I think Hillary just got a lot easier to beat...

How about getting rid of frivolous lawsuits and lowering malpractice insurance as a method to lower health care costs? I just paid $427 as my share of an $807 dentist bill for my wife. $807 for 38 minutes of work I'm sure a good portion of that is malpractice insurance due to lowlifes suing because some dentist caused them pain.
 
The problem with limiting malpractice is that right now in the US, the only way to eliminate truly bad doctors is through litigating them out of business. Eventually they get to the point that no one will sell them malpractice insurance, so they quit practicing. Until the medical profession (of which I am a member) gets serious about policing themselves, I think the court will have to continue to do it.
 
Why do you want anyone to designate someone else to pay for the health care of those without insurance?
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Because I want to ensure (ha! :D) that everyone can get medical treatment when they need it, and before they need emergency medical treatment. And not just by going to the ER when things get really bad. Because the number of uninsured grows every year (presumably, I'll admit). Because if we don't do something to contain the out-of-control costs of medical care, it's going to get so expensive that insurance companies will begin to excluding a whole lot of medical treatment, or premiums will cost so much that insurance will not be affordable to middle-class Americans who work and want to buy it.

And how many of those uninsured either already qualify for government freebies, make above $50K a year and pick the "pay as you go" method, or simply choose to spend their income on manicures and payments for their new 2007 Mustang instead of health insurance?
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I don't know. I don't know whether a person who makes more than $50,000.00 per year is eligible for "government freebies" in the first place. Presumably, this needs to be addressed as part of any plan to deal with the problem.

I'm not saying that I agree or disagree with Hillary's plan, I'm just wondering how the Republicans will propose to solve the uninsured problem, other than simply attacking Hillary's position. Sorry if this is Thread drift, I didn't intend to do that. :o
 
Fremmer said:
Circumstances have changed since the 90's. More people are uninsured. Medical costs have greatly increased.
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That statement paints with too wide a brush. I don't need Hillary, in fact, it hurts my budgeting.

As you know, I recently retired and work part-time. My wife is still working and her insurance covers me. Under Frau Hillary, I am in the 'insured' category.

This changes in two years. My wife will retire.

However, we have an entire pallet of COBRAs, private insurance, supplements to governments programs, SSI (if I need it) or adjuncts to insurance I carry on my home and car I can get at discounts.

In other words, just because I/we might evolve into a married couple with "no insurance" doesn't mean that I don't have a slate of insurance I get of my own choosing.

Yes, I might pay a tad more than you do. However, there is no "one size fits all" in securing insurance. Besides, any and all circumstances can (and probably will) change.

For example, my family doctor will be retiring in a few months. I doubt that my wife and I will stay with "The Dean Machine."

Right now, Dean is the designated provider for my wife's insurance.
 
If you want to solve the "health care crisis" immediately, and without creating new bureaucracies, and without limiting anyone's choice, simply allow physicians and other medical providers to deduct unpaid bills from uninsured patients from their federal income tax.

If they would allow me to deduct unpaid bills from my income tax, even if they only allowed me to deduct the medicare rate for the bill, I think physicians would be eager to provide the care.

But of course, this is too simple. It doesn't require new bureaucracies, new laws, and doesn't create jobs in cubicles for college graduates in cheap suits.
 
Because I want to ensure (ha! ) that everyone can get medical treatment when they need it, and before they need emergency medical treatment.
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So how many hours do you spend in front of hospitals offering to pay the tab for people who can't afford their bills?

Oh, no, that's right...you'd rather vote for a politician who'll soothe your conscience by promising you to take money out of my pocket for their care.
 
Just where in our Constitution does the federal government acquire the right – the power – to force free citizens to purchase anything, let alone a health insurance policy? The Constitution is clear on this point, the federal government can only take actions that are specifically authorized by the Constitution. All other powers are reserved for the states or the people. Nowhere in that document do you see anything that can in be interpreted to allow the feds to tell you what you must purchase.
Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People. Ratified 12/15/1791.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
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To make her point, Hillary drew an invalid comparison to auto insurance. She said states require people to purchase auto insurance before they can drive, but that’s incorrect. The only time you can be required to purchase automobile insurance is IF you wish to drive an automobile on a public road. You can own a car and drive it around your private property to your heart's content without buying insurance, or without wearing a seatbelt of having operating headlights, for that matter. Hillary's comparison is absurd, but I suppose it's the best she can do.
 
you'd rather vote for a politician who'll soothe your conscience by promising you to take money out of my pocket for their care.
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Soothe my conscience? Ha! I'm unconscious. :D Bah, nobody understands my humor.

On a more serious note, I want the insured and uninsured to have affordable health care. I want everyone to contribute to the cost of healthcare when possible. I'd don't want people to use the ER as their primary health care system, or worrying about whether they have to choose between buying medication (or paying the monthly bill for health insurance) and (for example) paying this month's heating bill/mortgage/etc. I don't want the uninsured to suffer in pain and agony, even if it means that money has to be taken out of your pocket (deep pockets, we love 'em! :rolleyes:).

Hey, I have no solution. I lack the requisite knowledge to offer a solution, and I'll admit that. But every year, more and more Americans are uninsured. And every year, health care costs increase far beyond the ordinary rate of inflation. And the Republicans had better do better than the same old talking points about tort reform, tax breaks, attacking Hillary's plan, etc. The Republicans need to offer a substantive solution to the healthcare crisis in this nation, and I'm not hearing anything like that yet. Perhaps it'll happen.
 
The health insurance issue is a product not an effect.

The solution is not complex. Cancel your comprehensive health insurance especially if it is employer provided. Opt instead for 'catastrophic' coverage. This is for broken leg, surgery, etc. problems requiring hospitalization. That is what we think we need the comprehensive coverage right? To protect us from financial ruin should we get a serious injury or disease? The typical primary care provider office visit is $35 to $50. Average prescription is $25. The premiums for comprehensive health insurance approaches $1000 / mo. Do the math. Catastrophic is about $100/mo. Start taking it on for yourself and watch rates drop like a rock for lack of customers. See the doctor or specialist ($65-$110 office visit) you want, trust, need rather then one off the list. Watch care get better to with doctors trying to win YOUR business rather then lowest bid insurance companies.

Try this and see how spun out this thing is. Call a doctor or specialist on you insurance list and ask them what they charge for an office visit. Most have no idea. They plug a code into a form and send it to automated billing and a check comes in a month or two.

Fear and counting on the laziness of the people to not look into things for themselves. The health insurance issue is a monster created by insurance companies to sell insurance. Single payer is their dream.

As for the Auto insurance comparison, hey Hillary, you going to provide national auto insurance to people too? After all, the poor need to drive to get to work, what about the children going hungry because their poor parents can't go to work because they can't afford auto insurance?

Is Social Security a good plan? National health care would be the same. Social security is a time bomb that will eventually manifest disaster, socialized medicine would have an immediate effect.
 
Unregistered said:
deduct unpaid bills from uninsured patients from their federal income tax.
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The problem with that idea (although I like it in principle) is that most Americans do not pay taxes. And I'm not referring to people who get a refund.

Most Americans are so far under the minimum amount for filing that they pay nothing.

In effect, we would be paying them for getting sick.
 
The Tourist,

My last post was vague. I did not mean that the uninsured would deduct the bills from their insurance, because as they are already paying nearly no taxes if they don't have insurance.

I mean let the health care provider deduct the medicare rate for a procedure from his income tax.
 
Once again:

We'll flash forward to a year from now: Hillary tells the debate audience that she has a plan, and it'll cost a lot of money, but it'll provide health care to those without insurance. The camera pans to the Republican nominee for his response.
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You want the response to be "private enterprise?" Tax breaks? Tort reform?
Hillary is waiting for those responses, and drooling in anticipation.

Q: "Do you have a response to Mr. (Repub. nominee's) points about free enterprise, tax breaks, and tort reform, Ms. Clinton?"

A: "I certainly do. In the last 10 years, we've had an additional ______ million people added to the ranks of those without insurance. They have families. They need help. And free enterprise isn't working. It hasn't worked in the last 10 years, and it won't work in the next 10 years, either. But what will happen under my opponent's plan is that more people will become uninsured. More people will have to made a choice between paying their monthly premiums and paying their mortgage. More people will have to wait for medical treatment until things get so bad that they go to the ER. More people will have to suffer in pain because they can't afford medication to treat their pain. More people will be unable to afford health insurance when they are laid off. Tort reform or tax breaks just won't do enough to help families afford medical insurance. Americans realize that our health care system is broken, and it's only going to get worse, and something needs to be done now. I've got a plan. I've told you how it will work, and how much it will cost. My opponent's plan is to give some tax breaks and rely on the broken market......"

Once again, I'm not agreeing with Hillary's plan. I don't know enough about health care to yet make a decision. But I do disagree with the notion that Hillary's plan will sink her. I think that the Republican's lack of a plan will make Hillary look very competent (and caring). Unless, that is, the Republican nominee can offer more than just deporting a bunch of people, giving tax breaks, and tort reform, which are the same old tired ideas that have been offered by Republicans in the past.
 
A few questions for those who think we need to fix health care:

Why does your desire for health care mean that I have to pay for it?

Will your plan pay for elective surgery like reconstruction, breast enlargement, and sex changes?

Will it pay for viagra? Dental? Detox?

Where will the money come from? Clinton's plan calls for a cost of $110 Billion. That works out to less than $400 per person per year.

Will businesses be taxed or otherwise forced to pay? Don't you think they will raise prices to cover the cost? Or will they simply hire more illegals? Or move overseas?

Just curious.
 
I work in medicine, like Jets.

I know health care providers that DON'T ACCEPT MEDICARE. At all. They send you packing if that's your insurance carrier. They just won't deal with it. It pays worse than the private insurance contracts per procedure, it is a pain to get money from, and has the most paperwork.

They are free to CHOOSE not to accept that carrier.

Under HillaryCare v.2.0, they would lose the ability to choose what coverage to take.

Does anyone ever think of the unbelievable control being placed over the finances of a doctor's office? It essentially makes a doctor a slave to the government... unable to negotiate or to refuse to do business with the government's contract system.

At the beginning he would be a reasonably well paid government slave, but once in place the contract reimbursement rate is at the sole discretion of the government's edict and immune to economic forces.

Screw that. Leave it free enterprise. I'm okay with people dying if they can't afford or choose not to buy insurance. Cold, yes, but I just don't care.
 
Unregistered - Why is the only way to eliminate truly bad doctors through litigating them out of business?

I thought there were state medical boards that we supposed to deal with bad doctors?? Or is the profession lax in self regulation??

Sorry, I just think tort reform is badly needed.
 
We may all be surprised by how much this helps her. A lot of people want someone else to pay for or help pay for their medical, they do not think or care where the money comes from or how it will affect them in other ways.
Some just want the government to take care of their problems.
 
DWARREN123 has a good point; this may help Hillary. It may be that a majority of people in this country want the government to take care of them. The government has been incrementally increasing the handouts for many decades. We are now well down the socialist path and the demographics might now make a return to sanity impossible.
 
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