Will Health Insurance For Everyone Solve The Problem?

I think we need to focus on keeping folks healthy - kids are eating all the wrong foods to begin with - they don't get enough exercise - we have too many doctors prescribing too much medicine, instead of helping folks choose good foods and exercise programs...I do have health insurance and dental insurance - I wish I knew the answers. Salud

Mariana, those are really good points about a more nutritious diet and exercise being important, especially for children. Preventive health care is an area that it would seem would pay big dividends. I am not hearing preventive care being discussed.

I have not heard anything discussed about diet and exercise... And with the cost of food on the rise, it is getting harder and harder to afford nutritious foods.... Fresh fruits, veggies, meats, fish and poultry are more expensive each time I go to the market.... Even pasta went from 86 cents a pack to $1.28 a pack in one week....

Angel

I completely disagree with you.

From 1973-1976 I enjoyed national health care in Spain; I had it because I was working there. Until then, I had never had such good health care in my life. I could afford the 100 pta. copay for each prescription (under $1.50) and there was jo copay for visits to the doctor or even for a house call when I was too sick to go out.

From 1976-2005 I enjoyed insurance in the US, first that provided by contract with the FOP through my husband's employment with the Philadelphia Police, and after he finished grad school, through the PFT through his employment as a Philadelphia public school teacher. I lost all insurance several months after he died.

We could afford the copays with his insurance. My health has plummeted for lack of care and inability to pay for prescriptions since I no loner have insurance. I would be in *much* better health today if I did not have to choose between food and housing and the several hundreds of dollars per month my prescriptions would cost if I indulged (!) in them.

The US thinks it is such a civilized country. NOT! All the first world countries have national health care. But the US does not. It's a disgrace.

I agree that the system is broken... I am just not sure that insurance for everyone is the way to fix it..... I have insurance and I still have to choose between food, housing and medical care....

Dorine, didn't you have the opportunity to COBRA your husband's insurance when he passed? I am very sorry for your loss...

Angel

the system is broken. it is a shame when working families cannot even afford the most basic of care.



Please check out my husband's First Tracks entry. Voting starts March 3.

i have no ins where i work, i am scared everyday that i will get hurt or sick......

I like Obama's idea of covering the kids. Business supports this wholeheartedly because it will save them money in insurance premiums for employees. And while it might not cover everyone, it's a hell of a lot better than where we are now!

I think it will help some people a great deal but I am a little leary of this. Here in MA everyone must now have insurance. I have a friend that signed up under the state's program for insurance who will no longer look for a regular 40 hr/week job so she can get health benefits through an employer. I have to say that she's now 60 and I can understand not wanting to get a full time job at this stage in her life, but with her situation she needs it and she just doesn't want to wake up to that fact. In this situation I think it's more of a hindrance because it's being used as a crutch.

Health insurance for everyone won't solve all problems, but it will make the opportunity to be healthy more accessible. Mandating that everyone buy it, however, should not pass constitutional muster -- it must be part of citizenship (mandate buying auto insurance ... driving isn't "necessary". mandating health insurance is saying you must pay to breathe).

The efficiencies of bring health coverage under one umbrella will pay for a universal form with less money than is currently being spent just for the insured.

When the instituted the CHIPs program in Texas less than half the families eligible to join chose to avail themselves of this low cost health insurance program for their children.

I would prefer to choose my health insurance coverage, not have to take whatever the government decides to select as a universal program.

I do believe that we should have a means of providing health care services for all of our citizens.... but I have not seen a plan yet that meets the needs of all concerned... the insured, the tax payers, the health care providers... it is complex and there are no simplistic answers that meet all the needs.

I have worked in the volunteer community accessing free or low cost health care services for people and there are many, many resources available now in the community. Perhaps we need to look at expanding some of those services and making them more accessible and convenient for those who do not have the resources to access private health care.

I have also spent some time with a socialized medical care system and I would prefer that my country not go that route. There are some systemic problems with socialized medicine that would cost us in the long run, more than we would care to pay.... not just in money, but in medical advances and progress.

Angel

Angel

Here is my take: when HMO and other alternatives to the old insurance system came along, many benefits that I considered necessary for quality health care went out the window. I'm not talking luxuries but such basics as a minimum quality of health care, hygiene in the hospitals, lower rate of doctors and nurses transmitting diseases from patient to patient, etc.

After being forced to have a surgery deemed "outpatient" and nearly dying, I realized things had taken a turn for the worse.....MUCH worse. Now there are doctors in my area who don't even take health insurance and ONLY take patients who can pay upfront. That is a bad sign!

The system needs fixing. But I don't know if the proposed "health insurance for everyone" will be a fix. There are too many uninsured people right now. Those with insurance get a price break on costs. That is a reality.

We need both reasonable medical costs and quality medical care and the doctors and nurses need to get fair payment as well. I know my doctor spends long hours taking care of patients and long hours fighting with insurance companies to get payment for services deemed NECESSARY for patients and I know my doctor does not order tests frivolously.

I think that perhaps the bottom line is that good health care costs money.... a lot of money.... with insurance without insurance... insurance is not the issue. the issue is how to deliver good health care at a reasonable price that everyone can afford without jeopardizing the quality of care. It is not really a matter of who pays for it.... the choice we are being given in attempts to cut costs is to cut the quality of care... and that is just not acceptable... It may be that people will ultimately have to choose what is important to them.... health care or some other item in their life. We consider many luxury items to be necessities.... Other countries have different priorities... My family has always considered health care a priority and at times we have done without other items... like TV and cars... but we have paid for health care.....

How many people who do not have health insurance have a TV, a car, an internet connection... a nice home... good furniture... nice clothing.... How many eat out at restaurants or fast food places... We don't eat out... it is too expensive... but we pay for health care...

This may be part of the answer.... changing our priorities...

Angel

Angel - Yes...and I, too, continue to struggle with this issue. It seems so complex to figure out how to make sure that good health care at a reasonable price is available. We have health insurance but whenever we've had to go to an emergency room (happily, few times), they are crowded with people who can't afford insurance and will end up paying even more for getting medical care in a hospital. The med-check clinics in drugstores provide an affordable option but only for minor illnesses and for immunizations.

The answer is no, it won't solve anything. The reality is that people are unhealthy because they do not take care of themselves. Even people with chronic diseases like Type 1 diabetes can learn to take command and manage the disease. They might need help PAYING for some aspects of this, but the reality is that if you aren't willing to do the work to get healthy, stay healthy, or manage your disease (whatever category you fall into!), socialized medicine isn't going to help you out.

How many like the job Congress has been doing? Of all the government programs out there, how many are run well and you would recommend them if given an alternate choice? I for one, think the government isn't the answer to this myself as far as them running something. There has to be a better way somehow?

The Operative word is INSURANCE they want you to be INSURED so they will get paid. Only it is only PART of the bill not all you have YOUR co-pay on top of the bill no matter be it office visit and prescription to hospital or emergency care. I don't have insurance it got to where it was pay insurance or eat literally. I cannot afford it and I could not afford the rising co-pay they added every year. I rarely see a doctor anymore and avoid them. I purchase vitamins and herbs and walk and eat as healthy as I can afford to. I pray I don't have any serious accidents and or illness. Medical doctors literally made me less healthier for several years I am finally regaining slowly my health by eating healthier, taking the vitamins and herbs and exercising. I think INSURANCE should be thrown out completely. Our nation got along fine without it until the 1980's when suddenly everyone wanted your insurance plan; Before that if you went to the doctor you either paid outright or made arrangements to make X number of dollars per month until paid in full. Sometimes the indigiant were let off and or allowed to make very small payments for a very long time. There was no need for every doctor in the clinic to have their own receptionist, secretary and nurse or a nurse practicioner and there still isn't today. It is about money and jobs and creating and keeping jobs not about patient health or care. It is about greed. Women wanted to go to work to throw off the apron and home shackles and work out of the home to "FEEL FULLFILLED or have SELF WORTH" and so put kids in day care for someone else to raise and took jobs which leads to more broken homes and dad not needed any more. To thinking they cannot make it without two incomes when the truth is working moms actually cost more money than if she stayed home and raised her children herself. But women want to be super women and try and do it all and look how our nation has fallen into decay morally, and financially and more. We don't need insurance we need a reality check and get back to basics.

sending you some triple points

have a good day angel!

It will not solve all the problems. People will likely have to pay something for it either by having more taxes taken out or something.

Canada has managed to do this- we can too.