President Obama’s US Healthcare ‘09 Debate
Normally I try to stay away from political debates, but every once in awhile I feel that I might be able to contribute something meaningful and insightful about an issue (or not), and then I just have to speak out.
President Obama is trying to get our health care system reformed ASAP, but he is facing stiff opposition. Everyone needs to understand what is at work here. The opposition he faces, are from organizations backed by our the current system of health care companies who want to keep things the way they are now. They are making too much money, and stand to lose by a change.
Here’s Why:
Any (for profit) corporation has one main duty, to consistently make more and more money for it’s investors, year after year. Simple. It’s called ROI. If the investors don’t get it, they pull their money out.
Health care insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies continue to report massive profits, year after year. Two of the easiest ways they can make more money is to either raise the rates, or deny coverage for claims. Which they’ve been doing all along, and is potentially the source of the problem.
If the government introduces even one (not-for-profit) health insurance company, the for-profit companies stand to lose a lot of money. Believe me, they like it the way it is.
Non-profit health insurance companies can help drive down health care and drug costs while providing better care by focusing on the patient, and not the investors. Instead of massive profits and massive executive pay, that money can be put back into treatments and research. Canada has a similar system, and that’s why hundreds of American regularly go to Canada to get their medications, because there the same medicine costs considerably less. Enough to warrant the trip I guess.
Lately there has been a slew of ads touting all these bad things about socialized health care, which seem more like propaganda than actual facts. These ads reek of fear mongering and are sponsored by organizations started or supported by the health care companies that stand to lose by a change in the system. Companies and other groups that profit from the current system.
I recommend a movie called Sicko
Sicko
I admit to being a novice when it comes to the finer points of this topic, but I encourage each and everyone of you to do your own independent research and don’t believe everything you see in TV advertising, nor what your party line tells you to believe. Remember, someone is paying good money for those TV ads to sway your opinion one way or another, so the ads are always biased in favor of whoever pays for the ad.
Look it up. Read up on it for yourself.
in the meantime, check out some excerpts from SICKO on YouTube.
on July 7, 2009 at 11:03 am
Rob said:
What exactly are you trying to contribute that's "meaningful and insightful"? You're insisting that that every American should be required to watch ANY Michael Moore movie? Why not save everybody an hour and a half, and just require everybody to vote liberal democrat? Should we all also be required to watch "An Inconvenient Truth".
The fact is, in Canada, the survival rate for several cancers are generally 10-15% LESS than in America. Why? Because several of the treatments (especially chemotherapy treatments) are very expensive and must be rationed.
I'm all for changes to the healthcare industry, but I think pretty much everybody can agree that when the government tries to run things, it usually not the most effective way to accomplish much.
on July 7, 2009 at 10:13 am
Jason Marshall said:
This is why I generally stay out of political discussions.
Perhaps what I said isn’t meaningful or insightful at all. But I think the message I am trying to convey is that when someone has their back against the wall, they will say anything to get out of trouble. The insurance and pharmaceutical companies are spending millions on lobbyists and advertising to try to spread “misinformation”. They are trying to keep things from changing because they are afraid of losing money. I say, don’t believe everything they say. Do your own research.
Sicko is one place to get a different point of view. Before deciding how you feel about it, you should be exposed to several possible alternatives.
I don’t necessarily think that government should run our health care, but no one will argue the fact that health care costs are out of control in the USA. I think it centers around for-profit corporations charging as much as they can get away with so as to increase their profits.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prescription_drug_prices_in_the_United_States
At the core, there is our system, and it needs to be examined.
Even with my Blue Cross PPO plan, medical costs are still very restrictive. I pay nearly $400 dollars per month for insurance, and still my co-pays for tests and treatments are more money than I can afford most of the time.
I don’t know what the right answer is, but I stand behind a further examination of the issue.
on July 20, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Not a troll said:
omg! You people need to look outside your part of the world and look at how other countries do healthcare *that works* for everybody! look at the profits of the healthcare industry in US and think who's paying them the big bucks… Do they *actually* need to make that much to have a good life in US? If so, what about all those people in the US that *don't have* that much money – what's their life compared to the ones making millions?
Thanks for voting Obama 4 president – now finally we can see some peace in the world, and necessary changes to the US.
on August 6, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Nelson said:
I like the tense discussion Jason! I can't say that Sicko convinced me that a socialized health care is the way to go, but I certainly don't think the current system is working very well. I'm willing to try something different.
The only thing that worries me is the opposite problem seen in a privatized health care system. Who is going to deny frivolous claims? To make a national health care system work, there has to be someone that draws a line on what is covered. $50,000 worth of care on an 85 year old so they can live three days longer? Someone has deny claims such as these, or else socialized health care will cost even more than privatized even though it isn't for profit.
on August 6, 2009 at 10:16 pm
jmarshall74 said:
That is a good point. Treatment has to be regulated, and some would call that rationing. But it's no different that what goes on now. Only now, it's a heartless for-profit entity that makes the decision instead of a heartless government run entity.
Sicko doesn't wholly convince me either. But it surely is a shame that those 9/11 rescue workers were given quality treatment in Cuba (for free), when they were unable to secure payment for treatment after their insurance company denied their claim in the US.
It is also a shame that the inhaler needed by one of those rescue workers costs $150 in the US and is only a couple of dollars in CUBA.
Whatever happens, they need to find a way to lower costs in the US before they bleed us all dry. For private insurers, that goes against the for-profit mentality. So maybe a non-profit insurance company is the way to go.
on August 6, 2009 at 10:01 pm
jmarshall74 said:
I was denied coverage today. My dentist sent me to a root canal specialist to get looked at for a borderline root canal eligible tooth. After 2 Xrays and an exam, the specialist said, "Na, I don't think it needs it".
Delta Dental denied coverage for the exam saying that I cannot have 2 exams in 1 month. I'm glad we have "good" health and dental insurance, but they don't ever do me any favors.
on July 13, 2009 at 8:20 pm
jmarshall74 said:
No problem! We all have opinions, and I knew this topic would bring out both sides. Thanks for the comments!