The Heritage Foundation - Leadership for America

March 21, 2009 Eliza Devere, CA writes:

Any sane persone observing the state of California’s healthcare system would know guaranteeing government healthcare is merely a sinkhole that will lead to high taxes. Medical is irresponsible with little oversight despite it’s typical bureaucratic solution of throwing more money at all problems - hey it’s just tax money! Recently it was discovered 3 labs overcharged the state for 15 yrs totaling more than 100’s of millions. This doesn’t include the doctors and patients who consistantly abuse the system due to lack of oversight. To some, healthcare is a choice not a right. Children should be covered & parents should take responsibility through affordable private options & less taxing & frivilous lawsuits. Malpractice insurance is another hidden cost that is bankrupting the system.

March 21, 2009 BenefitStudio, California writes:

Cost containment vs. expanding coverage? A very important piece of health care reform should be a mandate for all with sufficient income to purchase health insurance. Health care costs will not be affordable in a health care system where mainly the chronically ill people are the ones signing up. Expanding coverage will help contain costs. http://www.BenefitStudio.com

March 21, 2009 Jamey, Central California writes:

HA! As if we have “choice” right now. My wife just had back surgery. The doctor wanted to do the titanium disc. Blue cross said they wouldn’t pay for it because it is too “new”. Even though it is the best opportunity for my wife to be as close to 100% as possible to be able to go back to work. They would however pay to have her disk fused, knowing that she would not be 100% by having it fused. She can’t come back to work untill she is 100%. ~You all are fired~ The right and the left. We need a third party called the constitutional party. YIKES! Social medicine is here!

March 21, 2009 jacksmith writes:

Finally, the time has arrived to fix Americas Healthcare crisis, and Americas healthcare nightmare. Hundreds of thousands of you are killed needlessly every year by your healthcare delivery system in a rush to profit. And because of a rush to profit Hundreds of thousands more of you are needlessly dying from treatable illness that people in other developed and civilized countries don’t DIE! from. Rich, middle class, and poor alike. Insured, and uninsured. Men, women, children, and babies.

Additionally, thousands more of you are driven into financial ruin, and bankruptcy just because you, or one of your loved ones got sick or injured. And all of this is happening at a time when America spends twice as much of it’s GDP (Gross Domestic Productivity) on health care than any other country in the developed world. Individual Americans spend about ten times as much on health care as any other people in the developed world. This is a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. AND IT MUST END!

But before we can truly fix this healthcare crisis and disgrace, everyone needs to clearly understand what the problem is. And everyone needs to clearly understand the real enormity of the problem. The problem is that HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL DELIVERY IN AMERICA IS SEVERELY CORRUPTED AND COMPROMISED BY GREED! AND THE PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MOTIVE. And it is corrupted, and compromised IN EVERY ASPECT, AND EVERY PLACE OF HEALTHCARE AND MEDICAL DELIVERY. Unfortunately for all Americans, compromised healthcare ALWAYS results in needless suffering, injury, disability, and or death. Which is exactly what is happening now in America in shocking numbers.

Health care is NOT! a private for profit business. Healthcare is an essential public service. Like police, and fire. And healthcare is also a human right! PRIVATE FOR PROFIT HEALTHCARE IS AN OXYMORON, AND AN IMMORAL AND UNETHICAL PERVERSION OF HEALTHCARE AND HUMAN RIGHTS.

So how do we fix this healthcare disgrace? I believe the fix for Americas healthcare disaster is essentially the same thing that every other developed country in the World has essentially done. “NOT FOR PROFIT, TAX PAYER SUPPORTED, SINGLE PAYER, AUTOMATIC, FREE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL. Essentially HR676 (enhanced, and expanded medicare for all). Just like every other CIVILIZED! country in the developed World has. There is no other way to truly fix and reform our current disastrous healthcare delivery system.

All Universal health care systems work best when everyone participates. But I know that the healthcare lobby, and some politicians will try and undermine “Not For Profit, Tax payer supported, Single payer, Automatic, Free Universal Healthcare for all” by falsely claiming that it will limit your choice, and require you to participate.

So, I propose that everyone be included in the national plan unless they choose to opt out. If you opt out and need medical care the national plan will insure your provider that they will be reimbursed under the rules for members in the national plan. But those who opted out, and their insurer will be responsible for the FULL! cost to the national plan for providing your care if you or your private insurer fails to reimburse the provider or the national plan in a timely manor to at least the standards of the national plan.

Including reporting you to credit agencies, withholding of taxes, leans, and garnishment of wages for unpaid medical bills. Just like you have now under private for profit healthcare, and private for profit health insurance.

Further, people who opted out will be required to provide proof of financial responsibility for future illness or be required to participate in the national plan. And everyone with children will be required to participate in the national plan. Or provide proof of insurance coverage on each child to the standards of the national plan. It will be against the law to report anyone in the national plan to a credit agency for unpaid medical bills.

Frankly, only a dope would want to opt out of the national plan and opt to keep our current disastrous private for profit medical, and insurance plans. But they will be free to choose. The most important thing is that the vast majority of Americans that want the protection, benefits, and higher quality of a universal national plan have that choice.

You see, one of the most important aspects of a universal healthcare system is easy access, and patient protection. This is accomplished by having a single payer without a conflict of interest in patient care. And by having a payer who has the power to enforce minimum standards of excellence in healthcare delivery for everyone in the plan. This is much of what Medicare does now for senors. “Aeger Primo” (The patient comes first). Unfortunately in our healthcare system the patient comes last. We are just a peace of meat to them. Cash cows to be slaughtered for profit.

So this is IT! my fellow Americans, My fellow human beings, My fellow World Citizens. And my fellow Cyber Warriors. The time has come. D day. H hour. HEALTHCARE REFORM THIS YEAR! Let no one stand in our way. Contact your representative and tell them you want “Not For Profit, Tax Payer Supported, Single Payer, Automatic, Free Universal healthcare for all. And tell them you want that choice now. Tell them you want President Obama’s budget passed without delay. President Obama’s budget is brilliant. And exactly what is needed now.

President Obama, and his allies will need all the support you can give them. The healthcare lobby will try to take out his people if they can, like they did with Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer. And they will try to neutralize President Obama’s popularity, and political power. Or they will try to take him down someway. Don’t stand for it. If they attack him. Go after them ten times harder and remove them from office. We had an election. And you the people chose President Obama’s leadership, and change agenda. Let no one in government disrespect the will of the American people and remain in office.

Let’s get this healthcare reform done now my fellow Americans. This year. Take no prisoners.

God Bless All Of You

Jack Smith — Working Class

http://jacksmithworkingclass.blogspot.com/
(http://jacksmithworkingclass.blogspot.com/)

March 22, 2009 Sunday links - Maggie's Farm writes:

[...] Another government health care plan being developed in secret. [...]

March 22, 2009 Jim Hartman, Houston, Texas writes:

Dear working class friend,
If you think national health is a good idea, it just means you have not traveled enough. It doesn’t work in the world, and it won’t work in America…
I ran a very large business in the UK many years ago and one morning I saw one of the employees who had a very big lump under his shirt at which I said Tommy what is under your shirt. He said he had a hernia and was scheduled to have it fixed at which I said tomorrow? He said “no he scheduled it through national health for 9 months from then…folks the lump was his intestines…!!

Jack, it is not your fault…you just don’t know!!!

With blessings,

Jim

March 22, 2009 Goyito, Eugene, Oregon writes:

Maybe that single-payer system is not so bad after all–just ask what’s-her-name who was skiing up in Canada. Oops, I guess we can’t ask her. Four hours of dithering around at the government hospital in Montreal, and then fade to black. You could be dead from a bump on the head.

March 22, 2009 MAS1916 - Denver, CO writes:

JackSmith above emotionalizes about the problems but presents the tired old leftist solutions to everything. Simply declaring that health care delivery as it currently exists is a “CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY. AND IT MUST END!” is not a solution. Blaming greed and corruption is leftist code for “we really don’t know what is causing the problem, but we need to blame it on something.” It is another worthless diatribe.

Health care is expensive in the USA for three primary reasons: not everyone can practice medicine, the care provided really is the best in the world (which is expensive) and the legal costs of working in medicine are the highest in the world. Quantity, quality and risk drive costs. Greed and corruption? Do some thinking here!

A huge percentage of currently practicing primary care physicians are set to retire in the next ten years. Without a massive increase in the number of practicing doctors, there will be a major shortage and unavoidable rationing of care. There will be no other option. Think it is expensive now? Wait until heath care is provided without restriction to those that don’t pay for it. Coupled with a reduction in supply of health care, costs are only going to skyrocket. And should the government interfere in medicine, fewer people will enter the profession. In short, you think it is bad now? Wait for the Chosen One to intervene.

If the Messiah really wants to reduce the cost of health care, he will need to do something about the parasites that live off medical malpractice and recover huge sums of money for themselves for the mistakes of others. This can be done by limiting only punitive damages and leaving actual damages intact. One shouldn’t profit from the mistakes of others. But.. since the trial lawyers and teachers unions own the Democrat party, don’t look for this to happen.

The Soviets had universal health care. And they made it all equal by not really serving anyone except high party officials. Canadians that need health care flock to the US for treatment. Waiting months for an MRI will cost lives. We are still waiting for an analysis of why Natasha Richardson was allowed to die under Canadian care from a relatively common injury.

In short…. Liberal diatribes about equality and fairness don’t solve anything. Understanding supply, demand, risk and reward in a free economy are required. The teachers unions have turned out an entire generation of voters that are absolutely ignorant of these realities. But that was their objective.

http://firstconservative.com/blog

March 22, 2009 vern manzano sacramento, ca writes:

Jack smith is all wrong. Look at federal burocracy- the postal service- V.A. medicine or Canadian health care. It’s all second class service. Besides this administration is already showing how incompetent it is.God save us from more government meddling!

March 23, 2009 RationalThought writes:

Working Class Jack,

If you don’t like US health care - thank a lawyer!
Thats’ right - frivolous and fraudulent medical liability and malpractice suits with obscene judgments and settlements drive up the cost for EVERYONE! Every aspect of health care bears this liability as an additional cost adder and incurs additional costs by doctors ordering unnecessary tests to cover themselves. But most pols, especially the Democrats won’t address this since trial lawyers are big contributors, and most are lawyers themselves (remember how that sleazeball John Edwards got his $$$$?).

The fact that you think other country’s nationalized health care is a great model to emulate just shows the depth of your ignorance. Stop listening to Micheal Moore and regurgitating the leftist/Democrat talking points. Start thinking for yourself - given how politicized, corrupt, inefficient government agencies operate - you don’t want them involved when a surgeon operates on you.

March 23, 2009 Ozzy6900, CT writes:

I agree that there are problems with our present Health Care System. But unlike the Left and emotional posters, I do not believe that the Government should be involved with it! What the Government NEEDS to do is reform the Tort Laws. That would fix the ridiculous law suits, then the malpractice insurance would come down and thereby Health Care costs would be lower.

March 23, 2009 Lynn B. DeSpain writes:

The only true Health Care Reform, that I would believe in would start by limiting/capping medical and pharmacutical lawsuits. This would cut the costs of heath care in half to beging with.
Its a hard one to get through DC because they all are lawyers or have law degrees. However they can be pressured to do so through our votes!
Hozro

March 23, 2009 Conservatives United, TN writes:

I could say alot in reply to Jack Smith, but many of you have already said it plain and clear. Goverment run health care will not work, and will be the same disaster that it is in every other Socualist nation that has it

March 23, 2009 Brenda, Arizona writes:

Jacksmith, have you actually been involved or been around universal healthcare?? I have relatives in Canada who are on it. My aunt was having circulation problems in her legs. It took at least 6 months to see a specialist. Oh yea, government run healthcare is the way to go! They have done such a bang up job with everything else. As for passing Obama’s budget because it is brilliant. I want to know what part of the budget is brilliant? Did you stop to think that we as tax paying citizens or residents will have to pay for the brilliant budget. I don’t want to slame one party for another I want to slame the politicians. I am very sick and frankly angry that people support all this mess stating it was Bush’s fault and that Obama is bailing out the country. Bush did not do everything he could do and it was apparant he just gave up at the end but look at who was in congress you have Frank, Pelosi, Reid, Murtha, etc, etc. All they want to do is have government run everything and spend, spend, spend. I do not want my government running my life telling me how to raise my family, which doctor to see, if I am sick enough to see a doctor, call me a home grown terriorist if I am against abortion, telling me how to heat my home and then having to pay for it, telling me what car to drive and most of all telling me I make too much money and to spread the wealth!!!

March 24, 2009 B & T, Flyover Country writes:

jacksmith can go pound salt! The one-size-fits-all single-payer-government-run universal health care that he wants would eventually become rationed health care. I am not quite a senior citizen yet, but I am well on my way. My husband has achieved that status and he has a chronic disease. God help us if we needed to see the doctor for virtually anything! We would be on waiting lists forever…..because we would not be economically feasible to treat! We would be the ones who would have a “duty to die.” Remember that phrase? I do. You will not get much support from those of us who would be rationed out.

So, if jacksmith thinks for one minute that I would be willing to support a system that would, for all practical purposes leave my husband and myself (and all the other seniors and all the others with chronic diseases to include heart, lung, cancer, etc.) on the short end of the rationing stick– (when we and many others like us have worked for, and earned our health care) to enable other people who have not worked for, or earned health care but want it “for free” he needs to have a reality check.

You are talking about matters of life and death here. For many of us, this is NOT a negotiable piece of pie that we are willing to give up without the fight of what is left of our lives.

March 24, 2009 gorio, calif. writes:

The Obama “health” care will be just like the “stimulus” bills
lots of clever dimocratic voter appeal. photo ops and government mandates to states and individuals lots of “getting the most out of every crisis” trillion dollar promotions, then a mickey mouse universal health care. The dimocrats have figured out how to “leverage” race, illegals, and a large pool of useful idiots who don’t pay taxes to consolidate their control over America, it doesn’t look good, in a crisis the masks come off and you can really see the good,the bad, and the ugly!

March 25, 2009 Bart, California writes:

A working class hero is something to be. Thank you comrade jacksmith.

March 27, 2009 Rochelle,Colorado writes:

National Health Insurance certainly would not approve a titanium disc, either, for spinal repair. Besides, there would likely be a long wait for surgery. All of the new medicines, techniques, tools, even medical knowledge is best served by a free society participating in free market. America, however does not have a free market for health care as Medicaid and Medicare are government payers for nearly 50% of the participants.

March 30, 2009 Sam Kendall, Wisconsin writes:

If Government really wanted to make Health Care affordable all they would have to do is subsidize it. In fact, I believe that it could replace Medicare and Medicade.

April 12, 2009 Dr. Don, Palm Springs writes:

Government sponsored and controlled health care may sound good to some, but it has been shown to never really work well. House calls at every hour of the day and night were once common, expected and appreciated. Trial lawyers ended that time-honored custom. A physician going on a house call could not possibly carry the x-ray, the laboratory and other diagnostic aids in the trunk of his car to satisfy the current legal system. A single lawsuit can ruin a solo-practioner with one deadly blow. But the fact remains that most elected officials have a law degree from somewhere. To eliminate the Tort system would require another revolutionary war….people against trial lawyers. Never happen…at least in this century.

April 25, 2009 Stormy Venator writes:

The sad part of this whole discussion is that the majority of money spent on healthcare in this country is preventable. Obesity is killing our country and is the cause for the rise in healthcare costs. Think about the how many patients have diabetes. As a result they also have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, increased risks of heart attack and stroke, sleep apnea etc…. If you want to control costs get all the fat people to lose some freakin weight. How much money is spent on hospitalization for heart attack and stroke? Prevention with quality medication is key along with patients having normal BMI. I could go on and on but people are their own worst enemy. I don’t want to pay for the people who abuse themselves and would rather pay for cigarettes rather than getting healthy.

August 11, 2009 Mike Demenchuk writes:

The last time I went to the doctor he found a congenital heart defect that I didn’t know I had. Of course, because of my wonderful, private-sector health insurance plan that’s so perfect, flawless and amazing (note sarcasm) I had to pay out of pocket for most of it. Apparently, Aetna would prefer that I not get the “diagnostic” tests that found the problem (I guess my parents should have had genetic tests that didn’t exist yet in 1971 — and maybe aborted me — and I suppose Aetna would have considered *that* “preventative,” and covered that.) I didn’t do anything to get this condition but be born. Of course, the Heritage Foundation and all these other so-called “grassroots” organizations (no doubt heavily paid for by the same insurance companies who are preventing us from getting what we need and ripping us off daily) would prefer that I not know this and die of a failed heart valve at 50. Because, hey, no one should be taxed — except for attacking and occupying the wrong country. Then it’s money well spent.

October 1, 2009 Vince writes:

More BS to cover the fact that the Republicans are greedy, uncaring money-changers. Why don’t we compromise - we can let poor, sick people get all the care they want, but Republicans can send “compassion squads” to all the clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms in the nation and decide who deserves to be treated.