I've been trying to picture the benefits of socialized medicine. Trying to be objective- understand and weigh the benefits vs. the drawbacks.
But now all I can picture is a stethoscope on my grumpy post office worker- standing behind a counter and a line of twenty other grumpy people. Oh look- they just put up a sign: "Next window please." Yeah- I'd jet if it was my lunchbreak. Crappy government jobs.
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Did he just say, "It is the post office that is always having problems?" Really, did he just admit that!?! Then why does he think they can do health care if they can't even deliver a letter!!!!!!! Wow.
Yeah, that was a bit of a flub when he said the Post Office was having problems (Jon Stewart did a good bit on this same clip last night).
He was talking about INSURANCE COMPANIES, though. Not necessarily the doctors. And I don't know about you, but dealing with my private insurance company is already WAY worse than the post office. I get transferred and hung up on all the time with them.
I'm hoping something can be done to make health insurance more available--and not necessarily tied to your job. When we lived in CA and my husband was running his own business, we had to purchase our own family policy. We paid a fortune in premiums and deductibles--and we barely qualified for that horrific plan because of some pre-existing conditions. I've been in the position where I've had to decide between a doctor visit for my baby and groceries. It was horrible.
We're now in a much better position where we get a relatively affordable plan through my husband's job. But the company is a start-up and if ONE person in any of the employees' families gets cancer or some expensive disease, the company won't be able to provide those benefits anymore because their costs would skyrocket. We have even more kiddos with pre-existing conditions now. I don't know what we'd do. I really would like a safety net! And if I had to choose between nothing and a "post office doc," I'd take the post office! Heck, I'd even take a "DMV doc."
But he IS talking about doctors- they are inextricably connected.
I unerstand there are many in the situation you found yourself in. But I think there aresome elements of common sense that don't get discussed enough: it seems that people don't think a doctor visit is possible unless they have insurance- when really- a normal visit is around 40 to 60 dollars.
Also- we are discussing health care reform as if the only problem with it is how to pay for it. We live in a country where apples cost more than candy bars. We don't even have ACCESS to the amount of fruits and vegetables our country would need to eat properly. But sugar? We got that.
Every day Zach comes home after observing patient after patient who has plenty of access to all the doctors they need, and are still walking around with one foot in the grave because of non-compliance.
It is too expensive in this country to be healthy. But putting a patch on the healthcare system is just ignoring the real problems. Why we're this unhealthy in the first place.
If everyone took responsibility for their own health- costs would go down for those who are truly unhealthy and in need of medical attention.
But no one dares TOUCH that issue. That would be one politician on outs with the most influential lobbyists out there.
We've given power to the wrong people, and we're just trying to give them more power.
I liked your comment Summer, but really even if they made fruits and veggies more affordable, people wouldn't eat more of them. Even if they provide exercise rooms in the work place people wont use them more. What you have to fix are the habits and attitudes of people, but that isn't something that the government can do. (Trying to remember quote...something like) God changes people's hearts and they change their environment. Does God care that we abuse our bodies?
But you are right about what needs to be done. Its just, how do you do it? Right now the govt thinks they gotta play to the lowest common denominator. Glad to see that it isn't going to go through. Glad to see people getting out to do something about it.
But maybe this will be a wake up call to the insurance companies that the current system is not working. Why not just offer insurance straight to the consumer? Would that make the insurance companies work for my business? Bummer for them. That is what my car insurance does and I adore my car insurance company! Yes I said I adore an insurance company. Wish I could say that about my health insurance...
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