I finally got my wish. I now have a president who has learned how to lead, finally admitting that no common ground with today's Republicans is possible, and once and for all revealed as the true obstructionists that they are. In spite of all the threats, outright lies, misinformation, and fear mongering (and all the unnecessary and redundant posturing by the "sanctity of life"), it IS a "first step."
True, it will not yet stop the outrageous behaviors of insurance companies. As long as health care is for-profit, insurance companies will continue doing what they please. It is essentially a slap in the face to women, for reasons that go far beyond reproductive rights. It will still leave millions uninsured, and it’s still unclear how millions more will afford the insurance coverage they're now going to be required to buy. But these things can AND WILL be worked out over time.
There are immediate benefits, to name a few:
1) My neighbor's eight year old autistic son will now qualify for his parents' health care plan (apparently being born with autism is a "pre-existing" condition)
2) It will lower seniors' prescription drug prices by beginning to close the "donut hole" (too bad my Mom didn't live long enough to see that one)
3) Requires plans to cover an enrollee's dependent children until age 26
4) Offer tax credits to small businesses to purchase coverage
5) Prohibit dropping people from coverage when they get sick in all individual plans (cancer came back a third time? Sorry, three strikes and you're out!)
Yes, there is much more work to be done and plenty of people, organizations, and corporations will figure out how to exploit it, but it's a start. The income disparity in America has never been greater and it is time the people who have helped tilt the system in their favor start paying for some of America’s problems.
The door is now open, and hopefully, in the coming years, it will morph into something with a public option - or better yet, single payer.
And John McCain vows to keep fighting.
4 comments:
Yipes! Children on a parent's policy until age 26! I heard, in some instances it's age 29. Good grief, they'll never move out. That ought to increase monthly premium payments made by parents significantly.
It's at least a start with some positives, but I still think those of us who maintain a healthy lifestyle should be incentivized through lower monthly premium payments. I'm tired of covering the lazy boniaks who overeat, drink too much, and smoke...'cause that's where my $200/month health care payment goes. It certainly doesn't go to caring for me. It's more horse pucky as usual.
The idea that no one should have to pay for "someone else" assumes that everyone has the same opportunities in life and that the less virtuous have simply squandered theirs. Not all misfortunes - or ill-health - stem from a lack of personal responsibility.
let me explain health care in Canada, firstly its not free but also not expensive it cost$ me $140 a month for a family of 4. what this entitles me to is free hospital care and i can go see the doctor when i feel under the weather. it does not cover drugs unless the doctor gives out of his stock.
Once you walk out the hospital you then need your own medical aid to cover drugs etc etc. the government health care does not cover dentist, physiotherapy, glasses and a whole whack load of other stuff but at least hospital care is covered , so a whole lot of people will sit hours in the emergency rooms just to get coverage and drugs.
And there are abuses to this system.
Two thirds of the provincial (state) budget is health and trust me we running out of money, there are services being cut from security to child care to cover the health bill.
Butt if you don’t have a care card you have to pay cash and a lot of the really poor people are still left out in the cold.
The waiting lists are long because mri, cat scans, blood test are covered by this system, knee surgery is covered but you have to wait your turn and money and position will not get you to the front of the line, so if you have money you can go to any other country that takes cash and you can get the surgery done immediately. Wait times for knee surgery is about 6 to 18 months.
Yes there are good things and there are bad , there is no magic wand.
We will wait and see only time will tell if this heath care change is a good thing.
It is a start, an end and the same old same old.
It is a start to making healthcare a part of what a civilized nation should ensure (not insure) it's people, no different from a national defense.
It is an end to the moral lockdown we've been subjected to as a result of trumped up fear and kidnapped values.
The mess of a bill we are left with to sift through and amend is the result of the same old same old. And it is exactly that which unfortunately I have no hope will be changed anytime soon, if ever. It is the sort of debilitating disease that no healthcare system will cover. In the end, if not cured, it's gonna do us in. Sadly.
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