Health-Care Myths

[Common Sense Al]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2085772/Woman-23-died-cervical-cancer-doctors-said-young-smear-test.html

apparently what we have to look forward to once mandates kick in for care.

Yep, because no one ever dies in the US from being denied treatment or testing. Those great insurance companies always approve all treatments and testing without delay... and if you don't have health insurance, then everybody is still more than happy to provide any treatment or testing that you want, even if you can't pay. Oh wait...

[admin]

For people with pre-existing illnesses, Supreme Court ruling on health care act is personal

[admin]

Mitt Romney Outlines His Plan to Replace Obamacare

[Common Sense Al]

For people with pre-existing illnesses, Supreme Court ruling on health care act is personal

It will be a big step backwards if any significant progress that has been done is wiped out.

"This is the first time ever in our nation's history that the federal government would force every citizen to purchase a product," Schuette said Friday in an interview. He said it may sound farfetched, but if the federal government can force people to buy health insurance, it also could require people to buy General Motors cars because the government owns stock in the company, he said.

That is far-fetched and ridiculous... you know, we shouldn't be forced to pay any taxes, because if the gov't can force us to pay taxes, then it also could require people to buy General Motors cars because the government owns stock in the company.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who visited Detroit last week, said the law is unpopular because "change is hard" and people have been inundated with false information from multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns from opponents.

Now THAT is true... just read the user comments on healthcare articles and you can easily see the misinformation that people believe.

[Common Sense Al]

Mitt Romney Outlines His Plan to Replace Obamacare

While some good ideas, his "plan" is completely vague & inadequate for the major reforms that are needed. Romney knows this but he'll change his views to whatever is needed to win the election. Romney knows a mandate (to buy insurance or to pay a tax to cover healthcare) is needed based on what he did in his state. Everybody needs to pay (via taxes or mandate) and everybody needs to benefit if a civil system is to be in place and ERs are forced to treat everyone, even those who can't pay or have chosen not to buy health insurance. Without a mandate, people pass their costs onto others and their irresponsible decisions affect people who make responsible decisions.

If you want to increase the number of people with health insurance, you have to get the government out of the way, so that premiums can go lower. That’s what Romney aims to do, and what Obamacare manifestly does not.

Total ignorance. A good GOP talking point because a lot of the ignorant public believes it. It's pretty obvious (to anyone who is unbiased and gets the facts) that the US has the most privatized healthcare system in the world (of "1st world" countries), and gets the least for its money and has the highest % of uninsured.

[FM7]

Big day for you tomorrow Al.

Are you having a party, win or lose?

Remember, regardless of the result, you can spin it!

[Common Sense Al]

Big day for you tomorrow Al.

Big day for everyone who has every been to the doctor (or will be)... and the medical providers.

Are you having a party, win or lose?

No, are you?

Remember, regardless of the result, you can spin it!

So can you!

Perhaps you'll see this as spin, but I think if it's overturned or significantly damaged, then we'll get to a single payer system sooner (though could still be a long time)... but the middle class will suffer most in the meantime.

[Common Sense Al]

Good story about an ex-healthcare exec.

Thousands of them had lined up under a cloudy sky in an open field. Many had camped out the night before. When their turns came, doctors treated them in animal stalls and on gurneys placed on rain-soaked sidewalks. They were Americans who needed basic medical care.

“It looked like a refugee camp,” Potter says. “It just hit me like a bolt of lightning. What I was doing for a living was making it necessary for people to resort to getting care in animal stalls.”

“Until that day, I had been able to think, talk and write about the U.S. health care system and the uninsured in the abstract, as if real-life human beings were not involved.”

A health care 'Judas' recounts his conversion

[CopperCanyonResident]

"This is the first time ever in our nation's history that the federal government would force every citizen to purchase a product," Schuette said Friday in an interview. He said it may sound farfetched, but if the federal government can force people to buy health insurance, it also could require people to buy General Motors cars because the government owns stock in the company, he said.

That is far-fetched and ridiculous... you know, we shouldn't be forced to pay any taxes, because if the gov't can force us to pay taxes, then it also could require people to buy General Motors cars because the government owns stock in the company.

Could you clarify, Al?

Are you suggesting that the central government forcing US citizens to buy a product or service is the same thing as paying taxes?

Sorry if I misunderstand you, but I am not clear on what you are trying to communicate.

Also - sorry if a messed up the use of the quote function in this medium. I struggle to pick out just the quote I want to comment on - especially your stuff Al as you pick out myriad quotes and then comment on them one at a time. It gets rather tedious trying to communicate with you. Most days I just avoid you because it is more trouble than it is worth. You are more trouble than you are worth.

You are a true pedant. You irritate as much as I inflame and insult.

Admin - please note pedant is not a naughty word that needs censorship.

Oh, and Al, how is the mandate on birth control and abortion working out for you? Yeah, those Catholic institutions (at least those which actually give a damn about the Magisterium) are gonna really hate Odemon-care, aren't they?

I really don't get you. If you cared about the Faith, you would fight against Odumbo Care, and support Catholic health institutions. But you choose to go the big government route. That is your panacea - your heaven on earth. That you cannot see the distinction between heaven and earthly, diabolical, Utopian dreams speaks volumes.

[Common Sense Al]

Could you clarify, Al?

No, I'm not going to respond to you & your personal attacks. Don't you ever get tired and bitter from all the personal attacks? Here's a good book I'd recommend you read:
http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Detox-Clean- ... soul+detox

[Common Sense Al]

PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!! "mandate" upheld 5-4... which means the other stuff is upheld too!!!!!!!! like no discrimination for people with pre-existing conditions and other consumer protections.

[JKTex]

Ya, like free cookies for everyone.......BTW, did you hear about the cookie tax?

The country is rejoicing......or appears to be if you're upside down like this country has been turned.

[josh]

PARTY!!!!!!!!!!!! "mandate" upheld 5-4... which means the other stuff is upheld too!!!!!!!! like no discrimination for people with pre-existing conditions and other consumer protections.

Upheld...sort of.
I just finished reading the ruling. Admit to skimming quite a bit. A few things to know: the Court struck down arguments based on Commerce Clause. The Fed gvt CANNOT compell people to buy insurance. They were clear on this point. The use of the word "mandate" needs to go away based on this. Second, they did not grant the argument that this is Necessary and Proper. In other words, even if the individual mandate was "necessary" to the functioning of the Affordable Care Act, Congress does not have the "proper" authority to compell the purchase. The third argument, which is interesting because the administration went out of its way to say this was NOT a TAX...was upheld. Congress does have the ability to tax. And so long as the tax for not having healthcare is not so high as to make there no real choice in the matter (i.e. a $1 million tax per person), then Congress, exercising their taxing authority may tax for certain people not having healthcare (i.e. rich folk who can afford it).

The most telling statemnet by Roberts sheds some light on an underpinning of how the SC should rule on these types things: "...every reasonable construction must be resorted to in order to save a statute from unconstitutionality...". In other words, even though taxation was the last ditch argument by the administration, it was good enough to pass constitutional muster.

My personal take. Somewhat dissapointed, somewhat happy. Happy that there was a clear smack down regarding expansion of the Commerce Clause. The fact that the Commerce Clause is so big now is one of the reasons why the Fed Govt is so big. Second, the Court was clear that Congress cannot mandate the purchase of insurance (i.e. make it ilegal). And finally, happy because this now pushes those on the fence about Romney to the polls to vote out this bum come November. My guess is the GOP has its largest fundraising month in July ever.

[Common Sense Al]

And finally, happy because this now pushes those on the fence about Romney to the polls to vote out this bum come November. My guess is the GOP has its largest fundraising month in July ever.

Hmmm... I wouldn't be so sure on that. The law has already helped millions (even though you probably still think it hasn't helped anyone). I would like to see everyone who wants to get rid of it to go buy their own health insurance on the individual market instead of someone else getting it for them so they don't have to deal with underwriting.

I'm surprised that the GOP is campaigning on bringing back pre-existing condition denials, especially when getting rid of them is so popular. They are also campaigning on having millions more people uninsured. Oh wait, they have "better ideas". They'll use that magic pixie dust of theirs to make private insurance companies want to insure people with pre-existing conditions.

I really do think a lot of people just plain old "hate" Obama. While I would never vote for him, I don't "hate" him, and I do like what he's accomplished in healthcare when Congress has tried for decades and failed. Obama finally succeeded in making major progress (though it should go without saying that nothing is perfect and there is still plenty that can be done to build on the progress - like controlling costs).

As for Chief Roberts, I like his reasoning.

[admin]

Burgess Statement on Supreme Court Ruling

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26), Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health and Chairman of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is detrimental to our society, our economy, and to the future of health care in America. Since its inception we have seen the strain it has placed on our economy through its ever increasing price tag, provisions which discourage small businesses to hire, and higher costs, and excessive government regulations.

“President Obama stated multiple times that the penalty associated with the individual mandate was not a tax; however, the Supreme Court today affirmed that indeed it was a tax. In fact, it is a tax increase and a very large tax on middle-class America. When millions are unemployed the last thing America needs is another tax.

“This decision by the Supreme Court is paramount and signals to the House of Representatives that it is our responsibility to repeal this over burdensome law which increases taxes on middle class families, and replace it with common-sense policies that encourage economic growth and protect American’s access to care. The House has voted to repeal the legislation and will do so again next month.”