A vision of our future? - Greek poor cut off from health care..

• By junebug50 (Inactive)
• Reply 3488485
• October 25, 2012 at 1:39 pm
• Report post

You are so right. Actually what the government giveth the government can taketh away. Just saying..

• By Antigone
• Reply 3489333
• October 25, 2012 at 6:29 pm
• Report post

With the way this government is spending money, borrowing 40 cents for every dollar spent, we will be Greece in a fairly short time if the budget is not balanced.

• By Lee_56
• Reply 3491483
• October 26, 2012 at 12:37 pm
• Report post

The Affordable Health Care act (called Obamacare) was a step in the right direction , but we have a long way to go before everyone can afford good health care. It is indeed a complicated issue, but I think everyone should be able to see a doctor when they're sick and receive preventive care. I would be in favor of Medicare for All. Health care should not be "for profit" , but I'll get off my soap box now. I'm so thankful that I am on Medicare, or else I wouldn't be able to get private insur. since I have systemic lupus and have had a heart attack. Private companies want healthy people.

• By Antigone
• Reply 3491704
• October 26, 2012 at 1:57 pm
• Report post

Well, for all the millions of uninsured who've been unable to get insurance because of pre-existing conditions, the enrollment in the PCIP (pre-existing insurance plans) has been quite paltry. As of July, 78,000 people have enrolled, which amounts to 1,560 people per state. Premiums for the plans are less than what regular insurance premiums would be for the same age groups, and about 1/3 of what a HIPAA plan (what those with pre-existing conditions can get for coverage) coverage would be. So why are the millions not enrolling? It was predicted at least 200,000 would be enrolling in these plans initially, and reach about 400,000 this year, doesn't look like that's going to happen. And so far, even with such low enrollments, the plans are woefully over-spending budget predictions.

The ACA is a sham. It still leaves millions uninsured. The plan is not universal healthcare as many seem to think. My vote in Nov is for the guy who will overturn this, balance our budget and prevent us from becoming Greece.

• By Lee_56
• Reply 3491843
• October 26, 2012 at 2:56 pm
• Report post

I won't get involved in a discussion on health care because I believe too strongly in it and get too emotional and then my BP goes up ! I do wish everyone would read what is in the health care act (online) before you say you are against it. I would hate to see Medicare privitized and turned into a "voucher system" . Of course there is Medicare and Medicaid fraud and there are problems in the system which need to be tweaked, but they can be improved or fixed and the program works well. I've never known anyone who wasn't happy to be able to go on Medicare.

• By yarnkitty
• Reply 3493313
• October 27, 2012 at 7:56 am
• Report post

Mary, thanks for sharing this article. It's a heartbreaking story. We aren't that bad off here, but could be if we move in the direction of allowing market forces to control who gets health care.

• By GrammaS
• Reply 3494920
• October 27, 2012 at 8:12 pm
• Report post

We are guaranteed to go there if we continue to spend more than we take in!! I would welcome a "voucher" system which is not really the horror it is made out to be.... I would welcome a choice.... choices lead to competition ..... competition brings the price down.... but that is only being discussed for younger people .... not for seniors and those on social security now....

I have read the health care act & am concerned about the money being taken out of social security to pay for it and the hidden costs that show up in the years ahead. Many doctors I have spoken with are also concerned about more & more patients and fewer doctors available to meet their needs....

i think we need some new thinking in Washington .... some tightening of the belt.... some fiscal responsibility & less spending ..... to be trillions in debt is frightening!!
sunny

• By Siun
• Reply 3494942
• October 27, 2012 at 8:28 pm
• Report post

Thanks Mary for highlighting this and starting the conversation. Seems to me we all want better and more accessible health care but disagree on how we get there. I was part of a political effort to get single payer rather than the current option but I'll take each step forward. What I won't take - and what really disturbs me are the deals with big Pharma and the insurance companies which block better and more affordable care for all of us. The cuts need to come from big medicine's profits, not from our benefits and care which is already so expensive and so hard to access for so many.