Health care Summit- what a joke

[Koolaid]

Unemployment Rate (2006)


6.3% Can


4.6% US


Canada has a 1.4 times higher unemployment rate.

That's for 2006 though. With the current "situation" we weren't hit quite as hard so to say. I think we hover around 8.3 and you guys are somewhere over 10...but those are from memory so they could be wrong.

The problem with freeloaders in our system has nothing to do with health care. Our problem is our EI system. Some of the less educated younger generation has fallen into the habit of working for 6 months and then exploiting EI to sit around and collect EI benefits for 6 months.

[Koolaid]

Obvoiusly I'm not saying our system is perfect bbg, but I personally believe that that people have the right to free basic care. Whether you are a freeloader on the system or homeless or in some bad situation I like the idea that they can walk into an emergency room and have a cast put on a broken leg free of charge. The real things that get me are things like smokers and lung cancer, but I guess when you're paying 10$ for a pack of cigarettes you're just slowing saving up for that eventual health cost.

[ducknwork]

they can walk into an emergency room and have a cast put on a broken leg free of charge.

The same thing can be done here. They just pass the cost along to the other people who can pay.

There is no such thing as a free lunch, and I don't want to be forced to pay for someone else's lunch everyday.

[M&K's Retrievers]

Obvoiusly I'm not saying our system is perfect bbg, but I personally believe that that people have the right to free basic care. Whether you are a freeloader on the system or homeless or in some bad situation I like the idea that they can walk into an emergency room and have a cast put on a broken leg free of charge. The real things that get me are things like smokers and lung cancer, but I guess when you're paying 10$ for a pack of cigarettes you're just slowing saving up for that eventual health cost.

That's what some people don't seem to understand. We have free healthcare in America now. Last Sunday my wife had to be taken to the ER with a broken leg (labrador retriever inflicted ) While waiting for the Doc, I couldn't help but notice the place was full on a Sunday afternoon with individuals waiting for treatment for conditions that did not appear to be emergencies (primarily coughing and hacking). That fact was verified by the staff. They also said it was like that every night and weekends with people coming in for non emergency conditions for their free treatment. Free treatment paid for by higher hospital costs, higher premiums and higher taxes. True they had to wait to be seen but they received excellent care and were not turned away. I have no way of knowing their financial status but my guess is the majority could not afford insurance however there were a few who were suspect.

[badbullgator]

Unemployment Rate (2006)


6.3% Can


4.6% US


Canada has a 1.4 times higher unemployment rate.

That's for 2006 though. With the current "situation" we weren't hit quite as hard so to say. I think we hover around 8.3 and you guys are somewhere over 10...but those are from memory so they could be wrong.

The problem with freeloaders in our system has nothing to do with health care. Our problem is our EI system. Some of the less educated younger generation has fallen into the habit of working for 6 months and then exploiting EI to sit around and collect EI benefits for 6 months.

Canada is 9.2% for 2009

[badbullgator]

Obvoiusly I'm not saying our system is perfect bbg, but I personally believe that that people have the right to free basic care. Whether you are a freeloader on the system or homeless or in some bad situation I like the idea that they can walk into an emergency room and have a cast put on a broken leg free of charge. The real things that get me are things like smokers and lung cancer, but I guess when you're paying 10$ for a pack of cigarettes you're just slowing saving up for that eventual health cost.

As pointed out above you CAN walk inot a hospital and get free care. You might get billed for it but it will be written off and they will not turn you down nor force you to pay before more services are done. It is a lie that people go without because they have no money for it. You are expected to pay your way, but if you can't it will get done. Now that may not be the case with elective proceduers but if you need it you will get it.
I do not believe that people have the "right" to free health care. I do not believe that people have a right to anything on my dime. If I don't have it I will work for it and if I still can't get something I will do without it. I don't want someone else paying for me.
I am not knocking you or Canada. You folks want to be socialist and that is what Canada works as. We were not founded as a socalist country and I don;t want it nor do most people here except the ones who want a hand out and there are many of those who feel that people like me who have worked for everything they have should also give to them even though they have done nothing.

[Koolaid]

What do you think about extending coverage to say children, or even to an age where younger adults would still be enrolled full time with high tuition costs? Kind of like once you should be able to take care of yourself, you're on your own, but until then they would have some help?

[badbullgator]

Don;t have kids if you can't take care of them. that is a HUGE problem. Maybe it is just me, but I paid my own tuition (a couple of scolarships and 2 pell grants aside, but I earned the scolarships and the grants came to about 1K each). I also paid my own insurance by working full time while I went to school full time. (BTW I am a scientist and a full time college load was by no means loaded with "easy" course work). It took me close to two decades to pay off my loans but I did it. I paid my childs tuition and healthcare and actually continue to help her with grad school as needed, but she works as attends school at night so she has her own insurance.
Note that I can from a single parent home, my father died when I was 6. My mother worked her butt off to keep us going and I never knew we we poorish... she went back to college at night to better our lives, but between working all day and scholl at night I spent a lot of time fending for myself. Maybe that made me more independant than a lot of people, but that is a good thing in my book.
Nobody helped me and I never asked. I don't mind helping folks IF I decide to do so, but I do not need the government taking my money and helping others that sit on their asses and don't help themselves.
You can be what ever you want to be in this country regardless of what you have to start with, but you have to work for it and you have to earn it.

[ducknwork]

Bend over...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100226/..._care_overhaul

[YardleyLabs]

In their opening statements, Republicans made it clear that they would not support any comprehensive health care bill not matter how is was structured since they believed the government does not do comprehensive well and that a piecemeal approach was better. They also made it clear that providing coverage for the uninsured and underinsured is not a strong priority. Given those positions, Democrats either accept the Republican limitation, or move forward anyway.

Personally, I believe that substantive health care reform cannot work without virtually universal coverage. Without that there is no legitimate way to curb pre-existing condition exclusions or efforts to segment the market in a manner that will leave those with the greatest risk of medical problems uninsured either through outright exclusion or through exorbitant premiums. Further, I believe that it would be better for governemnt to dramatically reduce its support for employer health plans if it is not prepared to move toward universal coverage. As they are now structured, these plans are a major part of the problem, not the solution. Let everyone buy their own coverage with after tax dollars so we can finally begin to see some price based decision making. But my preference would be to see universal coverage and I believe that the administration, if it is serious, should propose this as part of the budget and use budget reconciliation to force an up or down vote..