"I don't think much of it. It costs too much. Fix Medicare first. People do need it, but I don't know how they can do it with public option. Maybe they can give a break in taxes to cover insurance."
-- Fred Burger
"Obama is wrong on a lot of stuff. He has given money for a lot of things he should have saved for until it is needed. I'm not for the healthcare plan."
-- Rose L. Schubla
"I don't understand what he (President Obama) is doing about healthcare. He has already said he isn't raising Social Security for two years and is raising the cost of Medicare. It's scary!"
-- Kathy Calvin
"I think something should be done for people who do not have insurance, but the thing is, how is it going to be paid? I think it is necessary that everyone is insured, but I hope he comes up with something that works that our grandchildren don't have to pay for. Doctor's office calls are too expensive. I realize they go to school for a long time, study a lot and have to make a living, but where do you put the brakes on?"
-- Darald Earles
"I'm a farmer's wife, and we're self-employed. I have worked hard all my life and paid for an expensive Comprehensive Indiana Insurance plan. Now, I'm on Medicare, and I don't want the president to mess with Medicare. I think there should be a plan that everyone can afford but leave Social Security alone. It's sad."
-- Gloria Worland
Yeh, both of you.
I think they should have posted a few pro-healthcare reform bill quotes. This thing seemed a little one sided. I know there are plenty of people in Greene County in favor of the current healthcare bill.
Evolouie
Look at Massachusetts. They have had government run health care since 2006. The system is similar to the current proposal, requirements for everyone to have insurance and assistance for those who can not afford it. It cost the state $630 million in 2007 and is estimated to double to over $1.3 billion in 2009. Government officials have said the cost is not sustainable. Premiums are higher than the national average, for an individual earning $31,213, the cheapest plan can cost up to $9,872. Emergency room use went up which exacerbated crowding. More people covered means more go to the hospital. To me the logic is "Someone else is paying the bill so why not have every scrape or runny nose checked out?". This was a small, scale state run plan. Imagine what will happen on a national level.
If health insurance "really is just like auto insurance" why can't I charge another person's health insurance company for my medical expenses when I get sick from or hurt by them?
Like I said in my previous post, I can avoid car insurance by not operating a car on public roads. There is no way to avoid a health insurance mandate. I can avoid it by not going into public areas. I can avoid being liable in a car accident by not operating a vehicle. I can not avoid ever getting sick.
Vehicle insurance is state mandated, not Federal. The health mandate would be Federal.
@Greenerx
Thank you for your comments. I respect you for taking care of yourself and your family without expecting others to provide for you. That is how we should all live. I was wrong to say you were happy with your current health care.
I understand your point that there are people caught in the middle, they make too much to get help but they don't make enough to afford insurance. There are things we can do to lower costs and provide care to more Americans without government-run healthcare. That is why I am engaging and encouraging people to contact their representative in Congerss.
Evilouie:
You want to compare health insurance to auto. (apples and oranges) so I would like to ask you some questions.
1. Does mandatory auto insurance improve the quality of the repair done on an auto.
Answer: No actually it has decreased the quality. A shop is more likely to put on a cheap after market part or rebuilt part and bill the insurance for a new manufacturers part.
2. Does mandatory auto insurance decrease the cost of auto repair.
Answer: again No It actually increases the cost. When the shops know that insurance is paying for repairs they will pad the bills to the max that they can get away with.
Just like auto insurance does not help the quality or lower cost of auto repair Mandatory health insurance will not lower the cost or increase the quality of health care.
Other reasons it is really a foolish comparison:
I can't buy a car that is all-ready wrecked (preexisting condition) go to an insurance company, purchase insurance, file a claim and make them pay to repair it.
If I have bad driving habits (drug user, alcohol user, obesity, etc for health ins.) my auto insurance can cancel my policy or raise my premium.
A person from Canada or Mexico can't just drive across the border and get his car repaired for free.
You may not know it but if you can show financial responsibility you do not need to have auto insurance.
Auto insurance has limits, once you reach those limits the individual is responsible for the balance. If you cause an accident and cause major medical damage to a person you will probably will be getting sued. The limit on a normal policy is not going to be near enough to cover the bills.
James 30096
I am not happy about not having insurance. It took me 4 years to pay off my surgery, I am in no way shape or form rich. I agree that there are problems with our healthcare system, but I'm not going to sit and around and expect other people to take care of me. I don't think the government taking over is the answer. I think there needs to be reform across the board for our entire healthcare system. My point is that there are people out there who are caught in the middle. They just can't afford to pay for health insurance to visit the doctor once or twice a year. I don't agree with mandatory insurance, but I do think there should be an option for people who are trying to do the right thing.