Learn how 5 other *Democracies* handle their healthcare. What I find most unfortunate is how infrequent the national discussion is in regards to other countries' healthcare.
In September this year, my wife got a call about us repaying an 8 year old payday loan in a state where I lived 12 years ago. We sent a certified letter sating I had never taken a payday loan from thier client(or anyone, for that matter)and requested documentation, but we never received a response. Now, I have been called about it from an agency in my current state, stating the debt had been sent to arbitration in the other state, and they had a court order requiring me to pay the debt, plus penalties and interest. They have my driver's license I. D., and all necessary documentation needed for them to pursue collection. I denied ever having incurred this debt, and told them I was contacting my attorney. I even gave them his name and his firm, at which point they refused any further communication. Now my employer has notified me that my wages are being garnished! Any idea on how (and if) I can fight this?
Those of you that are complaining (ironically) about the people complaining about the netspend card are missing the point.
It's not about how the card works, whether or not you have to pay to load it, use it, store it, or cut lines of coke with it. It has nothing to do with the fact that it isn't activated when it arrives. To be certain, this type of card fills some niche requirements.
The point is this: By participating in a ruse in which the issuer says the person REQUESTED the account, the recipient of the unsolicited card is left wondering who actually requested the card. There are two possibilities: 1.) someone trying to steal their identity did it, or 2.) the company is being deceitful. Neither scenario is very appealing, but many people would assume it must be the former, thinking that companies would exhibit *some* degree of ethical behavior and not engage in the type of deceit that would make someone worry about having their identity stolen.
I just received one of these cards today, although it was from accountnow, and I was bewildered. I don't live paycheck to paycheck, and I manage my credit exceptionally well so I have no need for a pre-paid debit card. The thought occurred to me that it was just an unsolicited mailing, but it would have made more sense for them to send it out and say "Hey - we thought you might like this pre-paid debit card. Activate it if you want it, otherwise don't worry about it." rather than tell me that I requested it, when of course I did not. When I called someone to ask about how the account was requested, they wouldn't provide any information unless I provided my date of birth, social, etc. - as if they had this information already on file for comparison. And they said someone *did* request this account. Since I wouldn't provide it to them, I have no way of knowing if someone actually did. I suspect not after reading this blog and all the comments. It's a pretty sleazy business, IMHO.
Interesting article you have here. This program seems great but doesn't fit my needs as I'm already in university with 1 year to go before graduation. I am interested in a Master's program similar to the one you mentioned.
Do you know of such a program (especially one targeted at Canada)? It doesn't have to be free but a reduced cost would be great.
At our school, there are departmental seminars and talks several times a week, with food ranging from a few cookies to a full, catered buffet. As with the clubs, don't go just for the food (unless desperate!). But if you have an interest in the talks anyway, why not go and make a meal of it?
I've been an RN in the US for 30+ years. I've never experienced healthcare in other countries. That said, I KNOW what is wrong with our healthcare system as does any other medical professional. Our hospitals are run by MBA's who are totally clueless about what a patient needs to get better. Walk into any modern US hospital and look around. First, you'll see that multi-million dollar lobby with a water feature and a fireplace. All private rooms with 42" plasma TVs and leather couches for your "guests". Now look at the equipment that is intended to actually keep you alive and get you well. They're the cheapest and least reliable monitors and IV pumps on the market. But hey, as long as you can watch ESPN while your loved one is in the bed having a heart attack undetected by the faulty monitor (that LOOKS good but is a piece of crap) the CEO's happy. And let's not forget how many staff positions were cut so you could enjoy that nifty specialty coffee shop found in every modern US hospital. Hospitals need to put more money directly to patient care and less into trying to appear to be a 5-star resort. I've yet to see a 42" plasma change a patient's outcome. Healthcare professionals need to be in charge of hospitals again. Not bean counters.
I want to be clear that credit unions are not free from this behavior, either. I had recent experience with my credit union in which I was charged $75 in late fees due to an accounting error by my company's payroll. It happens.
I think you have some really good points and I agree with you. I've been in healthcare for 35 years and have seen a lot of things happen. the thing that worries me are the taxes that would be needed for universal healthcare. I think we already pay about 33% and our government is asking for more. Also our government has made such a mess of things, what's to say they wouldn't make a big mess of that too. It would really be nice if universal healthcare could be could be worked out. But I don't know if I trust the big guys.
Maybe so compared to other countries but do not forget that one of the reasons that this is so in America is because our citizens have demanded higher standards since our nation's inception and fought hard for them. Reforming health care now is just another chapter in our ongoing demand as Americans for higher standards. We shouldn't just say "Oh well at least everyone here is better off" and then just call it a day. When that day comes we can start to kiss our higher standards goodbye.
18 years ago I was young, employed, healthy (or so I thought) with good health insurance (or so I thought). Then I developed a rare cancer -- from pregnancy -- that nearly killed me. The cost for my treatment was around $100,000, which was about 70% covered by insurance. That left me and my husband $30,000 to pay out of pocket, which we eventually did. It nearly bankrupted us then, and the cost today is estimated to be about $1,000.000, with my share being about $300,000.
The kicker is, a few months into my treatment, a clerk from the insurance company called me and tried to convince me I should stop the treatments, "as they are not working anyway and they cost a lot." A clerk -- not a doctor or a nurse -- was giving me "medical" advice to just give up and die. This is not so different from insurance companies today that deny coverage outright, hoping their clients will die before they are able to appeal the coverage denial. Isn't this tantamount to insurance companies as "death squads"? My insurance company would have liked to deprive my child of her mother, my family of its main breadwinner (hubby was a student) and my husband of his life partner -- for the insurance company's profit.
On top of that, the cancer I had is somewhat rare and not much was known about it at the time. My case established the treatment protocol for the type of cancer I had, which means other women have since been successfully treated. (Did I mention that my cancer, at the stage it was discovered, was usually fatal 18 years ago?) So depriving me of treatment would have cost my life, and also the lives of other women who get this type of cancer.
Since then, I cannot get health insurance that is not part of a group plan. For many years I was locked into my job so I could get the medical treatment many Americans take for granted, such as treatment for a torn muscle, or for an ear infection. I am luckier than some, because I now have insurance through my husband's work (for which we pay $1,000 a month for lousy coverage and nearly no prescription coverage).
So, did my lifestyle choices cause my cancer? Well, yes. I chose to have a family. If I had made a different choice,I would not have gotten cancer, but the world would be minus one brilliant, productive, creative and kind young woman (my daughter).
Did I ask anyone for "free" medical care? Nope. I paid my premiums, copays and deductables. If we had single payer, I would be paying taxes for that. Am I asking you to cough up money out of your pocket to pay for my medical care? Nope. Many of us who are pro-health care reform are not looking for a free ride. We just want access to health care so we can work, take care of our families, and ultimately, live. The way things are now, health insurance is exclusionary, too expensive and just doesn't work for anyone who may at some point actually need health care. It's kind of a "one strike and you're out" medical system.
I can deal with the bureaucracy of government-run healthcare more than I can stomach the bureaucracy of insurance company-run healthcare. After all, I can vote out the bureaucrats, but I have no voice at all with the insurance companies.
Amazon does this often--for over a month from Nov to the beg of Dec there was a similar deal in the Toys Dept. Any purchase (as long as it was thru Amazon and not a third-party seller) and you could request the refund of $9.99 from whatever magazine. Saves you another $10! Keep an eye on the "Special Offers" section when you're on a product page.
I'm American. I've lived in Japan, Canada, and the Netherlands, and part of my family lives in the UK. I would gladly take ANY of those systems over the one we have now. No, they're not perfect, but even with whatever money/resources are wasted due to government bureaucracy, and the small minority of people who get decent-but-not-exceptional-care, they're miles better than the US system - better outcomes at a fraction of the cost. I'd rather pay 1% higher taxes every year, knowing that if I get cancer or get hit by a bus 10 years from now, I won't go bankrupt while I'm trying to recover. No one's health care plan should consist of simply crossing their fingers that they don't get ill or have an accident. And if you think that's not what a huge percentage of Americans' health care plans really amount to, you're fooling yourself.
Thank you for your article and insight. I absolutely agree. So far my family has been fortunate enough to have coverage through one or another employer but I know plenty of people who don't. I agree that it is wrong to profit off healthcare the way our system works now. I think so much of what is being said right now against a public system is just plain untrue, scare tactics being used by those who currently profit by our present system. There are plenty of ways to earn a buck without denying others care they should be able to receive affordably. We are a nation of smart, inventive people. We should be able to figure this out.
...you would have already paid for it with your tax dollars. It would be hard for me to opt out of a plan that gives me benefits for 'free' if I have already paid for it.
I hear a lot about personal responsibility whenever this issue comes up. It's usually spoken in the same breath with the importance of free market capitalism. The legal structure of incorporation (the current primary manifestation of free market capitalism) basically creates a situation in which the individuals who created and make up the corporation are exempt from the responsibility of the corporations business practices. So, essentially, when Hershey buys cocoa processed by slaves along the ivory coast, the corporation of Hershey is not responsible for employing slaves, although that is essentially what they are doing. Where is the responsibility when places like CIGNA, for instance, hire people to deny enrollees coverage or prevent them from getting necessary procedures in order to keep costs down for the sake of their profits? If we're going to talk about taking responsibility, let's start with dismantling the corporate structure of capitalism. Responsibility is a two-way street, in both the public and the private sectors.
You don't have to take it if you don't want to and I think it would be great to give insurance companies the competition. Higher rates and denied coverages are happening now and will continue if the insurance companies are going to keep making record profits. My "company provided" insurance, for which I pay the total premium, sucks but I have to take it due to a pre-existing condition. And by the way, just because the insurance people will have to take us with pre-existing conditions doesn't mean that they can't charge us more than everyone else. Before I had insurance I went to a discount clinic run by the local junior college and I am tempted to dump my insurance and go back there. At least they understood that they needed to make healthcare affordable.
OK, Marc. Those of us still working will wave at you on the side of the road when your industry tanks or you get injured or sick and can't keep your job or your insurance.
BTW, you ALREADY work a 50 hour week to pay for all those folks because the hospitals cannot turn them away when they show up in the ER. It would be cheaper to treat a lot of those "lazy thugs" with some preventive care before they have that heart attack and have to be hospitalized for a week on our collective dime.
When I was a grad student in England, I, too, was on the National Health for my medical care. I was very satisfied with my experience with them in terms of doctor's visits and so on.
But to come more to the point, the REAL difference came when I had a slip and fall accident on some split milk (really) around the corner in the supermarket aisle. I was immediately taken to the hospital for xrays to see if I had broken anything. (Luckily not.) End of story - in a similar case in the US, I would have to go to healthcare, provide either insurance or cash - and then go after the insurance company of the grocery store for my expenses.
Here's where the bureaucrats & lawyers come in along with a lot of red tape & added time and trouble. This is part of what creates such a litigious society. If basic healthcare is a RIGHT for every citizen, then NO PROBLEM!! & no INSURANCE COMPANIES!! equalling less expense involved. And P.S., I think we should also consider the selfish benefits of providing general public health - Do you want your food server to have T.B. or any other communicable disease? These are issues that everyone has to face, and basic public health benefits all of us.
If the insurance companies are making life and death decisions concerning patients, i.e. whether or not a person receives treatment, shouldn’t they have some kind of “Hippocratic Oath” ?
I've been thinking about the healthcare reform long and hard ever since it started popping up on the news and have a lot to say (esp since I've been a healthcare provider, married to one, had great insurance, had bad insurance and no insurance) - so, I even wrote a blog post on it: http://kevnjacks.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-thoughts-on-healthcare-reform.html - I'd love some feedback! But, honestly, I feel that the main reason that our healthcare system is the way it is today is due to the fact that there is declining integrity on all fronts - insurance companies who want to make more (esp execs), those patients who abuse the system, and those doctors and hospitals trying to make more. Of course not everyone is like that but there are enough of these folks to wreck the system, even if it was working earlier.
And I really think that healthcare is a commodity, rather than a right. None of the other rights involve any money nor does is it a service provided to you (ie right to free speech, etc). It is a good that can be purchased. Sure, I believe everyone should have it, just like I think everyone should have life insurance, etc. I really wish the gov't would just reimburse tax dollar for preventative care (so ppl aren't paying for what they don't want) and that insurance would cover the bigger stuff (not unlike car insurance and homeowners insurance).
I don't even really want to get into the discussion of comparing other nation's national healthcare plans vs our current America healthcare system - we get different things because we pay for different things. They pay way more taxes than we do to fund their system.
I also think it's really sad that we can only talk about the gov't option in terms of what we HOPE it will be - we don't honestly know enough of what it will be like in the end because our legislator like those close door mtgs, give special deals to try to gain votes and change the bill every few days. That's another thought for another day...
The reason for the $55 box of kleenex (charged by a hospital I assume) is because the hospital needs the extra mony to pay for all the emergency cases of uninsured patients they have to treat. If those people would had insurance, then hospital costs would be more equalized for everybody. I hope to God we come up with some kind of reform.
Excellent read and I appreciate your thoughts.
I too work in healthcare. A majority of the folks I work with agree that some sort of public option is more viable.
That said, to the naysayers... before you do anything else, watch this video: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/view/
Learn how 5 other *Democracies* handle their healthcare. What I find most unfortunate is how infrequent the national discussion is in regards to other countries' healthcare.
Watch this: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/view/
In September this year, my wife got a call about us repaying an 8 year old payday loan in a state where I lived 12 years ago. We sent a certified letter sating I had never taken a payday loan from thier client(or anyone, for that matter)and requested documentation, but we never received a response. Now, I have been called about it from an agency in my current state, stating the debt had been sent to arbitration in the other state, and they had a court order requiring me to pay the debt, plus penalties and interest. They have my driver's license I. D., and all necessary documentation needed for them to pursue collection. I denied ever having incurred this debt, and told them I was contacting my attorney. I even gave them his name and his firm, at which point they refused any further communication. Now my employer has notified me that my wages are being garnished! Any idea on how (and if) I can fight this?
Those of you that are complaining (ironically) about the people complaining about the netspend card are missing the point.
It's not about how the card works, whether or not you have to pay to load it, use it, store it, or cut lines of coke with it. It has nothing to do with the fact that it isn't activated when it arrives. To be certain, this type of card fills some niche requirements.
The point is this: By participating in a ruse in which the issuer says the person REQUESTED the account, the recipient of the unsolicited card is left wondering who actually requested the card. There are two possibilities: 1.) someone trying to steal their identity did it, or 2.) the company is being deceitful. Neither scenario is very appealing, but many people would assume it must be the former, thinking that companies would exhibit *some* degree of ethical behavior and not engage in the type of deceit that would make someone worry about having their identity stolen.
I just received one of these cards today, although it was from accountnow, and I was bewildered. I don't live paycheck to paycheck, and I manage my credit exceptionally well so I have no need for a pre-paid debit card. The thought occurred to me that it was just an unsolicited mailing, but it would have made more sense for them to send it out and say "Hey - we thought you might like this pre-paid debit card. Activate it if you want it, otherwise don't worry about it." rather than tell me that I requested it, when of course I did not. When I called someone to ask about how the account was requested, they wouldn't provide any information unless I provided my date of birth, social, etc. - as if they had this information already on file for comparison. And they said someone *did* request this account. Since I wouldn't provide it to them, I have no way of knowing if someone actually did. I suspect not after reading this blog and all the comments. It's a pretty sleazy business, IMHO.
Interesting article you have here. This program seems great but doesn't fit my needs as I'm already in university with 1 year to go before graduation. I am interested in a Master's program similar to the one you mentioned.
Do you know of such a program (especially one targeted at Canada)? It doesn't have to be free but a reduced cost would be great.
At our school, there are departmental seminars and talks several times a week, with food ranging from a few cookies to a full, catered buffet. As with the clubs, don't go just for the food (unless desperate!). But if you have an interest in the talks anyway, why not go and make a meal of it?
I've been an RN in the US for 30+ years. I've never experienced healthcare in other countries. That said, I KNOW what is wrong with our healthcare system as does any other medical professional. Our hospitals are run by MBA's who are totally clueless about what a patient needs to get better. Walk into any modern US hospital and look around. First, you'll see that multi-million dollar lobby with a water feature and a fireplace. All private rooms with 42" plasma TVs and leather couches for your "guests". Now look at the equipment that is intended to actually keep you alive and get you well. They're the cheapest and least reliable monitors and IV pumps on the market. But hey, as long as you can watch ESPN while your loved one is in the bed having a heart attack undetected by the faulty monitor (that LOOKS good but is a piece of crap) the CEO's happy. And let's not forget how many staff positions were cut so you could enjoy that nifty specialty coffee shop found in every modern US hospital. Hospitals need to put more money directly to patient care and less into trying to appear to be a 5-star resort. I've yet to see a 42" plasma change a patient's outcome. Healthcare professionals need to be in charge of hospitals again. Not bean counters.
I want to be clear that credit unions are not free from this behavior, either. I had recent experience with my credit union in which I was charged $75 in late fees due to an accounting error by my company's payroll. It happens.
I think you have some really good points and I agree with you. I've been in healthcare for 35 years and have seen a lot of things happen. the thing that worries me are the taxes that would be needed for universal healthcare. I think we already pay about 33% and our government is asking for more. Also our government has made such a mess of things, what's to say they wouldn't make a big mess of that too. It would really be nice if universal healthcare could be could be worked out. But I don't know if I trust the big guys.
Thanks for the thoughtful comments, Paul. Well put.
"But EVERYONE is better off"...
Maybe so compared to other countries but do not forget that one of the reasons that this is so in America is because our citizens have demanded higher standards since our nation's inception and fought hard for them. Reforming health care now is just another chapter in our ongoing demand as Americans for higher standards. We shouldn't just say "Oh well at least everyone here is better off" and then just call it a day. When that day comes we can start to kiss our higher standards goodbye.
I like the point about the meal plan. If you are on the meal plan and buying food elsewhere, you are really wasting your resources.
18 years ago I was young, employed, healthy (or so I thought) with good health insurance (or so I thought). Then I developed a rare cancer -- from pregnancy -- that nearly killed me. The cost for my treatment was around $100,000, which was about 70% covered by insurance. That left me and my husband $30,000 to pay out of pocket, which we eventually did. It nearly bankrupted us then, and the cost today is estimated to be about $1,000.000, with my share being about $300,000.
The kicker is, a few months into my treatment, a clerk from the insurance company called me and tried to convince me I should stop the treatments, "as they are not working anyway and they cost a lot." A clerk -- not a doctor or a nurse -- was giving me "medical" advice to just give up and die. This is not so different from insurance companies today that deny coverage outright, hoping their clients will die before they are able to appeal the coverage denial. Isn't this tantamount to insurance companies as "death squads"? My insurance company would have liked to deprive my child of her mother, my family of its main breadwinner (hubby was a student) and my husband of his life partner -- for the insurance company's profit.
On top of that, the cancer I had is somewhat rare and not much was known about it at the time. My case established the treatment protocol for the type of cancer I had, which means other women have since been successfully treated. (Did I mention that my cancer, at the stage it was discovered, was usually fatal 18 years ago?) So depriving me of treatment would have cost my life, and also the lives of other women who get this type of cancer.
Since then, I cannot get health insurance that is not part of a group plan. For many years I was locked into my job so I could get the medical treatment many Americans take for granted, such as treatment for a torn muscle, or for an ear infection. I am luckier than some, because I now have insurance through my husband's work (for which we pay $1,000 a month for lousy coverage and nearly no prescription coverage).
So, did my lifestyle choices cause my cancer? Well, yes. I chose to have a family. If I had made a different choice,I would not have gotten cancer, but the world would be minus one brilliant, productive, creative and kind young woman (my daughter).
Did I ask anyone for "free" medical care? Nope. I paid my premiums, copays and deductables. If we had single payer, I would be paying taxes for that. Am I asking you to cough up money out of your pocket to pay for my medical care? Nope. Many of us who are pro-health care reform are not looking for a free ride. We just want access to health care so we can work, take care of our families, and ultimately, live. The way things are now, health insurance is exclusionary, too expensive and just doesn't work for anyone who may at some point actually need health care. It's kind of a "one strike and you're out" medical system.
I can deal with the bureaucracy of government-run healthcare more than I can stomach the bureaucracy of insurance company-run healthcare. After all, I can vote out the bureaucrats, but I have no voice at all with the insurance companies.
Amazon does this often--for over a month from Nov to the beg of Dec there was a similar deal in the Toys Dept. Any purchase (as long as it was thru Amazon and not a third-party seller) and you could request the refund of $9.99 from whatever magazine. Saves you another $10! Keep an eye on the "Special Offers" section when you're on a product page.
I've also lived with both systems, in the US and in Australia, and I have to agree with you 100%.
I'm American. I've lived in Japan, Canada, and the Netherlands, and part of my family lives in the UK. I would gladly take ANY of those systems over the one we have now. No, they're not perfect, but even with whatever money/resources are wasted due to government bureaucracy, and the small minority of people who get decent-but-not-exceptional-care, they're miles better than the US system - better outcomes at a fraction of the cost. I'd rather pay 1% higher taxes every year, knowing that if I get cancer or get hit by a bus 10 years from now, I won't go bankrupt while I'm trying to recover. No one's health care plan should consist of simply crossing their fingers that they don't get ill or have an accident. And if you think that's not what a huge percentage of Americans' health care plans really amount to, you're fooling yourself.
Thank you for your article and insight. I absolutely agree. So far my family has been fortunate enough to have coverage through one or another employer but I know plenty of people who don't. I agree that it is wrong to profit off healthcare the way our system works now. I think so much of what is being said right now against a public system is just plain untrue, scare tactics being used by those who currently profit by our present system. There are plenty of ways to earn a buck without denying others care they should be able to receive affordably. We are a nation of smart, inventive people. We should be able to figure this out.
...you would have already paid for it with your tax dollars. It would be hard for me to opt out of a plan that gives me benefits for 'free' if I have already paid for it.
I'm with Cat, Em & Guest on this one.
Great article, thanks for your perspective.
I hear a lot about personal responsibility whenever this issue comes up. It's usually spoken in the same breath with the importance of free market capitalism. The legal structure of incorporation (the current primary manifestation of free market capitalism) basically creates a situation in which the individuals who created and make up the corporation are exempt from the responsibility of the corporations business practices. So, essentially, when Hershey buys cocoa processed by slaves along the ivory coast, the corporation of Hershey is not responsible for employing slaves, although that is essentially what they are doing. Where is the responsibility when places like CIGNA, for instance, hire people to deny enrollees coverage or prevent them from getting necessary procedures in order to keep costs down for the sake of their profits? If we're going to talk about taking responsibility, let's start with dismantling the corporate structure of capitalism. Responsibility is a two-way street, in both the public and the private sectors.
You don't have to take it if you don't want to and I think it would be great to give insurance companies the competition. Higher rates and denied coverages are happening now and will continue if the insurance companies are going to keep making record profits. My "company provided" insurance, for which I pay the total premium, sucks but I have to take it due to a pre-existing condition. And by the way, just because the insurance people will have to take us with pre-existing conditions doesn't mean that they can't charge us more than everyone else. Before I had insurance I went to a discount clinic run by the local junior college and I am tempted to dump my insurance and go back there. At least they understood that they needed to make healthcare affordable.
OK, Marc. Those of us still working will wave at you on the side of the road when your industry tanks or you get injured or sick and can't keep your job or your insurance.
BTW, you ALREADY work a 50 hour week to pay for all those folks because the hospitals cannot turn them away when they show up in the ER. It would be cheaper to treat a lot of those "lazy thugs" with some preventive care before they have that heart attack and have to be hospitalized for a week on our collective dime.
When I was a grad student in England, I, too, was on the National Health for my medical care. I was very satisfied with my experience with them in terms of doctor's visits and so on.
But to come more to the point, the REAL difference came when I had a slip and fall accident on some split milk (really) around the corner in the supermarket aisle. I was immediately taken to the hospital for xrays to see if I had broken anything. (Luckily not.) End of story - in a similar case in the US, I would have to go to healthcare, provide either insurance or cash - and then go after the insurance company of the grocery store for my expenses.
Here's where the bureaucrats & lawyers come in along with a lot of red tape & added time and trouble. This is part of what creates such a litigious society. If basic healthcare is a RIGHT for every citizen, then NO PROBLEM!! & no INSURANCE COMPANIES!! equalling less expense involved. And P.S., I think we should also consider the selfish benefits of providing general public health - Do you want your food server to have T.B. or any other communicable disease? These are issues that everyone has to face, and basic public health benefits all of us.
If the insurance companies are making life and death decisions concerning patients, i.e. whether or not a person receives treatment, shouldn’t they have some kind of “Hippocratic Oath” ?
I've been thinking about the healthcare reform long and hard ever since it started popping up on the news and have a lot to say (esp since I've been a healthcare provider, married to one, had great insurance, had bad insurance and no insurance) - so, I even wrote a blog post on it: http://kevnjacks.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-thoughts-on-healthcare-reform.html - I'd love some feedback! But, honestly, I feel that the main reason that our healthcare system is the way it is today is due to the fact that there is declining integrity on all fronts - insurance companies who want to make more (esp execs), those patients who abuse the system, and those doctors and hospitals trying to make more. Of course not everyone is like that but there are enough of these folks to wreck the system, even if it was working earlier.
And I really think that healthcare is a commodity, rather than a right. None of the other rights involve any money nor does is it a service provided to you (ie right to free speech, etc). It is a good that can be purchased. Sure, I believe everyone should have it, just like I think everyone should have life insurance, etc. I really wish the gov't would just reimburse tax dollar for preventative care (so ppl aren't paying for what they don't want) and that insurance would cover the bigger stuff (not unlike car insurance and homeowners insurance).
I don't even really want to get into the discussion of comparing other nation's national healthcare plans vs our current America healthcare system - we get different things because we pay for different things. They pay way more taxes than we do to fund their system.
I also think it's really sad that we can only talk about the gov't option in terms of what we HOPE it will be - we don't honestly know enough of what it will be like in the end because our legislator like those close door mtgs, give special deals to try to gain votes and change the bill every few days. That's another thought for another day...
The reason for the $55 box of kleenex (charged by a hospital I assume) is because the hospital needs the extra mony to pay for all the emergency cases of uninsured patients they have to treat. If those people would had insurance, then hospital costs would be more equalized for everybody. I hope to God we come up with some kind of reform.