Health Leaders Seek Consensus Over Uninsured

[steve2470]

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/29/national/29insure.html?hp&ex=1117339200&en=4ee7fc0aa141bf73&ei=5094&partner=homepage


By ROBERT PEAR
Published: May 29, 2005
WASHINGTON, May 28 - At a time when Congress has been torn by partisan battles, 24 ideologically disparate leaders representing the health care industry, corporations and unions, and conservative and liberal groups have been meeting secretly for months to seek a consensus on proposals to provide coverage for the growing number of people with no health insurance.

The participants, ranging from the liberal Families USA to the conservative Heritage Foundation and the United States Chamber of Commerce, said they had made progress in trying to overcome the ideological impasse that has stymied action on the problem for eight years.

The group, which first came together last October, has not endorsed any specific plan, but has discussed a range of options, including tax incentives for the purchase of insurance, changes in Medicaid to cover more low-income adults and the creation of insurance purchasing pools at the state level.

"This effort holds as much promise as any I've participated in over the last decade, probably more," said Kate Sullivan Hare, the executive director of health care policy at the United States Chamber of Commerce.




<snip>

[firefox]

1. Universal health care is the western way.

There are plenty of countries with socialized medicine. We could copy any one of them, much less the best, and improve on what we have now. Just who can afford real health care in this country anyway? The health care situation is broken. Just look at the exclusions for previous conditions where the insurance company says we know you are sick but we are about profits, so the hell with your previous condition. Go bankrupt or die for all we care.

[w8liftinglady]

2. About time

I am a nurse,and there are no provisions made for preventative care,exercise programs,alternative medicine-unless you already have a disease....and if you are a kid-forget it.The focus needs to shift from treatment to prevention...but,wait-that isn't very profitable...

[mongo]

4. Go bankrupt or die

That about sums it up with the insurance companies.

[mongo]

3. My first question for them

is why are people with no insurance charged MORE for the same services at their local hospital? Most of the time at least double of what someone with insurance has.

Fair pricing would go a long way to helping the working poor.