On Access to Affordable Healthcare
There is no better example of the failure in Washington politics today than the fact that one in six Americans are without healthcare insurance, and that tens of millions more are chronically underinsured, risking bankruptcy with a single catastrophic or chronic illness. This is literally a life and death issue as thousands die each year due to lack of access to affordable health care.
Ideologues will not solve the problem. People of good faith must come together – patients first, plus government, industry, the medical profession and insurance providers — to craft a solution that will guarantee affordable health care access for all Americans.
Where does Sue stand? Side by side with President Bush as she voted against providing health care for nine million uninsured poor and lower income children. Side by side with President Bush in banning the U.S. government from negotiating lower prescription drug prices for our senior citizens.
Where do you stand on single-payer national health insurance?
Hi Mabel. I favor whatever will work, is expeditious, fair, and doesn’t disconnect people from their right to chose their own doctors. John Edwards’ plan “to transform America’s health care system” is the most logical I’ve seen to date. At some future time the plan he envisions might “morph” into a single-payer system, but I’m not convinced that must be the starting point for reform. I do think the current health care insurance system has a tremendous amount of waste, confusion and inequity built into it. I favor pragmatic solutions and I favor a healthy America. Though some people won’t like to hear this, part of the equation requires people to take much better care of themselves. There is never going to be a cheap, universal pill that will counteract the ravishing effects of smoking, drinking, overeating, and inactivity.
Would you endorse the Conyers-Kucinich bill[HR 676]and get the insurance companies out of the healthcare business.
It’s not clear whether you will or won’t support what American’s want: non-profit single-payer national health insurance. Please take a look, certainly including the following chart …
http://www.ninenineohnine.org/pages/Monitor_Popular_Support
Clarification #1 Do not assume that Americans have a “single-payer or nothing” attitude. We simply insist on what makes common sense, which is to start the debate with what is the best solution (single-payer) and then proceed with the debate about how it will be implemented … with possible considerations of other non-profit alternatives along the way..
Clarification #2 The solution must be non-profit. Nothing else makes
any sense. For example, France is sometimes mentioned as a top
performer in the area of health. (Of course, France and Germany have
done intelligent things like ban smoking in public places in the entire
country!) France and Germany have multi-payer insurance systems,
but they are highly-regulated, non-profit “sickness insurance funds”. Repeat: non-profit.
Will you or will you not be a cosponsor of H.R. 676 non-profit single-payer national health insurance which over half of Americans want? If yes, then please document that at your web site so that I can include you in the Voters Guide to Single-Payer Supporters.
http://www.ninenineohnine.org/pages/Voters_Guide
Regards, Bob Haiducek
Bob the Health and Health Care Advocate http://www.99oh9.org
I am against government spending on health care including Medicare and Medicaid since we are in debt over $56 trillion, 424 billion, 500 million dollars. Our federal government maintains two sets of ledgers but you only hear of one. They do not tell you the entire spending promised by politicians over the years, Democrat and Republican. Google, Truth in 2008 to watch how our politicians are spending our tax dollars. We are not hearing about the debt for our presidential candidates and other candidates, just more spending.
The health care challenge can be solved when congress decides to eliminate such requirements that health insurance must pay for things the insured does not want nor need. Why would I as a single man need to ask for an insurance policy that provides for an abortion? Why not allow insurance companies insure someone in other states? Not all do. Why not allow health insurance savings accounts?
The only way to get to universal healthcare,is with Hillary Clinton making huge strides. No one else seems to care until now. This is personal for her…further proof of why she shouldve won. I hope Obama can fix this mess but all the negative talk about how it’s too hard and we can’t acheive universal healthcare, is despicable; we’re the richest nation in the world. Ending the war in Iraq, having a plausible/fair tax code, cutting down on the MIC, all will help in the efforts to help more domestic issues such as healthcare. We could do it fellow North Carolinians and Americans, if we really want to!
Let’s get some socialized health care like England has. The doctors there will come to your house. All prescriptions — any amount — are 8.00$ flat fee. Get rid of these insurance companies that are making a fortune off people. It will also stop the law suits which drive up the prices even more!
Shadow Star — be careful what you wish for with socialized medicine. The meds might be cheaper, but there is always a price. The payroll taxes are higher to pay for this type of care & you wait longer for tests, procedures, and surgeries. For example, do you want the government telling you when you can have your gallbladder taken out while you suffer in pain? Since your dollar sign is after the amount of money, you likely came here from England or some other country. Socialized medicine might be great if you are healthy, but it stinks if you are not.
Part of the healthcare problem is that there exists a supply-demand imbalance. While our population has grown, the proportion of physicians and healthcare professionals hasn’t kept place. The largest city in the Carolinas doesn’t possess a medical school.
As a past medical school applicant who scored in the top 15% of the medical college admissions test, but with a weighted GPA that wasn’t seriously considered as a white-male applicant (though nearly double that required for graduation), I resent the fact that there wasn’t an objective way to become a physician.
In short, admissions committees consisting mostly of physicians, control the supply (and, hence, the price) of healthcare.
Foreign-trained physicians also lack the ability to obtain licensure in the US except through onerous hurtles that are mostly subjective.
Similar problems exist for pharmaceutical manufacturing and medical equipment.
How do you feel we should address the shortage of healthcare professionals? Do you have a suggestion for those of us in the population who are vastly “under-employed”?
Part of the healthcare problem is that there exists a supply-demand imbalance. While our population has grown, the proportion of physicians and healthcare professionals hasn’t kept place. The largest city in the Carolinas doesn’t possess a medical school.
As a past medical school applicant who scored in the top 15% on the medical college admissions test, but with a weighted GPA that wasn’t seriously considered as a white-male applicant (though nearly double that required for graduation), I resent the fact that there wasn’t an objective way to become a physician.
In short, admissions committees consisting mostly of physicians, control the supply (and, hence, the price) of healthcare.
Foreign-trained physicians also lack the ability to obtain licensure in the US except through onerous hurtles that are mostly subjective.
Similar problems exist for pharmaceutical manufacturing and medical equipment.
How do you feel we should address the shortage of healthcare professionals? Do you have a suggestion for those of us in the population who are vastly “under-employed”?