When the whiners get their way & we don't have Healthcare, they lose their Medicare, who's gonna care??

[Maggie Mae]

Whine,Whine, Hate, Hate

I won't care!!



I can't wait. Misery loves company, I think I'll bake some cookies, or maybe some special brownies for all the company!! Naw, I'll be as selfish as they are now...all those patriotic Americans who think they're special and so safe.
There's plenty of room. Just adjust. You'll be fine. When the insurance co have ripped off the whiners long enough, deinied enough for you to lose your insurance or cause a loved one to die, just adjust. When your quality of life sucks, it's ok. Just remember your own words and I'm sure those will console you.
When you lose your medicare because nothing was done to reform healthcare and medicare goes broke, don't worry. It's ok. You'll be considered undeserving just like people like me, so it's ok.
Oh, and don't expect sympathy from your buddies who will be able to afford to get care, cuz they won't care. They'll just throw your own words right back at you.

[Slayer Dug]

I would like to see the members of The House and Senate live on whatever "health care reform" they pass for us everyday working class taxpaying citizens.

[Orianb]

Of course you would.

[P.A.]

Actually Slayer that is exactly what is on the table in the Senate. A provision that would simply open up the government employees insurance program to people who would pay the premiums. Contrary to popular belief the members of congress do not have a special plan. They can chose from a list of plans just like all Federal employees. Premiums are fairly low and coverage is good because it is a very large pool of people. My father was a federal employee and we always had good insurance, it was the same as members of congress. However that "was" a long time ago.

[Harvey]

I am a Federal employee working in Public Health. The most popular plan for Federal employees (albeit one of the most expensive) is Blue Cross / Blue Shield. The Premiums for my wife and me are approximately $4279 this year, and my total out-of-pocket medical expenses, excluding my insurance premiums, are capped at $5000 this year (which I have already hit because of my fight with the big C), so my total out-of-pocket expenses this year will be about $9279. My out-of-pocket payments rise every year at a rate about double (or more) the rate of inflation (quite a bit faster than the average government paycheck). pickleallen is right that my premiums are "fairly low" (for our current broken healthcare system), and that "coverage is good." Why are my premiums as low as they are? It's NOT because the government sets the price. The government absolutely, positively does NOT set the price. There are a lot of plans out there competing for my business and the better/less expensive the plan, the more federal employees sign up for it,; and the more folks that sign up for it, the lower the price (power in numbers). And why is the coverage good? The coverage is good because the government REQUIRES it.

So, in a nutshell, The price is "low" because of the free market and the coverage is good because the government regulates the free market. Anyone who thinks the free market will produce good healthcare insurance for all need only look at our current system, but anyone who thinks the government should entirely bypass the free market need only look at the British National healthcare system. We need both. One to keep prices down, and the other to make the system humane.

Personally, I don't give a rat's ass whether there is a government run plan in the mix or not, but without at least one large, non-profit insurance plan out there, prices will never be "low" and without government regulation, there will never be universal coverage. The current plans inching their ways through Congress propose both. Could their proposed system be better? Hell yeah! But, overall, they're a damn sight better than what we have now, so I say let's give it a shot, and we'll tweak it later.

[P.A.]

I am in what amounts to a government option myself, the Tennessee State Employees Insurance group. It is also a large group and has good coverage because the state demands it. The insurance companies try hard to get this group because it is so large and they are willing to meet the strick demands of the state. A federal public option would have much more power than the state so insurance companies would try very hard to get and keep there business.

[Daniel Blattenbauer]

I think the time has arrived when Obama should realize he is not going to get any Republican to sign on to any healthcare reform bill. So he needs to quit negotiating for nothing, be sure there is a public option in a bill, and get it passed with 51 votes. Obama will be demonized by the GOP no matter what plan comes out so he might as well satisfy the majority who elected him and not those that used misleading, false, and fear-laden rhetoric to sway the public. If the President does not he is going to be out on a limb without the Republicans AND the Dems in the Senate and House of Representatives. He should be smart enough to realize this I hope.

[P.A.]

Yes I knew that. He wanted universal coverage by employers with subsidies from the government to suppliment it for the poor and unemployed. Nixon may have been a crook but he was no where near as down right mean and ignorant as many modern republicans

[Maggie Mae]

OrianB,
And I've got most of the good genes in my family!
I've been in extreme pain today and worse tonight with my arm. I did some researched and it could be part of thryroid,weird,who would thunk it?
Anywho,if I can get an appt at the clinic tomorrow(they weren't open today) I'll go, if not, it's off to Urgent Care if they'll see me w/out insurance, last resort, ER. Cannot do this pain anymore.
Guess I may have my first bill to send off soon to many,many,many politicians!

[Daniel Blattenbauer]

Heck yes, go get some health care in the ER. That is the system the GOP wants to continue at great cost to all others in their increased health care premiums. Maybe the majority will have to wait another two decades to wake up to the games the GOP is playing.

[Maggie Mae]

Well, you know I'm adding to mine!

[Maggie Mae]

Well, hell, I went to the er and got my ass kicked! Mistreated doesn't even come close. That'll teach me to go for help with no insurance!
Won't go into all details yet, but I ended up going about my arm, and had a major migraine attack due to the mistreatment I got. Fainted, and mistreated by nurses after I fainted, yelling in my face to wake up or they'd get the ammonia smelling salt. Pulling on me, by both arms, causing me to yell out in pain,tho I still couldn't respond.Min of 3 nurses pulling me. When they got me in a wheelchair, I slipped out, the second time, I was plopped down, snapped me out, I was in tears, crying out for my daughter who was with me.
There's more, but I won't go into it.
I have seen my vet treat my pets better.
Hope all of you enjoy it when you get to join me! You've got so much to look forward to..I'm excited for you!

[cynthia Hunter]

You just dont get it.We want health care reform but not the way it is now.we dont want any more government in our lives. People keep saying what they would like but no one is listening.