ArchivesWhen JFK challenged America to put a man on the moon, Congress did not stand in the way of this national goal. Today, when our president puts forth the challenge to provide quality health care for all Americans (a much less daunting task than a moon race) Congress with a powerhouse Democratic majority, has obfuscated and stymied the process while feigning cooperation and a shared vision.
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First of all, to rein in a handful of rogue status-quo politicians from your own party, simply expose them and their Pfizer/Kaiser connections. Secondly, claiming the Republicans have submarined this bill is like blaming our struggles in Iraq on the few ineffectual Portuguese troops there. The Republicans had no teeth when this bill was first floated; you have since given them some – though still just baby teeth, they will undoubtedly grow into fangs. However, fanged or gummy, the Republicans don’t have the numbers, ignore them.Â
Alas, the truth remains that Republicans and Democrats alike don’t care to embarrass their colleagues, no matter if they are cheating on their wives or cheating the American people out of affordable health care. Perhaps the real fear is that a little shining light here would reveal one giant Congressional-corporate orgy.Â
Peter J. Burns
Tucson
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dc85 wrote on Aug 11, 2009 11:10 AM:
whatever happened to... you work hard for your money and you get to CHOOSE what cars you want to buy, what house you want to buy, what food you want to eat, etc.
The Problem with our nation is that we have become a nation that wants "mommy Gov" to give them everything. "Handouts for all"! ? That's crazy. Houses, food, free money, and soon free health insurance for everyone!
I am proud to say that i am in my early 20's and i am not expecting the government to supply me with everything to survive in life (like many young people in our generation are fighting for).
I understand the concept of working for what you have. I understand that i cant have the car, house, or overall luxuries that a company's CEO because i have not worked for those things. I don't expect them to pay for my costs of living because THEY earned their money and THEY get to enjoy it.
The US constitution states ..."that all men are created equal".... but sadly many Americans have taken this statement and turned it around for their favor and they expect to have everything that their neighbor has no matter what. But let me bring some understanding to this. Yes, it is true that we are all created equal; Equal opportunity to work and do something with our lived to strive for success. But what really matters is what we do with "our" opportunity. Will we lay ahold of it or simply expect mama to give us handouts.
I know this might be a sensitive subject. Especially due to the recent economic status. But honestly, i believe this is why we are in the situation we are in. People thought that they were all entitled to an upper lass home and lifestyle on a middle class wage.
Now don't get me wrong, there is a place for programs that help families in need. But the problem is that there are many people taking advantage of these programs and people are becoming lazy and do not even strive to better their situation.
And Lastly, to bring you (the reader) some understanding of the who i am and were i am coming from; Like i mentioned above, i am in my early 20's. I am the head of a household of 3 that only has one source of income. I am not wealthy materially speaking and I don't expect to be anytime soon and who do i blame for that. Nobody but myself. I have taken my "opportunity"and i have done with it what i have chosen to. "
George Wilgers wrote on Aug 7, 2009 10:56 AM:
What needs to be worked on is:
1 - Malpractice Lawsuits and Insurance - are out of control, and are perhaps the greatest upward pressure on all health costs today. All you have to do is watch television to see this. Every once and a while a medicine, that was approved by the FDA, is voluntarily recalled by the manufacturer because of a rare side-effect that did not become evident during testing. The very next day you see several advertisements from lawyers about a Class Action Lawsuit against the company. There are people who go in to have medical procedures done, and are not happy because the scar is too big, or too visible because of the color of the scar tissue. We need to once again realize that no medical procedure is without risk. If we choose the procedure, we accept the risks, and must live with that decision instead of blaming the doctor or hospital and suing. Do not get me wrong, I am all for the right of a patient to sue, but for true malpractice, not for human mistakes, or a failure to live up to unreasonable expectations, such as no risk.
2 - Mandatory Health Care at Emergency Rooms. For decades, the federal government has mandated that anyone showing up at an Emergency Room must receive treatment regardless of their ability to pay, or other factors. For decades, the federal government has promised to reimburse hospitals, especially those in rural and border areas, for these costs. For years the federal government has failed to reimburse one penny of the costs. So what does this force the hospitals to do? Pass the costs on to those who can pay or do have insurance. The federal government needs to either pay for this legal mandate, or drop it.
3 Limited opportunities to recoup costs. Because the majority of "developed" nations have some form of price controls on drugs and medical treatments, the companies that develop those drugs and treatments are forced to recoup their costs mainly on the backs of Americans because we do not have such price controls. If we develop those price controls, the development of new drugs and treatments will most likely slow down dramatically and we will see a crash of the medical industry. Our government needs to work with other industrialized nations to have them raise their price caps, at a minimum, such that the American people are not bearing the majority of the costs of the development of new drugs and treatments.
4. Health Insurance Coverage. This is what this whole circus is SUPPOSED to be about. However, do we want the Federal Government running health insurance? Well if we look at the job they have done with Medicare, Medicaid, and the VA, the answer must be a resounding HE!! NO. What we should try first is the broadening of the ability of health insurance providers to compete. Allow small businesses to form co-opts to obtain health insurance, with the provision that the health insurance providers cannot penalize everyone in the coverage plan for the bad behavior of a few. Also, why not mandate that a person’s health insurance coverage must last a minimum of 60 days after they leave employment if it is through an employer. That way the coverage does not have to lapse in the event a person is switching jobs or is being terminated. If there is to be a Public Plan, then that plan should only be implemented IF AND ONLY IF those who vote for it are willing to put themselves on if FIRST.
President Kennedy best summed up the spirit of our nation when he said "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Today, that message seems to have been reversed by the leadership of this nation. That is a truly sad thought. "