Question: What's the rush to implement Health Care Reform?

[Xipe Totec]

Answer: Why wait?

[FiveGoodMen]

1. Careful...

The 'Patriot' Act, the IWR, and TARP were passed under time pressure.

Sometimes that's done so that no one will have a chance to think about it first.

[Xipe Totec]

2. That's not an answer

Why wait?

Wait for what?

[FiveGoodMen]

6. Legislation that's been read cover-to-cover....

...carefully considered and debated...

...and properly presented to the public before it's a done deal.

[Xipe Totec]

11. By whom, and in what venue?

Do you think the screamers who are clamoring to slow things down are actually going to read the proposal cover-to-cover?

Rapture will overtake us before that happens.

Those who need to read the proposal cover-to-cover are our representatives, and the place to do so is in congress. The town hall meetings are to sell the proposal, not write it.

[FiveGoodMen]

24. I want to know what's in it.

The screamers may be beyond reach, but I still want to know what's in it before they sign it.

Do you not remember the 'Patriot' Act?

[Gormy Cuss]

25. Single payer?

A bill with a stronger arm on the health insurance companies ?

[Cant trust em]

3. The problem with the "why rush" argument is that no one is rushing.

This has been in discussion for decades. The terms of the debate haven't changed since the President took office. We're still talking about the same provisions. It's just the negotiations that are stalling the process.

[SalviaBlue]

4. Rush?

I don't understand why you see a rush. What would be a reasonable time frame (not rushed).

[Xipe Totec]

8. We are in agreement

Did I say I see a rush?

This is my answer to those who see a rush, which I don't.

I want those who are whining about rushing to explain what they are waiting for.

[2Design]

5. 61 years is long enough to think about it - now it is time to take action n/t

[FiveGoodMen]

7. The stuff that's on the table today has not been thought about for 61 years.

[2Design]

21. picky picky picky - health care has been under consideration for 61 years

you can nit pic if you want - but I see that from the other side and don't care - just get it done now

[FiveGoodMen]

23. And if it's done poorly, doesn't really help people, gives more to insurance companies

and can't be easily amended, then what?

These concerns rise well above the level of picking nits.

[Maru Kitteh]

14. Exactly correct.

[Xipe Totec]

17. Absolutely! n/t

[Doctor_J]

9. 14,000 people per day losing their coverage

60% of all bankruptcies attributable to health care bills.

Bad answer, Xipe

[Xipe Totec]

13. Go back and read carefully

Please understand when a rethorical question is posed, and a rethorical answer is given.

This is not my question, this is our oponent's question. This is my answer to our opponent's question.

[dflprincess]

10. They're not rushing health care - they're rushing health insurance "reform"

and they want it passed before enough of us figure out that it's just a gift to pharma and the insurance companies. Most of us will still be stuck paying too much for an inferior product (plus deductibles and copays) that does nothing to guarantee better access to health care - but we'll be told it's been "reformed" and we should just STFU and thank Congress for this lastest hosing.

[Xipe Totec]

12. I guess you're happy with what you have?

good for you.

I'm not.

I want health insurance that covers me when I'm sick.

What I have is health insurance that covers me only when I'm working.

If I'm sick, I'm not working. If I'm not working, I'm not covered.

Anything is better than that.

[Imalittleteapot]

18. Well stated.

[dflprincess]

22. Except that he's making assumptions not only about what kind of insurance I have

(really lousy and getting worse) and apparently hasn't read HR3200 closely enough to understand what the copays will be and how long it will take to go into effect.

The "plans" currently being proposed do nothing to improve access to health care they only require the purchase of insurance. Most people will still be stuck with whatever piece of crap their employer offers and will not quailfy for any public option for years. The bill(s) you're so anxious to see passed are designed to protect the insurance companies' and pharma's health, not ours.

[dflprincess]

19. I hate what I have and it's getting worse next year

The policy is with Cigna which came out at the bottom of Consumer Report's recent survey of health insurance companies as it richly deserved to do.

Unless I manage to find a new job with better benefits I will be join the ranks of the under insured as of January 1.

My employer is too large to qualify for the public option (if there is one) so, under the current plans, I will be required to continue to contribute to Cigna's (or another company's) profits for at least several more years. The CBO estimates that only 10 million people will be covered by the proposed public option by 2019 - I sure hope you're one of them. At any rate, odds are you won't be covered before 2013 if you do qualify.

The public option put forth in HR3200 is just as bad as what my employer will be offering. Single people making $43,000/year or more (Pelosi has said that figure could be lowered) will be faced with up to $5,000 in copays and deductibles (now euphemistically called "cost sharing" in the bill). The closer your income gets to the income cap - the higher your out of pocket will be. The income cap is without regard to where you live or what your other expenses may be. In addition to the copays, you can be charged up to 11% of your income in premium (though what you pay will depend on what your employer contributes) and that amount can go up annually. For a person making $43,000 that would be nearly $400/month.

This plan does nothing to improved access. With out of pocket expenses this high, many people will still have to worry about whether they can afford to see a doctor. If you do get sick, try and do it at the beginning of the benefit year. If you get sick near the end of the year and the illness extends into the next year you could find yourself having to come up with the out of pocket maximums twice in just a few months.

Finally, there is not guarantee that these outfits will be any better about paying claims. Sure, they might get fined if they don't pay something they should but, like Walmart and labor laws, they'll probably just see the fines as part of the cost of doing business.

What they're trying to sell us is nothing but a gift to the for profit companies. I'd rather they do nothing and just let the damn system we have collapse on its own rather than shoring it up by forcing us to contribute to the crooks that have been cheating us for years. Once the system does fall apart there will be no choice but to start extending Medicare to all of us - which could happen a hell of lot faster than the public option (which won't be an option of most of us) or the insurance exchanges.

[randr]

15. 30 years does seen a bit rash

[Xipe Totec]

16. LOL!

Finally, somebody gets it!

:rofl:

[Ohio Joe]

20. Well...

I'd really like to be able to get something done about my hernia... but thats just a personal reason.