Politics Obamacare

Who in hell writes these things? It was Otto von Bismarck, who ushered in decades of peace in Europe. His health care bill passed when U.S. President Chester A. Arthur was in office. (Remember him?)

He was also a conservative who treated socialists in such a way that in America today could only be a Republican's wet dream. He even wanted to go as far as passing a law that would revoke the citizenship of socialists. (It failed.)

I won't even get into that other propagandic bullshit.

(Good find, redux.)

 

Are you kidding me? They wouldn't even know who Bismarck was, let alone an insignificant president from the late 19th century. Of the Americans who do know who Bismarck is, I bet that 80% of them only learned about him through the Civilization video game series. And, even then, they probably know very little about him, and some may even think he's a fictional creation for the game.

 

It's a typical Canadian pastime to complain about the things we take advantage of, well above and beyond the things that most of the world can only dream of.

There are some areas of the world where you can't get decent health care even if you can pay for it many times over.

I think many Canadian who do complain about the health care are doing so based on wait times or other disadvantages of a public system. Those are legit enough, I think.

My father is currently waiting for a bypass surgery. He keeps getting bumped because of priority patients (you know, the ticking time bombs). Sure, he might complain, and he has a right to. However, he's also probably thinking how great it will be that the only cost to him will be 20% of his post-op meds because of a combination of universal health care and group insurance coverage through work. Well, that and the time off work, but he'll get some disability funds for that, I'm sure.

I hear that bypass surgery can cost $10,000 in Canada. It's a good thing he's covered. He's not exactly that financially secure. If he were an American, he'd probably have to pay $20,000 and put it on credit at 18% interest.

 

All righty then.

Fuck that noise.

 

I've recently seen a bunch of info flying around about the U.S. system and how it's expensive but not justifiably so.

One recent example: http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/13/waste-vs-value-in-american-health-care/

Over 30% of health care spending is excess cost? Seriously?

 

Oh, I think it will be decades before the US gets universal health care, if ever, especially with the Tea Party/libertarian types controlling the conversation. It will ultimately be to the detriment of the wider long-term economic health of the nation, but these types will always blame economic woes on "Big Government" despite facts demonstrating otherwise.

 

Actually, I think it will be faster than you think.
One thing of note about America...we kick, scream and yell about it all...but sooner or later, Bam...it's done.
It becomes a part of the mindset...then we're on to the next thing.

I give it within 20 years, maybe 10...but I doubt that fast.
Businesses are tired of dealing with insurance, people are tired of dealing with insurance. It's too expensive.
That is, unless the Health insurance industry becomes like the Auto insurance industry with it's efficiency...but I don't see that happening.
Health scenarios are much more ambiguous than Auto scenarios...and the subject is WAY more emotionally sensitive.
There's a reason Warren Buffet is invested in GEICO and not BCBS.

 

I could see 10 years (at least to the next significant step of health care reform in the right direction) if the political environment shifts back to the centre in the next election and beyond. If not, all bets are off.

The industry needs a true reform from a cost and access perspective. I think it's inevitable, but it will only really happen with a government-run universal system (even a tiered system would be better than the current one). Otherwise there will be no impetus. Too many people seem to be lining their pockets, and I'm sure they view health care like any other industry, rather than a broader socioeconomic or human rights issue.

 

I'll say this...I've been unfortunate enough to be caught in a very difficult health situation.
Supporting my ex through her issues...much less my own.

The previous laws or lack of them did not help...if anything made it worse.
Insurance companies took my money and my companies' money...then didn't give the service you would expect for health insurance.
They came up with EVERY excuse in the book.

So in the end, it was a scam.
It would be like an auto insurance company saying sure, we'll pay for a ding...but when you car is totalled, through no fault of your own...nothing.
To me, that's fraud.

So the Affordable Care Act made it safer for citizens.
No matter what the lemmings who fall for the talking points of the opposition.
And you should call it that...Not Obamacare, not ACA...because it emphasizes why the damn thing was made in the first place.

People protested the end of slavery too,
And civil rights,
And women getting to vote.

Realize we are better now, people are safer...take a step forward...and tweak the law so it's better.
But if you think we should repeal it, you're insane.

Obamacare saved my family from financial ruin - Link

And it saved mine too.
And if you think you're immune, just wait until you're vulnerable.
Not if, but when...

Imagine being in pain, being in crisis...and someone saying "sike".
Nope, no soup for you.

 

You know, I was in a discussion/debate with this guy.
Good guy, work with him...leans right...his heart is in the right place, but he spits out all the talking points of the GOP.

So I say to him...you know, when you poll people on "Obamacare"...they say they hate it just like you say.
But when you, poll people on the specific parts...they like everything.

Then I say...you know it's actually a conservative plan...originally enacted by a Republican...and thought up by the Heritage Foundation.
And he say...yeah, but its bad...because Obama made it bad.

I said, alright...If you were in control...and you're screaming it's bad...it's horrible. Give me a solution.
He said I don't have any...but it's bad.
I said, you know why they needed it...there was a problem. So what's the solution???
Nothing. So you have no solution...but doing nothing is not solving it...If not worse. He was stumped.

I said, I don't know if you've ever been through or will ever be through a catastrophic or chronic situations, but I have.
I know what it's like to not have the laws enacted. And I've already seen the difference with some of them enacted.
And he said, yeah...I've been through it...my son was in a situation. He was too old. He didn't have insurance, so he got it through Medicaid.

And I said, so the government paid for it...and he said, no the taxpayers paid for it. And I said, yes...thru government. He said, no the taxpayers.
He refused to conclude that it was government that helped his son.
Where do you think the taxes go?? Who do you think runs the program??

He said, I'm not a bad guy...I don't want the people in bad trouble to be in pain. It's just that there's SO MUCH abuse.
I said, in total...statistically...the percentage of true abuse is small...maybe 3-5%
So you're going to get rid of a whole government program...that's helping honest 95%...just to stop 5%.

Yeah, but the poor people are getting a handout. The program is going to grow so there's only TWO ways, one for poor and one for rich.
And I said, but what about us middle class...what about your son?

Now, this guy...he's intelligent, he's educated...but his arguments were circular. Unclear.
He's an IT network engineer with a background in Biophysics...complaining that company mgmt can't make a choice on software.
He says make a friggin' choice, see what happens. If it doesn't work, fix it.
Yet, in this case, the govt is BAD. (forgetting who's paying his check at a federal govt contracting company for 26 years...and this whole time)

And in the end...I said, You're SO ANGRY (stomping my foot in the rain) You know it's SO BAD.
But you don't think your reps know what they are doing (they are all bums) ...or know the future.
Yet you haven't got a different solution.
Yet you haven't given this one a chance.
Is it that bad? Can you tell the future?
How do you KNOW???

He didn't have anything to say.

It's amazing how many people have been duped into a mindset...for ideas they like otherwise.
Government BAD
Obama BAD
Obamacare BAD

Solutions: nothing.
Alternatives: nothing.
Knowing: nothing.