I am usually not big on Social Programs, but National Health Insurance

[Lucky Luciano]

is an absolute necessity. I mean if this is not one of the biggest conflicts of interest, then I do not know what is - it is in the best interest of the insurance company to provide crappy coverage which means you will not get what you indeed paid for! Furthermore, lost time from work and wages due to illness will be improved for those that are not insured. I obviously do not have all the numbers to go over, but if large corporations pay in taxes what they normally pay for in healthcare costs, what difference would it make to them? I do believe that someone with loads of money should still have the right to contract private physicians (for some reason this is not allowed in Canada for example). I also think that shareholders should be compensated for the fact that their stock will be worthless if medicine becomes socialized. Think of it as the government buying them out - but not with the huge premium that normally come from a buyout.

The cost of drugs needs to be controlled too. The government already makes grants for research which means that they should get something back for their investment much like any venture capitalist would and that should be used to drive down the cost of medicine.

Sell it as "trickle-up" economics to the wealthy when their workers are more healthy and being more productive....If they decide to call that voo-doo economics, then....discuss their BS trickle-down stuff. I doubt this will require huge tax increases over and above what is normally spent on healthcare insurance as it is. So, instead of paying for health insurance, you pay taxes - WTF is the difference?

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Did you hear about this?

State Senator Voluntarily Gives Up Health Insurance

Victor Callahan: Don't Ignore Uninsured Missourians

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- A state senator from Independence is going to extremes to protect Missouri's new budget, KMBC's Bev Chapman reported Friday.

Sen. Victor Callahan announced he is giving up his state-funded health insurance to draw attention to the thousands of people without medical insurance. The Democratic senator said that lawmakers shouldn't ignore the growing number of uninsured people.

"I'm doing this today because I don't want to be a hypocrite. I intend to join the other 74,000 Missourians without health care," Callahan said.

Changes in Medicaid eligibility in this year's budget will eliminate between 70,000 and 100,000 people from the program. Callahan, who represents Independence and Raytown, estimates more than 30,000 people in his district will be affected by Medicaid cutbacks.

Callahan wants the governor to join him in quitting health care.
"I'm calling on Gov. (Matt) Blunt today to lead by example -- to join with me coming off state health care until we resolve the issue," Callahan said.

In addition to giving up his state coverage, Callahan has also stopped receiving benefits from his regular employer.

http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/politics/4461303/detail.html

[Lucky Luciano]

3. yup! On the front page at DU

That dude is a hero to the American people.

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. He really is a great state senator

I was so glad to see him getting such positive attention.

On another note, I posted this on another board and one of the freepers there said something is wrong when one in 5 Missourians are on Medicaid. Stupid freeper never thought that yes, maybe the screwed up economy is what is wrong. But no, he is convinced all these Medicaid recipients are just too lazy to go find good jobs with health insurance.

[Nite Owl]

2. In so many ways it would help

the economy too. How many people want to work for themselves but are tied to a big corporation for the health care benefits? And linking it to work is insane. If you get sick, you lose your job and your healthcare with it.

[yvr girl]

5. Canadians can jump the que on certain things

I had a friend who paid for private knee surgery because she didn't want to wait.

It's my understanding that the US pays more per capita for health care than we do in Canada, yet you have much less coverage.

Last year, Global (Canadian Network) did a study on health care in many European nations. They all had socialized medicine, but the systems were quite different. The US could study what's been done in other places, and find something that works for you.

[Canadian Socialist]

6. Physicians in Canada are private

They're considered small businesses. They just bill the provincial government for their services.

[Lucky Luciano]

8. that is what I understood

but they are not allowed to bill patients directly that might want primo service...that is correct?

[Canadian Socialist]

10. I'm not an expert

but no, there is no direct billing of patients. HOWEVER, some provinces have "user fees" allowed. e.g. my physician bills me for an exam for insurance purposes or for a medical letter for my place of employment. They are nominal amounts, ($10) usually to cover the time of the administrator in her office. This, BTW, is in Alberta. Every province has its own set of rules.

[caledesi]

7. Only industrialized country in the world w/o health care for

its people. (I think South Africa too) It's disgusting that such a rich country treats health care as a privilege.

And I don't want to hear about how expensive it will be. If people had preventative health care, then they wouldn't be showing up in emergency rooms for TRIPLE the cost. Now that is expensive. All these neocons don't get it. They are already paying for some uninsured people at a high price.

Believe me, I know. I became seriously ill 6 months after my husband got laid off from a major company (worked almost 20 years). We still had it when I first went for tests (looks like MS...still don't know for sure), but then severance ran out and NO health insurance and husband working temp job at 9.50/hr. Had to quit my job bec of illness.

Now I am NOWHERE. Here in Florida, u can go to a "free" clinic, but the obstacles are unbelievable! We were paying full price for prescription drugs at about 250/month. Yeah, we are poor now.

In a matter of 2 1/2 years, we went from middle class to "kinda working" poor.

Really puts a strain on one's relationship. Those family values, ya know???

Makes me sick :puke: Idiots should have gone w/ Hillary's plan.

[Lucky Luciano]

9. What a terrible story caledesi

Keep fighting...maybe some day these neo-con nazis will be goen from power - it starts in 2006, but in the meantime I hope your husband gets a strong job again and that you can just be plain strong again - and with a good job.

[caledesi]

15. Thank you. That's what we are trying to do is just survive at this point.

It gets worse actually. My husband is 54 and you know how hard it is to get another job at that age. Plus, the "new" thing is instead of hiring a full-timer, hire 2 part-timers so they don't have to pay health insurance.

Oh yeah, he has been offered jobs, but ALL part-time. It's really disturbing.

I have to say that before this whole fiasco came down, I seldom drank alcohol, (wine when we went to dinner -2 glasses max). Now, I don't want to go into it, but felt like "confessing" for some reason. Abusing alcohol - self-medicating just to escape from this mess.

We got hit w/ so much for so long w/ no family support at all. They are in denial about my illness. When my younger brother moved here to Florida 30 minutes away from me, I had hope. But,we have been to his house exactly once and he hasn't called since December. His family have been here almost a year! Nice huh?

And get this, he is the only brother I have left since my other 2 brothers died of the same cancer within 2 years of each other about 3 years ago.

BTW, my siblings are all Republicans! My mother and I are the only Dems.

Oh well, thanks for listening. I used to be such a strong, upbeat person....and I probably have 2 days a week where I feel pretty good.

I am rambling...do you blame me?

[gratuitous]

11. Not big on social programs?

Gee, I rather like buying food that's wholesome and nutritious, that meets government standards. Or going to a restaurant and not rolling the dice that I'm going to be poisoned because there are no "social program" health inspectors going through the various kitchens around town.

Not to mention "social programs" like the FDA, the FCC, the SEC and a host of others. I wonder which ones we should do away with?

[Lucky Luciano]

12. I do not consider those social programs

Those are regulatory agencies that are much needed.

I do not like the welfare system. I think it should not be completely eliminated, but it needs huge imporvements....I like Carter's Habitat for Humanity though - that is the lead that should be taken with regard to all such programs. Workfare beats the shit out of welfare in my opinion - including setting up government run daycare centers where the employees are on workfare - which would help others on workfare do a job that needs to be done anyway - like picking up trash on the highway or cleaning grafitti - something so we get what we pay for....plus if they do not like that work, it should motivate people better to go out and look for a job when they otherwise have all but given up.

[many a good man]

13. Within 5-10 years business will demand natl health

Why in the world do we tie health care to employment? Its such a drain on small business. Think of all the expenses a large company has managing health benefits. Double-digit premium increases are really smarting them as much as it is workers.

What's the difference? Price controls, or "rationing" as ** calls it. Make no mistake it will have to be confronted. But it will be the citizens deciding how much to pay for health care, decided democratically.

[Dr Ron]

14. National health insurance is not necessarily a huge social program

There is a huge difference between a true government run health program (such as in Great Britian) and a single payer plan where health care continues to be administered by private hospitals and doctors, but the government pays the bills.

Conservatives manage to scare people off by blurring this difference. Note how they even attacked Kerry's proposals, which is far less government than even a single payer plan, as a government take over.

"So, instead of paying for health insurance, you pay taxes - WTF is the difference?"

Big difference--you pay a lot less money considering the huge overhead of private insurance as compared to Medicare (using Medicare as the best model for comparison to look at the costs of a single payer plan).

I do have one fear regarding such a plan. I do fear having Republicans in control of the government greatly underfunding such a plan in order to spend the money on more important things (to them) such as invading another country.