| Recently I had a discussion with a close friend | | | | So the problem I have with Republicans |
| about the impending doom that the recently | | | | (particularly conservative right-wingers) is that |
| passed "Obamacare" Bill is sure to bring to all | | | | instead of offering ANY solutions, they are simply |
| hard-working Americans. Claiming to be a | | | | the party of "no" and bent on stopping anything |
| registered independent, the points used to highlight | | | | Obama does just to spite him regardless of |
| his views included phrases like "Its socialized | | | | whats good for the American people. |
| medicine like Europe has...the government will try | | | | Health Care is 1/6 of the economy and both |
| to MANDATE YOU to buy healthcare!" and "This is | | | | parties agree that the system could not continue |
| a dangerous man - this healthcare thing is a | | | | the way it was going because it will keep dragging |
| government takeover". | | | | the economy down despite any other efforts to |
| This article is meant to examine the sentiments | | | | encourage economic growth. |
| echoed not only by a close friend, but a large | | | | So if all parties involved have stated that the |
| cross-section of the American people - That the | | | | current healthcare system is unsustainable, how |
| newly passed health care bill is a government | | | | else do you fix the problem? Republicans have no |
| takeover of the healthcare system. | | | | answer for this, yet continue to make claims that |
| Fact - The number one issue breaking the | | | | Obama wants to socialize medicine and have a |
| healthcare system is the cost of health insurance. | | | | government takeover of healthcare. Ironically an |
| Insurance companies are making record profits | | | | overwhelming majority of lobbyist for insurance |
| and continue to raise rates through the roof, while | | | | companies are right wing republicans, that's a fact |
| dropping people's coverage, excluding them for | | | | too. Have you considered that maybe Republicans |
| pre-existing conditions, and putting caps on the | | | | don't want healthcare reform because they don't |
| amount of coverage they provide. | | | | want to lose money for the people that put them |
| Fact - The primary reason for rate hikes is to | | | | in office? |
| cover the skyrocketing cost of health care (i.e. | | | | First of all we already have socialized medicine in |
| $100 for an aspirin). One of the biggest reasons | | | | the form of Medicare, Medicaid and the VA, which |
| for skyrocketing healthcare costs is the 40+ | | | | came well before Obama. The concept of |
| million uninsured Americans that use the ER as a | | | | socialized medicine means that the government |
| doctors office. Combine that with the fact that | | | | provides all aspects of healthcare, i.e. it pays for all |
| the United States is one of the unhealthiest | | | | care, It employs the providers, It runs the |
| countries in the world so hospitals are forced to | | | | facilities. What Obama is doing is reforming |
| treat millions of (uninsured) people for the most | | | | insurance, not socializing medicine. If anything, he |
| expensive diseases like diabetes, heart disease, | | | | has corporatized healthcare by giving private |
| and cancer. | | | | insurance companies 30 million new customers. |
| Because we live in a country that does not | | | | We're required to have automobile insurance |
| refuse healthcare services to anyone, the rest of | | | | right? |
| the insured American population is now forced to | | | | Don't get me wrong the healthcare bill is far from |
| pay for the services of the uninsured through | | | | perfect, but one of the funniest things I saw on |
| increased insurance premiums. This creates a | | | | the news at one of those "tea-party" rallies was |
| snowball effect because as rates go up, more | | | | someone holding a big sign that said "Keep your |
| people remain uninsured or decide to drop their | | | | Government Hands Off my Medicare" (what?!?). |
| current coverage, not to mention the huge | | | | Or better yet when the tea-partiers marched to |
| burden this puts on businesses to provide | | | | Washington on tax day to protest all the new |
| insurance to their employees. | | | | taxes when in 2009 taxes went down for 95% |
| Fact - The basic concept of insurance is spreading | | | | of Americans and are at the lowest point they've |
| risk over population - the bigger the pool (more | | | | been in decades (look it up). Not to mention nearly |
| people paying into the system) the lower the | | | | half of US households won't pay income taxes at |
| rates/the smaller the pool (less people paying into | | | | all - which further proves my point that many of |
| the system) the higher the rates. Insurance 101. | | | | these people from the far-right wing base are |
| Republicans claim they are for healthcare reform | | | | simply uninformed or in most cases misinformed. |
| and want to eliminate things like: | | | | Personally, I'd rather be required to pay for health |
| - Excluding for pre-existing conditions, | | | | insurance I can afford rather than not having it at |
| - Dropping people from coverage | | | | all because it costs way too much. The real issue |
| - Caps on the amount of coverage provided | | | | at hand is that of entitlement. Certain people say |
| This would essentially be impossible to do without | | | | they want healthcare reformed, and rightfully so |
| getting dramatically more people coverage | | | | because it's having such a damaging effect on our |
| (expanding the pool) to cover the cost - if not | | | | economy. But the fact of the matter is that the |
| the insurance companies would go bankrupt; or | | | | people most severely affected by the healthcare |
| more likely just lose huge profits. Otherwise, the | | | | system are the ones on the lower end of the |
| only way insurance companies could afford to do | | | | economic totem pole. So when it comes down to |
| this would be to drastically increase rates to | | | | it people really do want reform - that is unless of |
| account for the huge costs for covering these | | | | course it means giving up anything they perceive |
| people - which would put us in a worse situation | | | | is entitled to them in order to solve the problem. |
| than we're in now. | | | | Rally on Tea-Baggers! |