The only true way to take care of the problem, in a timely manner, would be if someone would have the guts to move a bill forward that would mandate that all politicians would be required to have the same options to healthcare and insurance as us peons. The bill would need to have a "start", or "end" depending on how you look at it, date, so whatever rule is on record on that date is what everyone would have for options.
I see this as the only way to get anything done, as long as they are not affected by the legislation, all we will get is lip service from them. That has come through loud and clear over the past couple of months. If any of the "tough talking" politicians would have the guts to draft such a bill and move it forward, anyone that would vote against it would be writing their own ticket out of office. How could they explain their way out of a no vote to their constituents?
If that were to happen, I would wager on ACA being repealed and not replaced. They would run away from any government run healthcare faster than the ink could get out of their pens.
Maybe, just maybe, they would be able to figure out something that would actually work for everyone. What do those that are much smarter than I think of this option?
There is not enough support among either politicians or the public to do the right thing - totally phase the federal government out of the healthcare entirely.
In retrospect, the republicans probably should have stated on day one that they would leave obamacare exactly as the dems made it and let it die on the vine.
I have seen the "make congress have the same healthcare as the rest of us" meme a number of times and it holds no water. I believe that congress should have to follow the same laws as the rest of us, but most people who work outside the federal government have health insurance and pension options beyond medicare and social security.
When Obama was POTUS, the GOP House voted at least 60 times to repeal or defund Obamacare, knowing full well it would not pass the Senate and even if it did, Obama would veto it.
Yet now that the GOP controls all three branches, they don't have the balls to actually do it!
Political pussies worried about getting reelected. Dave Reichert in my district is a never Trumper. I will never vote for him again. I told him so in June at a local event. Everyone I know feels the same way.
First of all, politicians and media bastardize language to suit their desires.
They use the word "insurance" when talking about health care when they actually mean entitlement...and from thereon, the entire issue cannot be discussed rationally, let alone debated. Once "health insurance" became an entitlement controlled by the government, only drastic solutions that are clouded by political tales of dire results touted by pols and pundits are lost.
"That has led McConnell to ask the Senate to vote just on a simple repeal of the Affordable Care Act, with no set plan to replace it.
"Regretfully, it is now apparent that the effort to repeal and immediately replace the failure of Obamacare will not be successful," McConnell said in a statement issued late Monday night. "So, in the coming days, the Senate will vote to take up the House bill with the first amendment in order being what a majority of the Senate has already supported in 2015 and that was vetoed by then-President Obama: a repeal of Obamacare with a two-year delay to provide for a stable transition period to a patient-centered health care system that gives Americans access to quality, affordable care."
"..........a patient-centered health care system that gives Americans access to quality, affordable care."
If the above statement isn't government gobbledy-gook bullsh*t I don't know what is. But if they REPEAL the crap we now have that's a start. But whatever it is government has to be NO part of it whatsoever.
Repeal it. Then go back and start fixing what is broken in healthcare. Pricing, collusion amongst big Pharm and Docs/hospitals, tort reform, etc. Stop addressing the problem with insurance and start getting at the root of what is ACTUALLY wrong with healthcare in this country.
Every elected GOP politician ran on repealing the ACA. Now they BETTER vote to repeal! If not, they own it. If they do, by some miracle, then pass another bill opening up the markets, health savings plans, and ins across state lines. We all need to contact out Senators tell them to repeal this country killer.
Its not going anywhere. The Republicans don't have the balls to do what they have said they would do. Obama is laughing at their ineptness and still owns them 6 months after leaving office.
They painted themselves into a corner. Most figured they were safe talking a big game. The solution is do the right thing even if it endangers your political career.
This "ACA Light" version is ridiculous. I'm betting many in Congress are happy some Conservatives blocked it. Not because they want to do it the right way, but because it means they can go on pretending they tried to help but were sabotaged.
Maybe the people will realize what I have been saying right there on the CF for years with nothing but push back with every excuse from the constitution to long live the Republic. The very structure of this Republic was flawed from its inception a carbon copy of the Roman Senate and has become just as inept and socially destructive. What happened to Rome again?
Forget healthcare reform, taxes and all else. Time for governmental structure reform by way of TERM LIMITS to serve the Republic, and the vote, not of representatives for issues of import but by the people just as in general elections. This BS must end before it ends us. We continue fanatic with " this guy sounds good" and "he is a conservative" and "he"........yes "he" will fall victim to the present populated governmental undertow and become part of the wave that drowns your voice. They are the masters of "why put off today that which you can put off indefinitely or until their retirement is safely tucked away." Better wake up because those caught sleeping will leave their children and grandchildren sleeping forever, in a country with politicians tucking them in at night, hell bent on giving their future away.
20% of our population uses 80% of the healthcare dollars. This 20% is primarily the old and the critically sick (Cancer, Diabetes, Heart Disease. As the richest country in the world we have to decide if we are going to let our old and sick people die early or spend the money required to treat them. It's expensive. There is also the personal responsibility we have to ourselves and our community to eat healthy, exercise and live moderately increasing the odds of aging as healthy as possible, but that's for another thread #bluezones. But make no mistake, most people will get sick eventually, and the cost of healthcare is high enough that we will depend on the government to help care for us (Medicaid/Medicare/SSI/VA). I have not seen evidence that tort reform, providers (Drs, Nurses,…the people who give the actual care) are "significant" costs in this equation. It's the old and sick-and they don't price shop because they can't. They are in small towns with one hospital or too sick to look around and drive. The free market that some of you propose will lead to grouping of healthy people in one group and sick people in the other. The sick group, due to cost of care, will need government help if we decide we want them to get healthcare and live longer. Pretty simple. You just have to decide in the budget what is important to you. Healthcare, Military, Social Security (those are the big 3 in the Fed Budget). Just like in our own houses. What's your priority?
My priority? Keeping the &*^%ing government as far away from it as possible. They LIED about EVERYTHING concerning Obamacare and the screwed up what healthcare system we did have. I have NO trust or faith in anything the do, or say they will do. Remember, "If you like your healthplan/doctor you can keep you healthplan/doctor?" That was pure, unadulterated, 100% bullshit. ALL of it. And now you still believe their crap? Are you a moron?
How about for starters having TRUTH as a priority???
Believe their crap? No, I do not. But I don't really know what you mean by that. Health insurance costs have been increasing double digit 10 years PRIOR to Obamacare for my company, and then the first 6 years of the Obama presidency. The past two years there has been no increase, which has been great. But my company is a low-risk health pool (technology consultants). So if you are arguing things were better regarding cost and care before Obamacare, that has not been my experience. The US healthcare system is broken and has been for some time. Doctors and Nurses have perverse incentives that need to be realigned. They work their butts off and I am thankful for their service. We need to re-architect our health care system. The US has the highest cost and below average health results, measured in life-span and some other metrics. We do lead in some areas though, so if you get a certain type of cancer you are lucky to be here. Canadians, Brits, Europeans, Costa Rica-many countries live longer and healthier than we do, with much lower cost. Partly lifestyle and diet. But partly better healthcare. Those countries are state run medicine. I personally think we need to go to a Hybrid government/private system. Government health for those that can't afford it (because it's cheaper than those people going to emergency rooms or hospital care once they get really sick) and private Cadillac for those who can afford it.
Heath treatment and costs in America are ludicrous and, coupled with pharmaceuticals is simply unsustainable with any Heath Care Plan, outside employer benefit. Currently without government subsidy the Health Care industry would implode. Reining in costs for Insurance Companies as most corporations that are bleeding employ, is simply not a option because they know they possess the one handed deck and hold all the cards.
The answer is all medical conditions and patients should refuse to pay and should flood the emergency rooms until the floors collapse across the nation. Watch how fast Heath Care will become affordable.
Bownarrow, You are partly right in that insurance costs were rising fast prior to the ACA. Two things made rates exorbitantly since the ACA, the first was regulations requiring things like birth control, 26 yr olds, and pre-existing conditions and, of course, subsidizing insurance companies. Subsidies like in college tuition, are the fuel for rising costs.
One has to take a step back to find their way through this mess. It NEVER works to feed a failing system more money as you are proposing. Health saving accounts make patients have more control over their future AND keeps cost down. If you are saving you money, you will be careful how it is spent leading to you taking better care of yourself. Propping up Medicaid only provides an excuse for one to not take care of oneself. Creating competition by allowing ins companies to compete across state lines is also a good objective. There are many things in addition to tort reform and the like that will also bolster the market to respond in a favorable way. We have to reject the notion that 1) the govt can provide what we need, 2) it's the govts responsibility to do so.
Pharmaceutical costs are only part of the problem with health care costs in this country. People underestimate how much money we waste due to out-of-control lawsuits in this country. Doctors get sued for unhealthy people's normal illness and death. Until there is tort reform, as in, lawsuits taken out of the courts and put before a 3 judge arbitration of professional medical arbitrators who have the power to throw out all these ridiculous lawsuits, then we will not stop wasting shit-tons of money on unnecessary tests and treatments.
Idyl, I have heard people say that about tort reform, but I can't see any evidence that it is a significant contributor. Do docs pay high malpractice premiums? Yes. But in the large scheme the data I look at says its much more about really high cost associated with treating terminally ill and old people. We also pay a disproportionate amount to administration i.e. insurance (up to 20%-which Obamacare dealt with by caping it at %16-the rest has to go directly to patient services). I worry that if we get rid of liability/negligence/tort that doctors that operate while high, drunk, or are flat out incompetent get a free pass and we rely on the AMA to police itself, which I'm not crazy about. But if it could move the needle for cost I'd probably go for it-but I think that's the politicians looking to scapegoat the lawyers. And it's easy because everyone hates lawyers, until they need one. As I said earlier, my opinion is we need a complete re-architecting of our system. And for now we can copy cat because most western countries have longer, healthier life spans and much lower health costs. Or just go flat out capitalism where everyone pays for their own care (No VA, Medicare, Medicaid, SSI). I'd be open to that too, but the softy side of me thinks we should be able to take care of our vets, poor and our old in the richest country in the world.
???? You don't WANT to know what I mean by that. I can't make it any plainer. Either you get it or you don't. If you want the government involved in any way then you obviously do not.
Healthcare is complicated and will never be perfect. I'll take imperfect with more freedom over imperfect with less freedom. We will always cover care for those who get it but can't or won't pay. Limiting the healthcare freedom of those that do pay isn't the route I prefer. Instead of hiding the cost of providing services to the non payers inside my bill or insurance premium, separate it and let people know how much we owe to cover others and send me a bill. Let the rest of us deal with our healthcare choices with insurance companies and providers with less government involvement.
"???? You don't WANT to know what I mean by that. I can't make it any plainer. Either you get it or you don't. If you want the government involved in any way then you obviously do not."
Correction Woodswalker: I think I do get it, and it is a complex issue. You and I disagree. That's not the same as not getting it. I believe Government should be involved-apparently more involved that you think they should. I am much closer to Glunt@work's position. I have the best health policy money can buy and I use it. I just got back from Mayo for my "50 year old" physical. Absolutely the best healthcare in the world-every test imaginable over a 2 day period with the best doctors in the world. But most people can't or don't have the insurance I have. My dad uses the VA. Sending the poor to emergency rooms is the least cost effective care and has proven to be ineffective. And so I prefer those people have government healthcare (Medicare, Medicaid, VA, SSI) as opposed to spending my tax dollars the least efficient way possible (emergency rooms). And I also expect myself and you to make healthy choices in our living-excesize, eating, mental health…all of it. To keep our countries (especially my) tax cost down.
Bownarrow, I agree that emergency rooms are the least efficient way of getting care for non-emergency situations. There are a couple hospitals run by doctors that provide very inexpensive care on a cash basis. This is the best system. The Govt always has the effect of raising the cost of service....always. They should not be involved.
