The House doesn't screw it up
I promised not a lot of politics, but I'm glad the House got this right. Or should I say, they didn't screw things up worse even when they tried.
We already have an SCHIP program in place. Lots of kids are covered, some even that really shouldn't be. I mean come on, if I don't buy insurance to cover my family and something happens, I don't put my hand out and expect you guys to pay for it.
The Democrats spent the last 24 hours parading up a lot of kids and families in front of congress in hopes to sway some votes to override the president's veto.
Problem is, everyone they showed and used (yes used) is already covered by the program and will already continue to be covered by the program.
What was vetoed was the EXPANSION of this program to cover a family of 4 who make up to $86,000 a year.
Excuse me, since when does anyone who makes 80 grand a year really need a handout.
In addition, there is very little to no asset checking in this program. If I'm a millionaire, but only made $30K last year because I was lazy and didn't really like to work, I'd qualify. Even if I owned a ton of property, cars, jewelry, traveled heavily and had a wad of cash that would allow me to easily pay for my kids health care in the bank. My kids would be covered.
And finally, they were expanding it to include many adults as well, though I don't know all the specifics on that. It was tough to get the real scoop on that. Even though its a Childs health Care plan.
This expansion was a bad idea, it was simply the foundation laid for socialized medicine. Another trillion dollar government program with an endless bureaucratic money pit, that will continue to grow forever. Once in place it would only be a nudge to push everyone into it except the rich. Then we would have 2 health care systems. The huge monster congress created that anyone who makes under $100K will have to use. It will be horrible with huge waits, and terrible care.
And another set of doctors that will only be available to the really rich.
Guess which one your US Congress will be using.
Thanks house for not screwing things up.
posted by Ben at 11:44 AM
2 Comments:
ouch, that health care issue is a touchy one...
i hate the semi-state of socialized healthcare that we are in. seems to me to go one way or the other. there are people on the lower tier that desperately need it, and use/abuse it. then there are those in the upper tier that dont need it. they can pay for what they want and when they want it. Most of us however, are in the middle. those of us that are one major illness or accident from wiping us out.
last year, my brother in law's cancer came back. he has been fighting it off an on for years. well, it is very aggressive and took 7 rounds of chemo to try and treat. in addition to a surgery to remove parts of his lung and a tumor from his hip. each of the rounds of chemo cost 98000 dollars...an insane sum.
so all in all, simple math shows you that 700k was out immediately. that didnt include the surgery or hospital stay.
does it really matter the red tape that we put into place? whether we answer to our government for who should or shouldnt have healthcare or we answer to the insurance companies...who try every way that they can to weasel out of your coverage, as we have experienced.
lots of things can happen that would affect people in such horrible ways.
i just think that in the current system the middle has no advocate. the republicans champion the wealthy, as the democrats carry the banner for the poor. the middle seems disregarded, but it is largely their tax dollars that fuel most of the economy.
Shaun G
I couldn't agree with you more Shaun. But in my previous job I worked in the health care industry.
I was in upstate NY for 2 years and had to service Canada as well.
OMG!! Trust me when I say, that is not what you want.
I worked on Lithotripter machines. In Dallas alone there are 4-5 from different vendors, etc..
In Canada they have 3-4 total.
They treat patients, 10 a day morning to night non-stop and don't come near clearing up the backlog.
I watched in quiet horror as they only drained the water (older models had these huge bathtubs the patients were put into) about half way and started filling for the next case. Not enough time to drain completely.
Then they knocked the next patient out completely, put them in the tub up to their neck, started the treatment, wrapped a rubber band around the fire button and everyone left to go get coffee. I was the only one in the room.
I heard stories that some of these people were on the waiting lists for months for treatments.
Yes, health costs have gotten insane. How do we deal with this? Doctors are leaving the industry in droves because malpractice insurance is through the roof. Sue happy lawyers like Edwards are half the cause.
I don't know the solution, but I know the way our government runs every other bureaucratic conglomerate in the US. And that is not the solution.
Maybe government program for the insane stuff like fighting cancer and such, and regular insurance for the other 95%. That would lower insurance costs a lot, people wouldn't get screwed by a major accident or disease and the bureaucracy could stay at a minimum.
I hope your brother gets to feeling better. My sister had the Big C a few years back. Fought it for years.
Alright back to happier stuff.
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