The plan that was passed absolutely sucks. The important part was not passing that particular plan, but, passing a framework for a plan that can be modified.
I understand the negative publicity because there is truth in it. The problem is that if a really good plan had been written it would have deeply cut into profits of some of the most wealthy and unscrupulous industries in this country. A really "good" plan would have been far more vilified than a bad one. The "bad guys" are scared to death that something may happen to have regulatory agencies really take a hard look at what they have been doing. If they get rid of change they get rid of any chances that their greed and other bad policies will be discovered and documented.
Many other countries have fully socialized medicine. Yes there are problems, but by percentage most of the care being given citizens of those countries is far better than ours. Yes, there is indeed people who have problems. However, those that are screaming foul are those who have never had a problem with a medical insurance provider. My Mother was denied care by an HMO and lost her life because after a major heart attack the HMO REFUSED to pay for cardiac care. That provider is or was at one time one of the most popular on the West Coast. My Mother was within 2 hours of a major heart attack shipped to a convalescent home where she was not even hooked to a cardiac monitor. She was not properly treated and because she was 80 years old they friggin did not care and wanted to save themselves money. This is so common these days with the elderly that there are now Attorneys making full time occupations out if this kind of case.
Where the real problem is, is that these providers do not care. Part of the settlement is always a non-disclosure statement/gag-order so in essence you can't talk about this and to get paid you need to "agree" in writing that they had no fault. The death of your loved ones is now simply being passed on including all the judgments against these giants who are doing this.
I am working on some medical projects with a couple of MD's and this has necessitated communications with clinic management in Canada, England, France and the Netherlands. Guess What! These people are all making great money from "socialized medicine" because it cuts the crap out of their overhead. Drug costs are dictated by mandate and they are paying as little as 25% of the costs that we are for the exact same drugs and treatment programs.
Remember that major pharmas ship and make the same products for many different markets and they make them in the same plants.
What. people think that they are going to ship a bottle of totally different and inferior tetracyclene to Canada, England or The Netherlands. The ONLY difference is the language on the packaging and the product insert for the market. It is the exact same product.
If in the medical biz I were dealing with a central pay plan I could cut the overhead of a medical practice by 60%. The paperwork costs and processing costs are killing medical professionals and institutions.
I am right now dealing with the aftermath of cancer in my 22 year old kid. Don't tell me what is fair and what is not. The hospital bill for a surgical procedure that was first "out-patient" and lasted less than one hour was $12,580.00. We have good insurance on the kid, but, guess what! When he turns 26 years old he will no longer be able to get insurance guys. Here he is at age 25 and because of cancer of the tongue, he is absolutely and positively uninsurable at age 26!
Sorry, I am tired of watching insurance companies collect premiums for decades and then dump policy holders at the first opportunity.
It is broken it needs change. What we have had is the "fox watching and guarding the henhouse" and it is a scam and a joke and has been for years.
The health care revisions are not workable as they are currently written, but, what the bad guys fear most is that they will be "fixed". Fix them and the "greed and avarice" goes under a microscope.
I would rather try and work with a new system and be a part of positive change than sit back and "belly-ache" spouting political rhetoric that in reality will be changed quickly to "fix" the problems.
At least somebody tried to do something and that is better than any administration since Lyndon Johnson passed Medicare. That gentlemen was 1965 or 1966 and many of you were not even conceived when that one happened.
