Health care bill

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-25-2006
Health care bill
283
Thu, 01-22-2009 - 11:16pm

Medicare for all....check it out and contact your legislators encouraging them to support it.

Today, January 22, 2009, the new, improved version of H.R. 676 is introduced to congress with four differences.

It will not be modeled after the Canadian plan. Instead will be similar to a Medicare for All (not socialized medicine, can pick own docs)

It will be administered by Health and Human Services

The plan is for ALL residents. H & HS will define resident.

2 years of salary up to $100K offered to displaced health insurance workers

Transition from profit hospitals to not-for profit hospitals will be accomplished in the private sector over 15 years.

http://pdamerica.org/misc/676%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20FINAL.pdf < What the plan offers

Get the additional legislators needed to sponsor it right away. Can't wait until mid-session. Write a sentence or two supporting H.R. 676 and send to your congressional district's legislators. Spread the word. Congress.org - Congressional Directory Find and contact your federal, state, and local officials. www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/congdir.tt

-----------------------------------------------
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2009/october/meet_the_new_health_.php

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQTBYQlQ7yM

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-04-2009
In reply to: janetlz
Fri, 01-23-2009 - 7:09pm

What about government corruption?


What about private business corruption?


Do you think Medicare for All includes members of Congress? Do you think it includes civil service workers? Postal workers? Veterans? Active military?


It should, but if it doesn't that would sort of defeat the purpose, except for those in the US military (they get their healthcare usually from military doctors on military bases/on board ships).

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
In reply to: janetlz
Fri, 01-23-2009 - 7:12pm

A lot of money is spent by the private drug companies on new drug development. Without new drugs, drug companies go out of business.

See for example - http://books.google.com/books?id=S2C7Muh895EC&pg=PA115lpg=PA114&ots=EG4Ho2OQo8&dq=new+drug+investment+development++united+states+world+profit

The process of new drug development is lengthy, risky, and costly. Drug companies seeking to maximize profits will invest in such a process only if their managers expect to earn a return commensurate with expected risks and costs, including the cost of capital.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-04-2009
In reply to: janetlz
Fri, 01-23-2009 - 7:14pm


There we go!

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
In reply to: janetlz
Fri, 01-23-2009 - 7:18pm

I saw a CSPAN committee meeting a few years ago. A representative for Medicare claimed they have been working on a way to not use social security numbers on Medicare cards for over a decade.

As I say that was a few years ago. So far it hasn't changed. If kids have to use these cards, they could be in real trouble. As they don't apply for credit in their own names for many years, an identity thief could have free use of a kids social security number for many years without detection.

It would be nice if our government would try to improve and fix up our current Medicare system for seniors, before imposing it on all of us.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-04-2009
In reply to: janetlz
Fri, 01-23-2009 - 7:20pm
< Medicare pays about $8,600 per person per year. Medicare covers about 60-65% of the patient cost. This means a typical patient on Medicare costs over $10,000 per year (a lot over).

That cost, is higher than the cost in other countries. It is also higher than the cost many private insurers charge.>


I think that the reason for Medicare costs being so high is because its current patients are usually over age 65 and may be running into the health problems that tend to become more prevalent with age.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
In reply to: janetlz
Fri, 01-23-2009 - 7:21pm

With respect to public vs private corruption. If the private sector is corrupt, we can hope the public sector can serve as an impartial judge.

If the public sector is corrupt, it is almost impossible to fix. The public sector would have to judge itself. That rarely works out.

The danger of socialized coverage is the government instead of being an unbiased judge, will become a player. We lose any hope of a fair, impartial review of problems in the system.

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-05-2008
In reply to: janetlz
Fri, 01-23-2009 - 7:21pm

<

 

 

Guild Member since 2009

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
In reply to: janetlz
Fri, 01-23-2009 - 7:23pm

Medicare doesn't provide routine optical coverage, or routine dental coverage. A system based on Medicare won't offer these things.

A system which does currently offer these things is Medicaid. If we want Medicaid for all, that is a different, and more disastrous story.

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-14-2008
In reply to: janetlz
Fri, 01-23-2009 - 7:24pm

I'd like to add that the other people who qualify for Medicare are younger people with disabilities and people with end stage renal disease.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-19-2008
In reply to: janetlz
Fri, 01-23-2009 - 7:24pm
I believe Medicare uses private companies for claims processing to keep costs down and quality up. Sort of proving my point about public vs private employees.

Pages