A healthcare letter bomb for the candidates

elisabeth schneider bend Oregon — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:21:40 GMT

I had created a small flowershop and for 5 years, could not afford health insurance. I worked over 48 hours a week. I was able to sell and started a home based business and still have no health insurance. I am very careful with the money I spend. For the past year I have not had TV because it broke when I moved to another state. I am living on my savings. I am 50 years old and I am wondering if it would not be best for me to move back to europe where I was born because being without health insurance is really scary. To europeans, universal health insurance is a right. We may pay more taxes, but it comes back to us with free education, healthcare, good maintenance of all infrastructures, public transportations and other things. Americans have been brainwashed to believe that universal health insurance is a communist idea so they would not ask for it, when in fact it is part of a true democracy. Europe has healthy citizens because of preventive medecine which is key to maintain healthy citizens. Americans spent much more money on health then we do in europe. It is costing them way more because so many wait the last minute to get treatment. France has the best health care system among all rich countries, america is ranked 37th. It is a shame and an outrage that a country as rich as america is just like a 3rd world country and has no safety net for so many working people.

A healthcare letter bomb for the candidates

Briman, KC — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 23:29:15 GMT

That would be because universal healthcare IS a communist/socialist idea (correction to socialist there). Europeans are healthier primarily because of their lifestyles (and more power to them in this respect!), not because of healthcare - by nature medicine is reactive, not proactive. Many Americans bring their health problems on themselves by not taking care of their bodies and eating the s*it that passes for food these days, just like most American financial problems are self-inflicted. It's funny how my fiance and I have been blessed with wonderful health over the last couple of years, which conveniently coincides with our decision to cook for ourselves and stop eating out. Power to personal responsibility and realizing that, with very few exceptions, life is what you make of it- socialism, or "government by the lowest common denominator", ain't the answer.

A healthcare letter bomb for the candidates

Marcus, StL — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 13:57:07 GMT

As a healthcare provider with knowledge of both European & American systems, I can say that "Briman, KC"'s comments do not indicate an accurate understanding of the European systems. Healthcare in this country is an embarrassment, and is an incredible drain on our economic machine. To strangle our businesses (both small & large) with the decisions & responsibilities to pay for healthcare is a TREMENDOUS burden. It is a testament to the amazing abilities of American businesses to succeed in a global market with this huge drain on their budgets. A universal system would both keep our citizens healthier and our companies stronger.

A healthcare letter bomb for the candidates

dave victory homeland — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 12:52:13 GMT

Its tough starting a business My mother was an I like IKE republican but now even she would have to admitt we need a new way to finance healthcare as the currancy mineplators and the cut throat wage employers rape the futher from our childern.
these are times requiring radical soultions as those companies enjoyed tax breaks to distroy the homelands middleclass for personal gain let us take away such tax breaks and get our money back.taxcompanies when they wish to export jobs so it is not worth while to distroy jobs in the homeland for personal gain.
Tax inports to pay for the citizens healthcare is only fair after decades on the downward slope of unfair trade let those that have so greatly benefited from the demise of the American middleclass pay their just due I'm certian that once those forces of greed are made responsable for healthcare costs healthcare costs will be swiftly brought in line, that industry will be held accountable by the forces of greed instead of being allowed to run wild by those that would never be hurt from runaway increasesin vcosts

A healthcare letter bomb for the candidates

Terry Reeves — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:46:07 GMT

The current "health care crisis" today was created by government regulation. If health care providers were able to market nationwide as opposed to the state by state system that we have now, health care prices would drop drastically.

Anyone who thinks the government that created the current "crisis" would do a better job once it was fully in control of health care is living in a world of ignorance and make believe.

Markets regulate price. What happens when markets are not allowed to regulate price is what we have now.

A healthcare letter bomb for the candidates

John De Roy, St. Louis, MO. — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:36:11 GMT

Background: Speaking as a corporate CFO, MBA FInance, CPA, and Master in Public Policy Administration and purchaser/negotiator of healthcare insurance contracts..

Some blissful ignorance here.

No where did God write that business must provide insurance. The business of business is making money. It is not in buying and providing healthcare insurance. I suggest that many, many employees would happily opt for something better than we or our competitors provide.

Medical insurance is an oligopoly (competition of the few). There is precious little price competition amopng the carriers. From experience, I can tell you that the same coverage from multiple carriers will result in vitually the same premium quote. And government has nothing to do with it.

On the other hand, seniors have made it clear that you couldn't get them out of Medicare with dynamite and a tow truck. For those who have not noticed, Medicare is a government program.

The only solution we in business have come up with is to shift costs to employees (less coverage, higher deductibles, etc.). This is also known as pay cuts. I won't even address the question of those without any insurance.

For those of you who are healthy and think you are going to stay that way, pat yourself on the back, but don't hurt yourself. You are wrong. You are not going to stay healthy forever. Our actuaries inform us that in the fulness of time, you too will become an expensive problem.

You may have heard that GM has $1,500 of medical expense in every car. Japanese carmakers have zero. That is because, Japanese taxpayers subsidize healthcare. For the foreign factories in the US, the workforces tend to be younger and healthier, and so less expensive. And the factories are located in non-union states and so are able to short change their employees. That will change, but for now this is a good example of the competition American companies face. And don't bother to say unions are the problem. Abolish every union in the country and business would still have the problem of buying and administering insurance for the other 90% of employees. And once more, buiness is not in the insurance business.

The only solution is a government (taxpayer, both corporate and individual)funded program. Some of us will gain and some lose, but most will be happier. See my remarks on Medicare above.

The business of business is making money.

A healthcare letter bomb for the candidates

Delores Krings, Phillips Wi.(Friday 28,2008 .05:55 pm) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:56:35 GMT

We do need universal health care. My husband is 50 years old. He has had health insurance up until two years ago, when I retired. He owns his own buisness, can't get insurance because he has type 2 diabetis. He is uninsurable. Maybe we should not pay for wealthy
goverment workers insurance. The health care is going up each year. How many more will be without insurance?

A healthcare letter bomb for the candidates

Bill, Newark, DE — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:09:31 GMT

I'd like to see a system where you can get medicare early if you've earned enough money (and thus paid enough medicare tax), thus enabling people with enough money to retire earlier. As far as a true national system: it has the potential to save money, so I like it, but I know the government will screw it up somehow, and the first way they'll do that is by paying for it with another income tax. If it saves money and we pay for it with premiums, then lets make a government run system an option for people. If through competing with existing plans, it puts the insurance companies out of business then its clearly the best option.
Oh, and John DeRoy, there is a reason the workforces of the Japanese car companies are younger. They aren't filled with overpaid union workers who don't want to give up the gravy jobs they managed to snag years ago when the company was actually growing. If there's one reason I don't want universal healthcare its to subsidize Detroit anymore than my parents did buying all those "American" cars.

A healthcare letter bomb for the candidates

jessica, matthews, nc — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:24:40 GMT

i just want to say to "Briman, KC"- i am 21 years old and i suffer from PCOS, epstien-barr virus, Fibromyalgia, and hypothyroid decease. please dont make false accuasations that every american with health problems eats bad and lives poor lifestyles. i am a vegetarian, and i try my best to stay active even though i deal with severe pains throught my body.i am a full time college student and i work fulltime as a cashier, and yet with all my health issues i manage to have good grades and i manage all my responsibility's.

i am not your typical 21 year old, i dont make enough money to go out and have fun, i can barely afford medication for myself.(begging money from my parents is getting old) why should i be robbed of my youth because insurance company's refuse to regconize the severity of my sitiation? the sad part is i will never be able to get life insurance, and i will always have low quality insurance because they wont give me anything else.