Why Obama's Health Care Reform Will Destroy US Jobs and Devastate the Economy

[OCNaturalDoc]

If you want to know why U.S. businesses increasingly outsource jobs to other countries, just add up the cost of doing business in America: As an employer, you have to pay not only higher wages than most other countries, but you also have to pay for the lost productivity and missed days due to the astonishingly poor health of the U.S. workforce.

Now, under the new Obama health care reform bill, you'll have to pay an additional eight percent of your payroll as a new tax to cover the costs of Big Government running its new sick-care system where nobody gets healthy, but everybody gets hammered with new taxes.

For details on how we can cut our health care costs by 90 percent, go to:
http://www.naturalnews.com/026643_health_health_care_America.html

[Aggie]

Written by a doctor friend:
Some people have asked my opinion on Obamacare. Well the fact that I refer to it as Obamacrap should give you some insight. But as a primary care physician let me tell you about my experiences.
First let me preface by saying that if you were somehow helped by this plan you will think it's great. If you were hurt by this plan then you will think it's garbage. Well I've seen both ends of the spectrum as well as the impact on physicians and so I feel qualified to talk about it.
When the (not so) affordable health plan went into effect I received a big influx of new patients. Many of these were women who came in wearing burkas and did not speak english, many were young people (20-30's) who wanted a physical because they hadn't seen a doctor. Unfortunately I also received phone calls from patients informing me they could no longer afford their meds or to come see me because they had to give up their affordable health care where they only had to pay a $20 copay for my visit and copays for their meds and now are paying 2-3 times more for their insurance with an insanely high deductible (anywhere from $3-$6,000). As time went on I found my practice going from 10% of medicaid patients to over 50%. Many of those who came in (because they finally had insurance) were surprised to find out they had a deductable and a co-insurance (they thought it was going to be paid in full by the insurance company). We spent many hours each day explaining to people what a deductible is and what co-insurance is and many dollars on billing to try and collect the money owed.
One story still hearts my heart to this day. I had a patient who had healthy NY at the time was undergoing testing to rule out cancer. Unfortunately for her it occurred right at the time Obamacrap went into effect. She was forced to pay over $1000 a month for insurance she couldn't use because she had a $3000 deductible (so in essence she was paying for someone else to have insurance while she went without). She ended up not taking insurance and paying the penalty because it was cheaper. Since she was going to turn 65 in about a year and she would continue the workup then when she was eligible for medicare. Well unfortunately prior to her 65 birthday she required hospitalization for stage 4 lung cancer and passed away.
Another thing that struck me as strange was that I was getting requests from multiple people for extra meds cause they were going back to "their country". When I told them they would have to see a doctor in "their country" they informed me that they would have to pay for it there, here they get it for free.
Just as another example. Had a patient go to the ER for a headache., via ambulance. After doing the multimillion dollar workup they gave her 2 tylenol, which worked and then sent her home via medicaid cab. When she came into my office I asked her via translator why she didn't just take tylenol she said she didn't have a prescription. I told her she could get some at the dollar store, she replied well this way I got it for free.
I also saw many people out of work or put on part time because their employers couldn't afford to give them insurance. Guess no job and no insurance is better then no insurance--oh wait they can go on welfare now and get medicaid. (guess that's the affordable part).
So, in general, I have seen more people HURT by the not so affordable Obamacrap then I have seen helped by it. What is interesting is that once Trump was elected I stopped seeing these people wanting extrameds to "go back to their country". Also once the mandate was lifted many people were able to pay to see me and thanks to good-rx are able to afford their meds.
Again these are my experiences and my opinions.

[OCNaturalDoc]

john, genetic disorders are not considered "preventable disease".

[John Turberville]

"Here's a thought...maybe the people who have preventable diseases should be taxed for their illness."

What about the genetically inferior?

[John Turberville]

"It's unfair for healthy people to be required to pay into a system when they take care of themselves"
Yes, they are irresponsible and/or inferior in all cases. Let them die! They should have planned better.

In Venezuela, just under a million children who live in the many shameful shanty towns now receive free education. Three new universities offer a secondary education to 250,000 who would not have had the opportunity for further education under the Oligarchs. By the end of 2006, there will be six more universities. In exchanged for subsidized oil, Chavez has arranged for the immigration of 10,000 Cuban doctors to operate free clinics for the poor. He has tripled the health care budget. Under Chavez, over 100,000 families have received land under his Agrarian Reform Act, despite stiff legal and sometimes violent resistance from landlords. State subsidized markets offer necessities to poor consumers for as little as fifty percent of market cost. In 2004, 84% of the poor in Venezuela saw their income increase 33%. Unemployment decreased from 17% in 2004 to 14% by February of 2005.

http://www.rense.com/general66/nednw.htm

I am unimpressed by wealth, greed and those who worship it in the name of the "Law of the Jungle"
I do my homework. I just dont believe the same sources as you.

[John Turberville]

The BIG BOOGEYMAN SOCIALISM!!!!!! More NEOCON fear mongering

Leo Strauss is the father of the NeoConservative movement, including many leaders of the current administration. Indeed, some of the main neocon players were students of Strauss at the University of Chicago, where he taught for many years. Strauss, born in Germany, was an admirer of Italian fascists, Nazi Philosophers and Machiavelli.

Strauss believed that a stable political order required an external threat and that if an external threat did not exist, one should be manufactured. Specifically, Strauss thought that:

"A political order can be stable only if it is united by an external threat . . . . Following Machiavelli, he maintained that if no external threat exists then one has to be manufactured".

Either you have money to lose from the exposure of NEOCON greed or you are simply misinformed. It is laughable that someone would feel "comfortable" with a "For Profit" system run by the same "Greed Heads" that brought us to our knees.

NEOCONS: The "NO WE CANT" party

[OCNaturalDoc]

I just received this unsolicited email from a colleague regarding a personal experience with Canada's health care program:

Please read this email from my first cousin, Joe Castiglia. It's worth considering the impact to oneself and family. My 11-year coaching client ran into a similar situation with his step-father, a noted Canadian citizen. Died before he could get the appropriate care. And this guy had connections!

Jim Castiglia

+++++

Patti Mumm was a lifelong friend of my wife Lyn and her sister Carole. She was born in Buffalo, NY and spent most of her life in upstate NY. Patti's first marriage was to an abusive sob whom she left with infant
in tow. Her second marriage was marred by tragedy when her 5 year old twins fell through the ice in a back yard pond and drowned.

At the age of 64, Patti met and married Gord Loones and finally found the happiness that had eluded her for so many years. She and Gord enjoyed sailing and traveling; spending winters in Florida and the rest of the year in Gord's native St. Catherine's Ontario, Canada. As the wife of a Canadian citizen, Patti was entitled to CanadaCare, the Canadian national healthcare system as well as Medicare.

In March, 2008, while wintering in New Smyrna Beach, FL. Patti became ill and was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. She sought and immediately received medical attention in Florida and had all the necessary tests to determine treatment which was to begin within a few days. Patti and Gord reviewed the treatment regimen and the out of pocket costs and decided for financial reasons to return to Canada where her treatment would be "free". Remember, all her diagnostic tests had been completed in anticipation of the long waiting period Canadians generally endure when seeking medical care. Her oncologist in Florida had assured her that her cancer was treatable and the prognosis was for complete recovery.

Despite being totally prepared with tests and proscribed treatment, Patti had to wait FOUR MONTHS to see a Canadian oncologist. By the time her turn had come, it was too late. Patti Mumm died 4 days after her scheduled appointment with the Canadian oncologist. Her story is unfortunately typical of the Canadian healthcare system which is the blueprint for the overhaul of the US system currently being railroaded through our Congress. I encourage you to pass Patti's story along to all your friends and urge them as I am urging you to call your congressperson and demand that they vote NO on this pending legislation. Thanks.

Joe Castiglia

P.S. Patti and Gord usually stopped by to visit us on their way home from Florida. The "last" time, she called instead and said she had bad news and good news. The bad was the cancer; the good was the belief of the doctors in Florida that she would be cured. She and Gord couldn't stop for a visit because they had to hurry back to Canada so she could be seen by a doctor quickly!

+++++

Sadly, this affirms previously posted points.

We can have health care, disease care and disease prevention education. We can have it all. But we must continue to have freedom of choice.

[SuzanneF]

The Canadian health system alone should scare the nay sayers. I know a few Canadians from different boards and playgroups and none of them like for the reasons already stated. We need to have them interviewed on TV and not edited and have the harsh truth truly be revealed.

As far as those cameras go, think of all the "traffic ones". They do more than monitor traffic on a certain street corner. Also, satellites can zoom into your house, so even going to the bathroom is no longer private. But I digress.

Health care, yes it needs looking at and being worked on, the act before us needs to scrutinized with a fine toothed comb by ALL Americans and not let us rely on our statesmen to do that. The same people who are funded/backed by the drug/pharma companies. Hmmm...if vote for something that will bankrupt drug companies, then they can't finance my campaign.

Also, I really feel sorry for the people who believe what we are saying is "bad" or not the truth. That's because one day they will be relying on that reform act to save them in their golden years, but it's not being set up to do that. Ask my demented MIL who thanks to her past meds(Seroquel) has become that way. A friend of ours mom went off the drugs and became like a "normal" young minded person. You tell me.

[OCNaturalDoc]

I hear you, Gary, and I've thought of those things, too...which is why I was hesitant to post that thought, but, hey, it IS thought provoking. Are there acceptable exceptions? If so, what would they be, in your opinion?

The doctors I referenced are highly recognized, front-line practicing physicians who testified in February before the Senate. They represent the opinions of many...and I know this because I have attended conferences and listened to leaders from both communities. Of those four, I met Dr Weil in March when he spoke in Anaheim

. I don't know if they're the 'minority', or "self-seeking" (as you say) or not. However, they are the ones being heard and recognized by decision/law makers. To that end, history as taught us that the "minority" of today is the "standard" of tomorrow.
You're right -- I am very passionate about health care. I'm also passionate about finding a way to make it work for everyone, which means reframing the way we think (because what's happening now hasn't worked for a long time). Regarding your comment about opposing viewpoints -- I've learned that the person who starts the blog has the ability to delete any and ALL comments. I believe all viewpoints should be shared and discussed, therefore I've kept both the opposing, agreeing and "mixed review" comments on this blog. I don't find anything negative about sharing a variety of viewpoints. My hope is that a brainstorm will be inspired from the variance in comments and a solution (or at least the beginning to an end) would come of the discussion.

Regarding regulations.....I know guys (and I'll bet you do, too) who came out of medical school years ago who felt so screwed by the system with all the new regs, increased malpractice, etc., in addition to operating costs, overhead, equipment, etc. They need to see 35+ patients a day just to keep afloat...that averages to roughly 7 or so minutes with each patient. I don't know how they do it. And on top of it, they have to pay back outrageous student loans....Oy! People may think that doctors have it easy, but they don't. My point is that more regulations aren't necessarily the best answer to any situation. Chiropractors are recently governed by regulations, too. It doesn't make them better at what they do. In theory, regulations work. In practice.....well.....maybe not so much when we look at the big picture.

I agree that our current system is very complicated and convoluted. But I'm suggesting implementing something new -- a big change in the way public health is handled. And it's not about socialized health care. And it's not complicated:
1. Health Care
2. Disease Care

• A Health Care plan provides education in whole food nutrition, exercise, rest, sound sleep, meditation/prayer, water consumption....those elements which comprise values of high quality lifestyle choices. This plan also includes "self-treat" disease prevention education.

• A Disease Care plan provides care for injuries, birth defects (as you mentioned earlier), surgeries, long term chronic/acute illness, etc.

It's important that these two categories are seen as separate and unique, as they require professionals with very different training and expertise. I realize that about 5 hours of nutrition, if any at all, is taught in medical school. You sound like a real nice guy, Gary, but if you're recommending (even in jest) that diet soda should be consumed, then we'll leave the bone setting and stitching to you! Soda, especially diet soda, is one of the worst things anyone can consume....and people who are lean and fit don't drink diet soda to get there. The body doesn't properly break down those food additives. Sorry if that sounds harsh -- and it's not intended as a personal jab. This is an electronic medium and, for some reason, I can say these things in person without offending anyone that just don't translate as well in this medium. I hope that blogging will help me improve in softening the directness of my written word. :-)

I think that everyone agrees that insurance, as we know it today, is not working for us. It's crazy-greedy. One of my childhood friends owns his family's insurance company....he wasn't a happy camper a few years ago when things changed big time in the state where he lives. Many doctors left that state around the same time. I also know many doctors who do not accept insurance anymore -- it's actually becoming more the norm than the exception in some areas. My office does not accept insurance. We don't have staggering costs, either. We walk our talk. :-)

I agree with you about taxing the daylights out of cigarettes, junk food, etc. If Governor Schwarzenegger would impose a higher cigarette tax, our state would be out of debt in no time! I know that won't be popular with some, either. While I was writing this post, my oldest friend (since 2nd grade) called me tonight and we talked about this health care issue. Truth be told, she and I used to smoke together in high school. I quit and she didn't. So, when her father died of emphysema, I asked her if this is the event that would make her quit. She's still smoking, but she claims she's cut down. I'm not there to know any better, but I can hear it in her voice. To my surprise, she agreed with me about raising cigarette taxes and also agreed that socialized medicine would be a nightmare and that we need to come up with another plan -- even if it means higher costs for those who smoke, abuse substances, etc. She and I talked for a long time and now it's late, but I wanted to finish these thoughts.

I'm all for change, but not for change's sake. This new plan needs to be carefully and thoughtfully crafted. Many bills are written so half-assed, you wonder who's holding the pen. I feel a responsibility to help find a way out of this mess. I didn't create it. Most of us didn't. But I know that I don't want to spend the rest of my life without freedom of choice....and I know I'm not the only one who feels that way. Socialized medicine is another loss of freedom. Our freedoms seem to be chipped away at little by little every time you turn around. There are cameras everywhere....even at our beaches. My girlfriend was all freaked out on the phone tonight because her sister called her to tell her that she was watching the activity outside my girlfriend's house (provided by a time lapsed camera). Her sister lives 1,000 miles away. Big brother is everywhere. Our privacy is fleeting. I don't want the quality of health care to be fleeting as well. Canadians are coming to the US...where would WE go?

[OCNaturalDoc]

Exactly, Guy.
I'm sorry your family has to go through that mess. And to your point, they're paying into the system that they don't use AND paying for insurance in the US so they are able to get good and timely care. Canadians call us for health information, too. I understand the misery they go through. You'd think that the US would learn from the mistakes of others. The thing is that people are tricked because it all looks so good on paper. So does communism (and then you find yourself in line in the freezing ice and snow for 7 hours waiting to buy an overpriced roll of scratchy toilet paper.) It really doesn't bring out the best in people.

The other point is how important it is to reframe the way we think about "health care" and "disease care", as they are separate entities. When people become educated in how to take care of themselves (and take responsibility for doing so), they will be(come) healthy. Generally speaking, there will be less disease. It all comes down to being responsible and accountable for oneself.

It's not complicated.

[GUY THIBODEAUX]

OC; I have not read all the issues on this but I can tell you that I have family that live in Canada which has a nat'l health plan as the one being proposed ,and they cann't stand it. it takes weeks to see a doctor ,and if you have a major illness you could die before you can have all the test done to find what you have,than when they find the problem you have to schedule the treatments ,which may take months.Very scary I would say. I have some relitives that have bought insurence in the US as they live within half hour of the border,and came over to be treated when they are sick because the care is so much better.These people who want socialized health care don't realize what they are asking for. I think that most people that want this cann't afford or don't think they could afford normal health care,what they don't understand is that they will pay for it anyway through other means, NOTHING IS FREE!!!!!! IT WILL COST US MORE THAN WE THINK!!!!!!!!