the number of uninsured was 45.7 million, down from 47.0 million."

That means 85% of Americans have health insurance, be it private, employer-based, or government-based (like Medicare). Contrary to popular belief, some Americans who do not have health insurance do so by choice; mostly the younger, healthier population that hasn't established enough income to justify the expense. There is certainly a problem with lack of insurance for a percentage of the population, but it is NOT something that requires complete destruction of the current system. Medicaid -- which is designed for low income families -- is an absolute joke. It's so constrictive, and the chances of a doctor being paid for the work they do for Medicaid patients are so slim, that more and more doctors are choosing NOT to accept Medicaid patients. It's not because they don't care -- it's because working with the government is like beating your head against a brick wall covered in iron spikes tipped with belladonna extract. I know -- I've worked in government for going on five years.

This whole insurance debate would be moot if the costs of medical procedures and medications were less expensive. Contrary to popular belief, the high cost of health care is less about greed on the part of medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies, and more about the cost those institutions have to shoulder in malpractice insurance to guard against potential lawsuits from a litigation-happy public. There are legitimate instances when a doctor, hospital, or pharmaceutical company should be sued for malpractice or false marketing. But it is all too often the refuge of an unhappy patient or grieving family to sue as an emotional reaction to a perceived injustice. It is to the point now where, depending on the area of the country where you live, doctors are few and far between because the cost of malpractice insurance is too high for them to pay on their income. And we're talking about DOCTORS. Not nurses (who are tragically underpaid) or healthcare administrators. DOCTORS. That lack of medical expertise then leads to overcrowding at remaining clinics and hospital emergency rooms, which in turn leads to higher costs to the patient as they jockey for a few minutes of their doctor's time.

National health care reform is NOT the answer to these problems. An overhaul of the Medicaid (and Medicare) system and an earnest and successful pursuit of tort reform are what is needed. Try pursuing THOSE avenues before destroying the existing insurance system that is currently in place and working for the vast majority of Americans.
Redhots at 03:39 AM JST - 19th August

@mnemosyne

"That means 85% of Americans have health insurance, be it private, employer-based, or government-based (like Medicare). Contrary to popular belief, some Americans who do not have health insurance do so by choice; mostly the younger, healthier population that hasn't established enough income to justify the expense. There is certainly a problem with lack of insurance for a percentage of the population, but it is NOT something that requires complete destruction of the current system. "

Actually that is not the case. Also from the census:

The number of uninsured full-time workers increased from 20.8 million to 22 million.

The number of uninsured part-time workers, 5.6 million,

The number of U.S.-born residents who were uninsured increased from 33 million to 34.4 million.

I would say that that those figures are much more than the people who choose "not" to have coverage.
yabits at 06:23 PM JST - 19th August

But it is all too often the refuge of an unhappy patient or grieving family to sue as an emotional reaction to a perceived injustice.

Yes, but that doesn't mean they will actually collect a penny, unless a judge/jury agrees with the case they present. No, what must be happening is doctors and nurses are so overworked and stressed with all of the administrative wrangling (and other burdens) laid on them by the system that the rate of genuine mistakes, as opposed to "emotionally percieved injustices" has increased.
sinjuku at 07:49 PM JST - 27th August

"This whole insurance debate would be moot if the costs of medical procedures and medications were less expensive. Contrary to popular belief, the high cost of health care is less about greed on the part of medical professionals and pharmaceutical companies,"

Fair enough, but the root of the debate is over the 10.7 billion dollars doled out to illegal immigrants for free health care ! Many folks here just don't get it, this is all apart of Obama's immigration control strategy. Just how many employers will hire up illegals for a day or two knowing they have to pay their health insurance policy, sorry, it don't work like that. This is all about weeding out illegals, who are now covered because they don't have to announce their immigration status when using American hospitals... Yep, its illegal for health care professionals to ask anyone about their immigration status in a US hospital. I say eliminate that nonsense and watch this debate fizzle out.