⌛ Do you have medicare?

See next post......

 

Let's see......

Private Healthcare = many choices, the best and latest equipment, short wait for service, an incentive for companies to provide good service, and thus a small profit

Government healthcare = little or no choices, who knows if doctors and hospitals will have the latest/best equipment in the future as their incentives/profits will be dictated by the government, what incentive wll there be to provide excellent healthcare as the government is not in it for a profit (or are they??!!) Who knows how long the wait will be for service as limited $$ = limited resources = limited service!

Don't get me wrong, an adequate government run healthcare system would be a dream for many, but it is not going to happen, given the track record of the U.S. Government and it's inability to efficiently manage ANYTHING!! I would rather spend my $ and know what I am going to get than spend even more $ in the form of taxes and get worse coverage, choices, and service!!! There is no free lunch!!!

If it's such a great deal why did all the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate vote to exclude themselves from mandated government coverage????? Why should 70% of the population that already have some form of healthcare coverage volunteer to be heavily taxed in order to pay for the 30% or so that do not have coverage???? America was founded on choice, not mandated anything, and definitely not big and getting bigger socialized government!!

 

Actually the question is why shouldn't they? Think about the basics...life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness....All men are created equal....Do you think the founding fathers had your stance in mind.....or did they recognize that some sacrifices were involved in the common good?

By the way, most private companies.....if they are any good at what they do...need to make at least 20% profit to continue their business plan and reward shareholders...more is better of course....

 

He who dies with the most "things" is just plain crap.

I would have to ask why not? What gives us the right to determine some of our citizens do not deserve better than they have? We can provide for our citizens who are in need and there is no reason not too.

Sane people choose to elevate themselves if they are able and when they are brought to a certain level they will try to exceed when they see the opportunity. For the ones who may be sane but want to abuse the system phase outs should be applied and certainly if wanton enough, criminal sanctions. Those not able to care for themselves certainly need our help and deserve much better than the street or the type of institutions we currently provide for them. To do otherwise is just not moral.

The way I and thankfully many others see it we have a responsibility to take care of each other and eliminate abuse, percieved and otherwise. If we are still the best nation on earth then we can figure a way to provide what our lacking citizens need and reduce the cost. What about that? Thats the kind of America I want my children to inherit.

 

Both of you bleeding heart liberals are free to pay the extra taxes! Do you donate extra $$ each year when you pay your taxes??

I don't know where you got the 20% figure, but most large businesses do not net 20% profit! Gross profit before all expenses maybe, but not 20% net profit! Average is 5% or less!

".....to do otherwise is just not moral" Stealing from those who have to give to those who don't is more immoral! How many charities do both of you guys give $$ to? Most charities are better at helping the poor and much more efficient than ANY government run program! More government and more taxes is NOT the answer! It's been proven NOT to work!

As far as "figuring out a way to provide what our lacking citizens need......"

Our U.S. government is woefully inadequate. To prove my point:

* The U.S. Post Service was established in 1775. It has had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.
* Social Security was established in 1935. It has had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.
* Fannie Mae was established in 1938. It has had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.
* War on Poverty started in 1964. The U.S. government has had 45 years to get it right; with all of the money that is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only want more, and will always be so! Poor is an attitude. Government programs and has proven not to help!
* Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. It has had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.
* Freddie Mac was established in 1970. It has had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.
* The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.


The U.S. government has FAILED in almost every "government service" that it has shoved down the throats of the taxpayers while overspending tax dollars.....

AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE THEY CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARESYSTEM??

Now back to Medicare.........

 

As long as we are complaining lets not forget a recent big government boondogle, the TSA, billions spent to make sure passengers are not bringing prebought refreshments and toiletries on all flights. I certainly feel safer.

So how many of you Californian Medicare receipients are taking advantage of that supplemental coverage?

 

Just a few points and I am finished. As I said in my first response to this thread I don't believe this is the place to discuss American politics.

First I take bleeding heart liberal as a compliment so thank you.

The post office has had it's business base eroded by technology. Email and internet bill paying and banking have just about killed the 1st class mail business which was their core business. Try to send a letter from where you live to Wasila, AK by Fed Ex or any other courier. I think it will probably cost more than a 41 cent stamp.

Social Security is easily fixed. Just remove the $90,000 cap and let the fat cats pay 12.5% on all their income.

Medicare is having problems because of the unfunded prescription drug plan Bush pushed through.

In 1968, the government converted Fannie Mae into a private shareholder-owned corporation, chartered by the Govt.

Shareholders pressured Fannie Mae into the sub-prime mortgage business to maintain its record profits. Franklin Raines the CEO with sparkling liberal credentials Quickly turned fat corporate pig when led to the trough of bonuses and preferential mortgages.

You may remember these statements:

...if you own something, you have a vital stake in the future of our country. The more ownership there is in America, the more vitality there is in America, and the more people have a vital stake in the future of this country. - President George W. Bush, June 17, 2004

We're creating... an ownership society in this country, where more Americans than ever will be able to open up their door where they live and say, welcome to my house, welcome to my piece of property. - President George W. Bush, October 2004.

I'm finished with this thread.

 

Oh dear, where to start. This will be my swan song on the topic too….I couldn’t give a stuff really – it’s for Americans to sort out. Firstly though, when it comes to the Philippines…..what I see - is them blindly following the abysmal American example. Crap medical services (if any) for the poor. But the rich, of course, have options of much better private care at a price. And those in between…well if your employer blesses you with a plan…and if you can sign on to it…if you’re pre-existing conditions don’t make it impossible – or outrageously priced….and if you can afford the co-payments……What a nightmare…. Rather than follow that example…the Philippines may want to look at Cuba for instance. Australia and Canada might be worth considering too…but for a third world country….the Cuban model is perhaps the best.
Second, the 20% profit…..of course that was gross profit. Most business plans involve growth – otherwise what is the point, whether via improved efficiencies, acquisition, R&I, etc….plus you have to reward shareholders…..and also pay to manage those shares…and don’t forget corporate tax on those profits…..the government won’t - I stand by the 20%......I spend a lot more time studying my current and potential investments than on DI for sure….
Anyway, given the win for the republicans in MA Obama my lose this watered down version of a health care plan. At least he tried. I have considerable respect for the man to go against a system based on dollars and shrouded with false patriotism. Just to let you know what you’re missing though. I have a doc appointment on Friday. It won’t cost me anything…just flash the medicare card and off I go. He’ll order a couple blood tests for my thyroid….zero cost. If I stupidly step in front of a bus….when they are done putting me back together again – no charge….unless I need the TV for a couple dollars a day. You could have had this….paid a bit more tax…fought a few less useless wars…cared about each other….

 

The Swan Song is Senator Scott Brown

It took Senator Scott Brown to CLEAN-THEIR-CLOCK, PIN THEIR DEAF EARS to the GROUND! People want jobs!

 

Jerry,

The election of Scott Brown probably killed health care reform which doesn’t bother me very much as the Dems had watered it down to nothing anyway. Do you think that only conservatives were nauseated to see Ben Nelson extort the system and to see Harry Reid capitulate to Lieberman , Landrieu, and Nelson. So now we are back to having 40,000,000 Americans without health insurance and 4,500 Americans dieing each year for the lack of it.

Just a little anecdote. A friend of mine who lives in Idaho fell on the ice two weeks ago and broke her wrist. It was not very serious but required a trip to the ER for x-rays and to get it set and splinted. She was not admitted and went home the same day. She has insurance but was still surprised to see that the bill for her visit to the ER was $3000 and her insurance only covered half of it leaving her responsible for $1500. This is just the start she hasn’t received the bill from the docs yet. The reason ER care is so expensive is they have to compensate for the uninsured who use the ER as their primary care.

Do we need jobs? Of course we do! You took issue with Garbonzo, an Australian’s, comments so I did a quick search and found some interesting facts. According to the CIA fact book Australia’s economy is doing relatively well and their unemployment rate is 4.5%. It would seem that health care and jobs are not mutually exclusive. Maybe we can learn a lesson.

Kenny Green