by MaxHerr » Fri Aug 13, 2010 01:55 pm
In another thread, Community Writer Sil has asked:
This is too important a discussion to be buried in a thread about healthcare for athletes, so I would like to bring it into the open here.
Feel free to share your thoughts on "the possibilities" that Obamacare represents for the USA and its citizens, nationals, and illegal aliens.
I've come across so many comments predicting negative impact of Obamacare across health insurance forums, but I haven't got a clearer picture. I know, we'll need to wait and see. At the same time, I'd like to have someone pointing out the possibilities.
This is too important a discussion to be buried in a thread about healthcare for athletes, so I would like to bring it into the open here.
Feel free to share your thoughts on "the possibilities" that Obamacare represents for the USA and its citizens, nationals, and illegal aliens.
Posted: Fri Aug 13, 2010 01:57 pm Post Subject:
I'll start the diatribe with a duplication of my response to Sil in that other thread:
Sil . . .
What "possibilities" did you want pointed out?
1. That Obamacare will bankrupt the United States.
2. That Obamacare is intended to take commercial insurance companies out of the healthcare picture.
3. That Obamacare will require insurance companies to accept all preexisting conditions. (Insurance companies that don't want to do that can voluntarily exit the market. See #2 above.)
4. That without commercial insurance companies to provide healthcare protection, the only provider will be the US Government (AKA: the "single payer" system idealized by the Democrats.)
5. That if the US Government is the only provider of healthcare protection, the cost to provide that will result in higher taxes for all or higher budget deficits forever, or both. (Either way, it portends the likelihood that there will not be enough money to pay the bills. See #1 above.)
So I ask, "What possibilities did you have in mind?"
1. That everyone in America will have free healthcare protection without restrictions. (It does not exist anywhere else in the world.)
2. That a healthcare system which currently provides benefits to more than 280,000,000 people is more in need of "overhaul" than simply finding a way to provide benefits to the 40,000,000-50,000,000 who find themselves without coverage on any given day. (That should have been the focus of Obama and Congress.)
3. That unending budget deficits or the unrestrained printing and circulation of currency to overcome them will not lead to uncontrollable inflation. (Just "google" Weimar Republic and see what you discover about hyperinflation. I can save you the trouble: The value of the Papiermark had declined from 4.2 per US dollar at the outbreak of World War I to 1 million per dollar by August 1923.)
4. That the US Government will suddenly learn the value of actuarially sound "premiums" and begin to operate its healthcare systems profitably. (As would any commercial insurance company.)
5. That most people will become aware of the fact that the EXISTING Social Security and Medicare programs are headed toward an $87,000,000,000,000+ structural funding shortfall in or before the year 2040, simply because Congress has refused to set actuarially sound premiums. (There is not enough money in America to provide for that shortfall between now and then and still leave money in the pockets of our citizens.)
6. That China will serve its "foreclosure notice" on America by cashing in all of the US debt it owns when the Chinese government comes to its senses and realizes that Obamacare is not good for China.
I'd really like to know what possibilities you see in Obama's signing of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, and its immediate predecessor the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 09:52 am Post Subject:
If single payer-system would have worked for us in the past, then we wouldn't need to travel this far.
That Obamacare will require insurance companies to accept all preexisting conditions.
I guess they've forget the basis on which the insurance industry thrives. Insurance is aimed to cover unforeseen risks and not guaranteed risks at large.
That China will serve its "foreclosure notice" on America by cashing in all of the US debt it owns when the Chinese government comes to its senses and realizes that Obamacare is not good for China.
Chinese govt. is definitely keeping an eye on our moves. They've always done so in the past.
Posted: Sun Aug 15, 2010 02:44 am Post Subject:
Insurance is aimed to cover unforeseen risks and not guaranteed risks at large.
This is the same reason that Medicare is projected to result in $73,000,000,000,000 of the $87,000,000,000,000 funding shortfall by 2040. All because Congress (a) refuses to increase the "premiums" (if they would stop referring to them as "taxes" it would be more palatable to the American public) and (b) they refuse to adhere to the formula they created that was intended to offset the lack of increased "premiums" -- reduction of benefits, first in compensation to physicians and other providers, and second in covered services to beneficiaries.
There's no doubt that America is about the only industrialized economy with no national system of healthcare, but there's a good reason for that: we have a fully functioning private system based on commercial insurance, which relieves government of most of the responsibility.
What really needed to be addressed was the lack of health insurance for about 15% of the population. Not only would tackling that problem be easier and less costly, it would have been based on the single-payer principle that the Democrats can't let go of.
It also could have been structured in the same way the Medicare Advantage is operating. But that would run entirely contrary to Obama's agenda that has demonized insurers as greedy profiteers unworthy of being in existence.
As I have stated elsewhere, although I wish it were not so, but I believe we are on the precipice of the destruction of America -- from within.
Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 12:42 pm Post Subject:
Public health services reform was one of Barack Obama's basic pre-election pledges. Now in the USA about 50 million persons have no medical insurance. Annual charges on public health services make 2 trillion dollars. The ten years' program of reforms offered by Obama, will manage in 1 trillion dollars. Its purpose -- maintenance of medical aid for all Americans.
The state grants to hospitals it is planned to lower on 200 million dollars year, and budgets of systems of medical aid for elderly and deprived (Medicare and Medicaid) to cut down on 313 million. Besides, by depression of some other expenses and augmentation of tax collectings from medical institutions the government plans to receive 635 million dollars more.
For the decision of problems of the American public health services it is offered to make medical insurance presence obligatory for all and to enter practice health insurance exchange which will allow Americans to choose between private and state insurance programs. According to the president, it will provide competition in the medical aid market.
Besides, to the insurance companies will forbid to refuse granting of the insurance to patients with serious chronic diseases.
Representatives of Republican Party have accused Obama of attempt of nationalization of the American public health services.
Obamacare Silences Health Insurers
Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 11:56 pm Post Subject:
Milfordct, I have absolutely no idea what you are saying. Your post is all over the place and uses, well, weird phraseology to say the least.
The state grants to hospitals it is planned to lower on 200 million dollars year, and budgets of systems of medical aid for elderly and deprived (Medicare and Medicaid) to cut down on 313 million. Besides, by depression of some other expenses and augmentation of tax collectings from medical institutions the government plans to receive 635 million dollars more.
What does this actually mean? Are you saying that due to the legislation, the Feds are going to get $635 million more in taxes annually?
No... they won't. Where does that come from?
I have left the link you posted even though it's against our Terms of Use as the link is somewhat enlightening. If you actually read the article, it's full of the typical Democratic swill of "if you don't agree with me then we'll fling you into the mud and make you look stupid even though you're correct."
Representatives of Republican Party have accused Obama of attempt of nationalization of the American public health services.
Haven't heard this in a while. The opponents of the plan are more concerned with it bankrupting this country, the creation of a monstrous government entity and the potential power of the health exchanges. I haven't heard the idea of nationalization in a while, as most understand that this is no attempt to nationalize health care.
Bottom line? I agree fully with Max in his assertion that
As I have stated elsewhere, although I wish it were not so, but I believe we are on the precipice of the destruction of America -- from within.
We're toast. The only hope that we have, and it's a good one (especially if "the rascals are thrown out" at the mid-term elections), is that the mandates will go unfunded. Congress will (hopefully) not provide the funding necessary to implement many of the mandates. As well, we're still waiting on several court decisions as to the constitutionality of the employer mandate.
Don't hold your breath on the plan staying as is... we hope. The only concern I have currently is to how we're going to unravel the mandates that have already been placed into effect.
InsTeacher 8)
Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2010 11:13 am Post Subject: insurance
(Just my '2 cents') It seems like the people, that live on the West coast, have it made with this Health Care policy in place. My parents are just raving about it..their very pleased!! (They live in CA) But..what about those that can't afford insurance now!? The Health care bill is going to 'mandate' everyone to have Health care...at what price? If you DON'T get it, you are 'fined', etc. People can't afford it now. What makes the Governemnt think we can afford it THEN? I work with the Elderely. ALOT of them, now, can't afford ANYTHING!! They have no way of paying for it, so,..they just don't go to doctors, hospitals, etc. ..like they should. In general..it's sad to see.
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