(OT) Bush wants to destroy health insurance

[Boatdrinks]

Did the article discuss how the current system favors large employer funded health insurance?  Did it talk about economic trends of more people working on their own or for smaller companies?  Did it talk about the disparity in the tax code for individually bought health policies vs through a company?  Did the article talk about the myriad state regulations that push up the cost of insurance and don't allow people to shop for insurance across state lines?  Did it talk about the inefficiency of the public health system that doesn't penalize people for wasting the system's resources, such as visiting the ER for sore throats?

 

Or was the article - Bush bad?

 

But, hey, as long as the system works for you, Bush is an idiot for tryng to fix it for people for whom it's broken.

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I'm not saying it's perfect or there are no issues to be worked out. But dropping employer based health insurance doesn't seem very good to me. Try adressing some of the issues you mentioned. Why does it have to involve me losing my health insurance? I'm guessing those problems could be dealt with in other ways than scrapping the whole thing.

[Boatdrinks]

Where did you read the article?  Which publication?  Ever hear the saying "cant beleive everything you read"?

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The Buffalo News. Usually trustworthy, I guess. Though I'd like to have some competition in town.

[KD in CA]

I'm guessing those problems could be dealt with in other ways than scrapping the whole thing. 

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So in conclusion:

 

 

"I'm guessing..." = "Bush wants to destroy health insurance"

 

 

Thanks for playing.

[kegtapr]

Why all this crap about "socialist care" ? I'm talking about our CURRENT SYSTEM of employer based insurance. Why on earth would anyone call that "socialism" Last I checked if you do not WORK you do not have coverage.

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Well your first mistake is beleiving in this so called current system of employer based healthcare. Employer based healthcare can, and has been being taken away from people in high numbers. There are no laws stating that a employer must offer you healthcare.

 

Health insurance is a BENEFIT offered by your employer. It has always been offered by employers for a number of reasons. Good health coverage will attract and retain the best potential employees. Healthy employees are productive employees. Botton line is, employers choose to offer health insurance, they are not required to. Unless you have a contract with your employer, your health insurance can be taken away tomorrow. Now days if your employer pays 80% of your premiums, you have a damn good deal.

 

Whether you know about it or not, there are already programs to subsidize health insurance for small businesses and working individuals. Go read up on Healthy New York. It provides a low cost option for those who are working or own a small businesses to purchase insurance at a fraction (a huge fraction actually) then other plans. This is not traditional employer based insurance, yet it provides the needed coverage for those who need it. Based on your fears, small businesses should be dumping traditional plans for this in huge numbers. Hate to tell you my friend, but it's not happening. Those employers that can afford traditional plans are staying with them. Not only that, but businesses often leave Healthy New York for a higher cost option when they can afford to. Do they need to do this? Not all of them but they still do.

 

Fact of the matter is, most employers are not going to take away health benefits as they still must compete for good employees. Many small businesses need help though. They cannot afford this system much longer. Most people don't know the amount a employer spends on them. Your paycheck is only a tip of the iceberg.

 

There will be major changes coming in the industry, but nothing like you fear.

[KRC]

But I still can't figure out how that makes me a communist. 

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Hey, there is only ONE communist on this board and it is me. :I starred in Brokeback Mountain:

 

Seriously, try to get some sleep and rethink this. There is nothing I can add that has not already been said in this thread. It is obvious that you started reading the article with a bias and read things into it to support your bias.

 

Here is a thought, how about posting the article so we can read exactly what you read. The Buffalo News is online, so the article should be easy to find.

[ubhockey]

as we know it. Thanks to all the deep thinkers who bought into this election being about "morals". This is what we now get. Bush wants to eliminate employment based health insurance. This guy will not rest until we have a two class society. Tax breaks for the super rich and now he wants us to pay for health insurance out of pocket, with private "catastrophic" health insurance to make up the difference. He feels people will be more "responsible" ( code for "use less") with volume of health care they used if they had to pay for it. What a bunch of crap. Is it any wonder why corporate America is so behind this president ? Just think of how much more they could pay their top executives if they didn't have to bother with wasteful costly things like heath insurance! I mean, folks should be grateful just to have a job,right? And of course the problems with health care have nothing to do with gouging by pharmaceutical companies. Well people are complaining about the cost of health care so why don't we just SCRAP THE WHOLE INSURANCE SYSTEM and put it on the backs of individuals. If they can't afford it they won't go to the doctor errr...will be MORE RESPONSIBLE with their ise of the system. Brilliant!  I hope everyone who voted for this clown and his "moral values" thinks about it when their health insurance is taken away. A classic bait and switch. Lets make the election about some non-issue that really gets people fired up so we can push through our agenda.  :I starred in Brokeback Mountain:

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You're a fool, and there is no hope in educating a fool. Just do your research first next time.

[Spiderweb]

in other news Germany unemployment is 11.4%, France unemployment rate is 9.7%.  Your socialist ideas dont seem too pragmatic

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And that is somehow solely the fault of government managed health care? A system that allows people access to the health system regardless of their socio-economic status?

 

Their problems are far deeper than that. I guess reigning in an Industry (yes an Industry) whose costs have so outpaced inflation, and any sensical modicum of self restraint, coupled with greedy and far too numerous personal injury attornies and you've got a mess. Which is exactly what we have. Some sort of reform is long overdue. Tort reform, while I fear corporate been counters would saddle us with unacceptable exposure to harm if caps were too low, needs serious work. Insurance companies who sit on Mount Olympus making life and death decisions, based on numbers ($$$) not saving or bettering a human life. I'm afraid the answer to our Health Care system isn't "flexible spending accounts". We need far more visionary thinking than that or we will have a two tiered society. Those that can afford health care, and those (growing every year) that can't.