Project Reason is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society. The foundation draws on the talents of prominent and creative thinkers in a wide range of disciplines to encourage critical thinking and erode the influence of dogmatism, superstition, and bigotry in our world.

 
   
6 of 14
6
The Health Care Wars are on again!
Posted: 31 July 2012 09:37 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 76 ]
Sr. Member
Avatar
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  6032
Joined  2007-12-19
saralynn - 31 July 2012 08:10 AM

BURT: $700 a month?  Wow, here in BC I pay about $110 per month for myself and my wife.  Of course that doesn’t cover drugs and we do have waits for some services.

Actually, it’s $650, but I exaggerate when I get excited. I have a huge deductible, so my meds aren’t covered either until I reach $5,000, so it’s almost like having no drug coverage.  The other bad thing is you tend not to go to the doctor when you’re sick, so if I get the bubonic plague, I’ll probably spread it around before I am diagnosed.  It is more like “catastrophe insurance” than anything else. Of course, no dental.

This is why I chuckle wryly when people complain about their taxes being raised if we had universal health care.  Obama’s plan will help both businesses and individuals.  Imagine how costly it is for companies to provide health care benefits for their employees?  How can they compete with companies overseas who don’t have that burden?  Also, the higher the labor costs, the fewer people are hired.

The irony is that, although we have the most expensive health care system in the world, we certainly don’t have the best.

I wonder why the Republicans are so good at propaganda and the Dems are so incompetent?  We need a Democratic Karl Rove. 

Ugh.  Forget I even said that…..

Sorry for my contribution to your increase in service charges/premiums. Just two weeks ago I visited an emergency room for a life threatening situation (shoulda/coulda been addressed sooner) with no insurance and no ability to pay. Although it’s a religious-based hospital that receives tax breaks and subsidies to treat the indigent, I’m still getting billed and my credit rating (don’t have any anyhow) is still further damaged which will further diminish my qualifications/eligibility for finding decent employment. Seeking immediate and adequate followup care even from private charitable and governmental public assistance organizations was a virtual nightmare ... you have to be employed. Now, multiply me in the millions. Believe me, the thought of taking some Republicans/Libertarians with me was very tempting, or at least, cathartic.

 Signature 

“This is it. You are it.”


- Jos. Campbell

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 03:28 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 77 ]
Sr. Member
Avatar
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  5735
Joined  2010-01-29

Answerer: Sorry for my contribution to your increase in service charges/premiums. Just two weeks ago I visited an emergency room for a life threatening situation (shoulda/coulda been addressed sooner) with no insurance and no ability to pay. Although it’s a religious-based hospital that receives tax breaks and subsidies to treat the indigent, I’m still getting billed and my credit rating (don’t have any anyhow) is still further damaged which will further diminish my qualifications/eligibility for finding decent employment. Seeking immediate and adequate followup care even from private charitable and governmental public assistance organizations was a virtual nightmare ... you have to be employed. Now, multiply me in the millions. Believe me, the thought of taking some Republicans/Libertarians with me was very tempting, or at least, cathartic.

That sucks, Answerer, and I’m sorry you had to go through the stress and humiliation of trying to get followup care when you are probably still in the process of recovering.  It’s rough. 

Fifty million people don’t have health insurance in the US and the numbers are climbing.  It really is a disgrace.

 Signature 

Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 05:37 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 78 ]
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  547
Joined  2011-09-07
Answerer - 31 July 2012 06:04 AM
DanielMoore1991 - 30 July 2012 03:33 PM
Jefe - 30 July 2012 03:28 PM
DanielMoore1991 - 30 July 2012 03:20 PM

.....a socialist society.

Feel free to continue tilting against the strawman of ‘socialist society’ if you like, but I don’t recall anyone suggesting pure socialism as an answer.

Well Rob once told me he is left of center and I am sure the majority of you are as well. Left of center is a more socialist society than free-market capitalism as the direction to the center creates the majority.

You’re just drawing arbitrary lines on a skewed scale somebody fed to you like a religion which doesn’t correspond to reality.

In respect to what? The subject of healthcare or that Rob is left of center?

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 07:07 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 79 ]
Sr. Member
Avatar
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  6111
Joined  2008-05-23

Both. Rob may be left of centre but that does not mean what you have been brainwashed into thinking it means. Daniel, read, read, read… And then maybe you can start forming a real opinion on such matters and writing informatively about them.

 Signature 

Faith means not wanting to know what is true Nietzsche

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 07:17 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 80 ]
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  547
Joined  2011-09-07
Die fröhliche Wissenschaft (Rob) - 31 July 2012 07:07 PM

Both. Rob may be left of centre but that does not mean what you have been brainwashed into thinking it means. Daniel, read, read, read… And then maybe you can start forming a real opinion on such matters and writing informatively about them.

Rob the spectrum of politics that we all define as left or right is accurate in its symbolism.

You said your left of center. I know what that means.

If i’m unclear on your political philosophy it is up to you to give me more details if your upset about my analysis.

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 07:34 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 81 ]
Sr. Member
Avatar
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  6111
Joined  2008-05-23
saralynn - 31 July 2012 03:28 PM

Answerer: Sorry for my contribution to your increase in service charges/premiums. Just two weeks ago I visited an emergency room for a life threatening situation (shoulda/coulda been addressed sooner) with no insurance and no ability to pay. Although it’s a religious-based hospital that receives tax breaks and subsidies to treat the indigent, I’m still getting billed and my credit rating (don’t have any anyhow) is still further damaged which will further diminish my qualifications/eligibility for finding decent employment. Seeking immediate and adequate followup care even from private charitable and governmental public assistance organizations was a virtual nightmare ... you have to be employed. Now, multiply me in the millions. Believe me, the thought of taking some Republicans/Libertarians with me was very tempting, or at least, cathartic.

That sucks, Answerer, and I’m sorry you had to go through the stress and humiliation of trying to get followup care when you are probably still in the process of recovering.  It’s rough. 

Fifty million people don’t have health insurance in the US and the numbers are climbing.  It really is a disgrace.

Yes, it is a disgrace. And the silliest and most shameful thing about it is that it doesn’t have to be this way. It remains so because of ideological bloody-mindedness and stupidity of the type daniel is buying into.

 Signature 

Faith means not wanting to know what is true Nietzsche

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 07:42 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 82 ]
Sr. Member
Avatar
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  6111
Joined  2008-05-23
DanielMoore1991 - 31 July 2012 07:17 PM
Die fröhliche Wissenschaft (Rob) - 31 July 2012 07:07 PM

Both. Rob may be left of centre but that does not mean what you have been brainwashed into thinking it means. Daniel, read, read, read… And then maybe you can start forming a real opinion on such matters and writing informatively about them.

Rob the spectrum of politics that we all define as left or right is accurate in its symbolism.

You said your left of center. I know what that means.

If i’m unclear on your political philosophy it is up to you to give me more details if your upset about my analysis.

If you are unclear about something, Daniel, it is up to you, not anyone else, to inform yourself.

I’ll tell you what, you tell me what you think left-of-centre means and then I’ll tell you how accurtely your characterisation of that political position is in respect of my own. Deal?

 Signature 

Faith means not wanting to know what is true Nietzsche

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 07:48 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 83 ]
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  547
Joined  2011-09-07

Answerer in an economy with a fully developed free-market capitalist healthcare system in a pure free-market system… with today’s technology (i don’t know what sickness you had) .. you would of walked in to a shop that covered your need…got a low price ... and walked out fixed if indeed medically possible, if you were living in a time period with a prosperous economy. & You would have an increased savings (on top of your already large savings) account due to lower prices of goods and less taxes. & you’d have more choices of what health care business you would want to choose from. & the health care market would certainly be huge like it is today and you most likely would not have to wait at all for a procedure

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 07:57 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 84 ]
Sr. Member
Avatar
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  6111
Joined  2008-05-23
DanielMoore1991 - 31 July 2012 07:48 PM

Answerer in an economy with a fully developed free-market capitalist healthcare system in a pure free-market system… with today’s technology (i don’t know what sickness you had) .. you would of walked in to a shop that covered your need…got a low price ... and walked out fixed if indeed medically possible, if you were living in a time period with a prosperous economy. & You would have an increased savings (on top of your already large savings) account due to lower prices of goods and less taxes. & you’d have more choices of what health care business you would want to choose from. & the health care market would certainly be huge like it is today and you most likely would not have to wait at all for a procedure

Indoctrination complete. Insert next empty mind into right-wing mind machine and begin download.

 Signature 

Faith means not wanting to know what is true Nietzsche

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 08:02 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 85 ]
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  547
Joined  2011-09-07

Industrial Revolutions. pure growth. lets get rid of our debt and begin

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 08:07 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 86 ]
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  547
Joined  2011-09-07

Let’s pay China back the money they lent us and establish a trustworthy relationship.

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 10:31 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 87 ]
Sr. Member
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  6974
Joined  2006-12-17
DanielMoore1991 - 31 July 2012 08:02 PM

Industrial Revolutions. pure growth. lets get rid of our debt and begin

Right, let’s abolish all safety standards, bring back the sweat shops and child labor while we’re at it.  Pure unfettered capitalistic reality.

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 10:38 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 88 ]
Member
RankRankRank
Total Posts:  547
Joined  2011-09-07
burt - 31 July 2012 10:31 PM
DanielMoore1991 - 31 July 2012 08:02 PM

Industrial Revolutions. pure growth. lets get rid of our debt and begin

Right, let’s abolish all safety standards, bring back the sweat shops and child labor while we’re at it.  Pure unfettered capitalistic reality.

i’m not talking about the rights of safety for an individual ... i am talking about a small government in respect to how much capital the government absorbs out of the private economy

... there should be regulations on safety

Profile
 
 
Posted: 31 July 2012 11:36 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 89 ]
Sr. Member
Avatar
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  6111
Joined  2008-05-23

And how are you going to pay to police those safety regulations if not out of government revenue? This small government mantra you keep mouthing is just a meaningless slogan you’ve absorbed. You have no idea what the implications are. You just don’t get it. Start living in the real world. Go get a job, start paying taxes (or at least go to college and get an education) and after all that let us know how your views have developed. Oh, and read. Widely!

 Signature 

Faith means not wanting to know what is true Nietzsche

Profile
 
 
Posted: 01 August 2012 05:07 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 90 ]
Sr. Member
Avatar
RankRankRankRank
Total Posts:  3138
Joined  2006-04-05
DanielMoore1991 - 31 July 2012 07:48 PM

Answerer in an economy with a fully developed free-market capitalist healthcare system in a pure free-market system… with today’s technology (i don’t know what sickness you had) .. you would of walked in to a shop that covered your need…got a low price ... and walked out fixed if indeed medically possible, if you were living in a time period with a prosperous economy. & You would have an increased savings (on top of your already large savings) account due to lower prices of goods and less taxes. & you’d have more choices of what health care business you would want to choose from. & the health care market would certainly be huge like it is today and you most likely would not have to wait at all for a procedure

As I noted earlier, you seem to be pretty clueless about what “health care” means. It’s more than just walking into a clinic to get “treated.” Physical therapy, rehab, long-term care, etc.—these are things which take time, resources, and people. There are no shortcuts. Well, there are—cutting staff and resources. That’s what lots of hospitals and nursing homes do now. The results are marginally improved profit margins, but not “efficient” or improved health care.

Profile
 
 
   
6 of 14
6
 
‹‹ Where to begin?      Natural disaster stories ››