Health Care, a real debate

Well I apologize for the hiatus.  I haven't logged in for a little bit due to this cough that I seem to have contracted.  Ahh, I have healthcare, but I just haven't made it to my doctor yet. 


Call me lazy.  You're probably right. 


So earlier this week, I posted a tweet that fed into my personal Facebook page.  The post was meant to make fun of Denis Kucinich, a longtime Congressman from Ohio, who was mayor of the city of Cleveland, and who eventually led the city directly into default.  First time in history a city had ever done that. 


The concept of this attack on Denis was that he flipped his stance on the health care reform bill.  He opposed it prior to this week.  I basically said that Denis traded his vote for a ride on Air Force 1.  He did.  When you watch the video of President Obama disembarking from his 747 in Cleveland this past week, right behind him, the guy who looks like his butler, yeah, that was Denis.  Good ole, retard Congressman who seems to get re-elected year after year for no apparent reason.  The guy, who year after year, attempts to run for President.


So the President came to a suburb of Cleveland to take about healthcare.  All of a sudden, after a pretty routine speech for Obama, Kucinich decided, you know what, I support this bill. 


Whatever Denis.  Stick to your guns.  You made another boneheaded move.


Well this little post of mine sparked ignited a debate in the comments section.  28 comments later, we are still duking it out.


It's just amazing.  Because I want to make sense of the debate, I am going to try and explain what happened.  My good friend Carrie and her Husband Josh, live in and around Washington DC.  [Line redacted upon request.] To say they are neck deep in political bullshit on a daily basis is to say that it snows in the winter [unless you're Al Gore, then that just made no sense]. 


Carrie supports this healthcare reform because it will give healthcare to everyone.  Warm and fuzzy, cue the music.  Everyone is happy.  She sites the Canadian plan as an example of how government healthcare works and is good.  Her argument has valid points, and I too support a plan that will give everyone healthcare.


Now, my other good friend, Heather, and for clear disclosure worked for the Republican Party during the presidential campaign, is NOT a supporter of this plan.  She says that the government plan will slow down services like chemo if cancer is found.  She sites that this is what happens in Canada.  She says that our system needs revamping, but not at the high cost that this healthcare bill is going to do. 


In a nutshell that is the argument.


Carrie asked what the Republicans have brought to the table?  She said that all she is seeing is them trying to attempt to block ANY reform. 


Now Heathers point, and there is no refuting this, is that the Republicans can't stop shit.  They don't have a majority at all, or the power to influence the majority. 


The partisan card needs to be put back in the deck.


So who do you believe? Carrie, who thinks this plan offers healthcare for all.  Or do you agree with Heather?  She thinks that the cost of this plan is too great.


Well here is where I am going to chime in. 


I agree with both of these ladies.  They both make a compelling argument.  Who wouldn't want healthcare for all?  It's a great thought.  It reminds me of the movie American Tale.  There are no cats in America and the streets are filled with cheese. 


Sadly, just as Fivel found out that the song he sang wasn't exactly true, much is the same with healthcare reform.  It sounds great.  There are a ton of great talking points.  But I don't see the vision.  


This bill is going to give coverage to 32 million Americans who are uninsured.  Awesome.  Well according to the last Census it stated that there are 45 million who are uninsured.  So this bill isn't giving all Americans health coverage.  For that matter, there are 308.9 million Americans according to that same Census.  So, 14% of America is uninsured.


So why are we revamping a system that will only effect less than 14% of the population?  It's like we are trying to use a broad sword to put a cake.  It doesn't make sense. 


There are points in there that say, well, insurance companies can't deny coverage for pre-existing conditions.  Awesome, that's great.  But now that they HAVE to cover me for my cancer, that is going to drive cost up, which the government will pay, which they will pass back down to you and me, the American taxpayer.  The bill even states that this will raise taxes.  That is how it MIGHT cut the deficit in the first 10 years.  But when has a government project ever been within its budget?  History is indicitive of future performance.


So here I sit, in a place right now, knowing I have coverage, but not going to the doctor.  It's a nice place to be, but I don't support this bill, but its one thing to oppose something to oppose it, but I offer some other ideas.


What happened to the free market?  Insurance companies have allowed the prices to increase, because they can pass it down to the plan holder.  The market could keep that price kind of in check, because if people couldn't afford the premiums, they would stop the coverage [but in Ohio, we are not allowed to change our insurance plan with our employers at all unless we have a qualifying event, thanks government].  But as a false housing bubble has bolstered our market, during that same time, health coverage rose too.  Because people were using their houses as an ATM, they kept paying their medical bills, and not bitching about it.  If they were bitching, there were not bitching to the right people and the politicians weren't listening anyway, they were getting paid off BY the insurance companies.  As one system went unchecked, so did another, so did another, and so on.


So now what do we do?  Reform!  But reform for the sake of reform is not good.  Never has been.  If we are going to reform, give me back my ability to negotiate the price of my healthcare. 


Make hospitals who bill the insurance companies more accountable for their prices.  A recent report showed that a patient was charged $1.50 some cotton balls.  Awesome.  I can get a pack of 1000 for $0.89 at costco. 


So give me back the power to not only talk to my doctor about my care, but also, how much it costs too. 


The biggest thing about this bill I hate is how they slyly packaged student loan reform into this bill.  I'm sorry, I thought this was healthcare reform?


I am not opposed to student loan reform, but because they packaged these together, and tried to pull the wool over our eyes, I'm downright pissed off.  This is the bullshit the President promised to stop.  He promised transparency.  He promised so many things, but alas he has DONE none of it.  


Government intervention hasn't lead to many great things.  Carrie sited Canada as a good example of government health care.  Yes, Canada seems happy with it's system.  But where Canada is 1 example of success, there is Russia, Nazi Germany, and China who's systems eventually collapsed.    


So this is where America sits and waits.  The President's political party is in office and they are having trouble passing a health care reform bill HIS party came up with.  The Republicans have nothing to do with it.  They opposed it and the most of the Democrats oppose it as well.  This should scream loud and clear to America, don't pass it.  Even the people who wrote the bill don't even agree with it's entirety.    


So please, as we near this vote in Congress, how do YOU feel about it.  Don't be shy.

*photo credit is here