USA Presidential Politics - 2008

[Just Lucky]

Originally Posted by MikeW

I don't drive a brand new Mercedes, nor any Mercedes at all. I never will be able to afford it. But then again I would never want work the hours doctors do, be on call, deal with death, go to school for that many years, deal with residency. I wouldn't put myself through that and then just be able to survive.

The position may be less stressful for Doctors under a universal health care plan. They could actually be practicing medicine more and spending less time learning how to correctly fill out a variety of insurance companies forms in order to get paid . They wouldn't worry that their lower income, and yes, middle income patients couldn't afford treatment.

Most other countries medical professionals seem happy with their income. One exception i know of is Germany. Not all German Doctors are happy with their compensation. I'm sure Joana could fill us in on their system. Joana seems like such a wonderful professional that I doubt that a copious salary was her primary concern in choosing her career.

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by roni

Could it be that Doctor's overcharge?

Insurance companies also have negotiated big discounts from what private pay patients are charged.

I don't care that insurance companies would become non-profit companies in this new world. Doctor's likely overcharge..I don't care that they make less. Pharmaceutical companies overcharge...I don't care that they make less...I care about the people. And I don't buy into the myth that the doctors will not be good if they don't overcharge...that the insurance companies will not be effective if they don't overcharge....and the pharmaceutical companies won't make good drugs if the don't overcharge.

[ryberg]

Attn MikeW, this seems to be right up your alley, and also consistent with what I was suggesting.

For Indiana Voters, Talk of Change May Fall Flat

Many of the two dozen voters interviewed in this central Indiana manufacturing city of 46,000 expressed queasiness over the notions of change that both Democratic candidates have proudly pledged elsewhere. Though residents bemoaned economic conditions that have taken away thousands of factory jobs and given the state the 11th-highest rate of foreclosures, they also said they worried about doing things — anything — very differently...

Your classic bait and switch, I tell ya.

Steve

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by See Turtle

You'll love this. My health insurer, which shall remain unnamed -- it's Aetna -- sent a memo out informing us that they'd be in the office on May 7th to do "lifestyle counseling." Turns out that what this entails is drawing blood to check cholesterol, triglycerides, what have you. But they're doing this without the usual fasting requirement to create a baseline.

What they're REALLY doing is collecting DNA. By doing this they can, somewhere down the road, do any number of things including denial of treatment based on a genetically pre-existing condition.

Both my attorney and my personal physician have strongly recommended that I refuse to comply. HR suggests that compliance is mandatory and noncompliance may result in them dropping our coverage.

How about that?

Check this out...Congress has voted on prohibiting genetic discrimination right now...

click here

Yesterday the Senate voted unanimously to pass the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), which after going back to the House for final approval is expected to be signed by President Bush as early as next week. This law will ensure that anyone who gets genetic screening tests will be protected from having that information shared with health insurers or employers. Up until now, women who tested positive for, say, one of the breast cancer genes could be denied insurance coverage or employment based on her predisposition to developing breast cancer years down the road.

...................

The law will: (a) prohibit the use of genetic information to deny employment or insurance coverage; (b) ensure that genetic test results are kept private; and (c) prevent an insurer from basing eligibility or premiums on genetic information.

[roni]

Originally Posted by ryberg

Attn MikeW, this seems to be right up your alley, and also consistent with what I was suggesting.

Your classic bait and switch, I tell ya.

Steve

How so a bait and switch? (this is asking a clarifying question)

[Just Lucky]

Originally Posted by Jacko

Check this out...Congress has voted on prohibiting genetic discrimination right now...

click here

Yesterday the Senate voted unanimously to pass the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), which after going back to the House for final approval is expected to be signed by President Bush as early as next week. This law will ensure that anyone who gets genetic screening tests will be protected from having that information shared with health insurers or employers. Up until now, women who tested positive for, say, one of the breast cancer genes could be denied insurance coverage or employment based on her predisposition to developing breast cancer years down the road.

...................

The law will: (a) prohibit the use of genetic information to deny employment or insurance coverage; (b) ensure that genetic test results are kept private; and (c) prevent an insurer from basing eligibility or premiums on genetic information.

Thirteen years! Gotta love those Republicans.

It has yet to be signed and go into effect. Right?

Yea, for the good guys.

[MikeW]

Originally Posted by ryberg

Attn MikeW, this seems to be right up your alley, and also consistent with what I was suggesting.

Your classic bait and switch, I tell ya.

Steve

Not quite what I was talking about. There are times when change is required.

[MikeW]

Compared to Universal Health Care, Social Security is a simple concept. Put money, take money out.

Gov't can't get that right, how do you expect them to get Universal Health Care right?

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by MikeW

Compared to Universal Health Care, Social Security is a simple concept. Put money, take money out.

Gov't can't get that right, how do you expect them to get Universal Health Care right?

Social security works just fine.... I think they have it right, yes?

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by Just Lucky

Thirteen years! Gotta love those Republicans.

It has yet to be signed and go into effect. Right?

Yea, for the good guys.

They are "seeing the light" FINALLY and ever so slowly on global warming, fuel efficiency standards, Katrina failures...who knows? Perhaps they will get it right soon on Guantanomo, immigration reform, the economy and the Iraq war?

[MikeW]

Originally Posted by Jacko

Social security works just fine.... I think they have it right, yes?

[Just Lucky]

Originally Posted by MikeW

Compared to Universal Health Care, Social Security is a simple concept. Put money, take money out.

Gov't can't get that right, how do you expect them to get Universal Health Care right?

The concept as I recall it is that we are the government. I reckon it will be as bad as we let it be.

For the most part Social Security works pretty well. I just saw this ad on my local Craigslist:

Garage Sale on Saturday April 26, at 8127 Tahoe Parke Circle to benefit Alma Malocalaj. Alma is a nine year old that had surgery for a brain tumor but no medical insurance. We are trying to help with medical bills. The sale is 8a.m.-2 p.m. We have the following to sell: ..........

Benefit Garage Sale for Alma Malocalaj

Doe this sound to you as if we have a good working system at this time?

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by MikeW

People get paid, the checks go out.....

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by Just Lucky

The concept as I recall it is that we are the government. I reckon it will be as bad as we let it be.

For the most part Social Security works pretty well. I just saw this ad on my local Craigslist:Benefit Garage Sale for Alma Malocalaj

Doe this sound to you as if we have a good working system at this time?

Exactly!

[roni]

Originally Posted by MikeW

If you take the average economic growth rate over the past 25 years, discount by 1/2 percent - the SS fund never runs out of money.

If you take away 30% of Bush's ill-advised tax cuts, the SS fund never runs out of money.

It is all Republican plans to remove social insurance and place the risk squarely on the individuals who are least able to deal with it.

The Great Risk Shift | Jacob S. Hacker