Kind of scarey

[Redoverfarm]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDHE88fHzfA&feature=autoshare_twitter

[glenn kangiser]

Almost as bad as the youth brigade.

[Bobmarlon]

Im just gonna lay it down socialized medicine is awesome.

[MountainDon]

I have to admit that when we lived in Canada it was very nice knowing that I didn't have to worry about needing to see a doctor or whatever reason; sinus infections that I used to suffer with, broken ankle, the birth of our son. Yes, we paid for it indirectly in the form of personal income taxes. 

I haven't lived there for decades, but have family there. A couple-three years ago my Mom received very good care when she developed a cancer and when she broke a hip. She had a hip replacement in no time flat. Her palliative care for the cancer was great. I have a sister still there back home. She and her family of our are happy with the health care they receive. They are in a middle upper tax bracket.

Here in NM we do pay a lower personal income tax rate than my Canadian relatives do. However, the two of us pay $896.20 a month, $10,754.40 a year for health insurance.   

As a defender of the free enterprises system I also must admit sometimes having problems reconciling the outrageousness of our insurance premiums. They are in the main due to our having to purchase the insurance as private individuals. We work for ourselves and hence don't have the advantage of the lower costs that a big employer can offer. The high costs are also due to preexisting conditions.

I also have to admit that I wonder at times why we should not all be covered by a national health plan? The greatest resource a country has is the people that make the country work. Somehow it doesn't seem right that the unemployed welfare bums and their families obtain health care from the state and/or federal medicare while we who have worked hard at building a business and pay income taxes to the feds and the state are left out in the cold, unless we pony up more money in insurance payments.

I do get annoyed at people who elect to not carry any health or injury insurance while at the same time expect they'll be taken care of if disaster strikes. I hear some of them say that they expect to have to pay or their treatment if they are struck by a bus, for example. But if they don't have much in savings, have more debt than savings, how realistic is it to expect them to pay for a calamitous injury or sickness? Or should we be checking them for insurance before the ambulance is called. Let them lay in the dirt if they aren't rich or covered by insurance?

Sorry for the rambling rant. But something is wrong with the system we have. It's not going to be easy to resolve.

[Virginia Gent]

I wouldn't call what most people, today, have as "Health Insurance". Insurance is something that people buy to insure them against risk, in this case, the risk of getting sick/hurt beyond your ability to pay for it (Example: Cancer, Serious Car Crash, Etc). We didn't have health insurance issues until Uncle Sam started sticking his nose in it. Just like with our public education system.

We need an overhaul, that is for sure, but it isn't to let the people who brought you "The DMV", "The Post Office", & "FEMA Katrina Response" to do the overhauling.

[Pox Eclipse]

We need an overhaul, that is for sure, but it isn't to let the people who brought you "The DMV", "The Post Office", & "FEMA Katrina Response" to do the overhauling.

How about if it is from the people who brought you the Interstate Highway System, the Apollo Missions and the National Parks System?  Yeah, those really sucked, didn't they?

[MountainDon]

And even though I am at odds with some of the results of some actions by the EPA there is no denying our air is cleaner. Our automobile gas consumption has increased in the last 30 years, government regulations have helped to curb emissions by 54%.  I'm not sure the air would be cleaner if it was left to the private for profit corporations we all love to hate.

[StinkerBell]

Virgina Gent,

Please do not make the mistake that your health care insurance will pay for any car accident related injuries. You need to have medical coverage in your auto policy.  You will find that on 99% of all health insurance plans do not pay for this. They have done so in the past with the expectation that they will be paid back through subrogation. BUT, many, many health insurance companies are saying no, because it takes to long for them to be reinburst or they never get reinburst and they have discovered that people have waived medical aspect in their auto insurance with the expectation their regular medical plan will pick it up.

I know a lot of people do not know this. Just wanted to pass it on so no one is surprised.

[Virginia Gent]

Thank you for that information StinkerBell. I was just naming random things, but I was not aware that auto accidents aren't covered under health plans. I suppose I shall have to see if I have waived, unbeknown to me, the medical aspect of my auto insurance.