Vision for Health Care | Arthritis Information

"I shall propose a sweeping new program that will assure comprehensive health-insurance protection to millions of Americans who cannot now obtain it or afford it, with vastly improved protection against catastrophic illnesses."

These are words from REPUBLICAN President Nixons's State of the Union speech in 1974. His resignation from office prevented him from enacting such a program. Thirty-four years later, we still do not have a health insurance program for all Americans.

The PBS program "Bill Moyer's Journal" has a very educational and enlightening program about the state of US health care and the Nurses Association "vision for health care." A transcript of the program or the video of the program is available and viewable online at the link below. It's a good program, check it out, after all its about the future of your health care.

ttp://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/05092008/watch.html

Joie. I have a question. So once Dick Cheney is out of office, will he be automatically covered for the rest of his life...or does he go back out into the mainstream, as an unemployed person and have to search for new coverage? How does this work with elected officials? My husband was telling me yesterday about how Dick Cheney got on the ticket...and he sickens me even more now. Dick Cheney would be elgible for whatever retirement benefits, including medical, that any 20 Year employee of the Federal govt is elgible for Congress/politicians in Washington have fat benefits. One of the points of the video, was that Cheney, with all his health problems, heart etc., would be denied health coverage by many insurance companies, especially for an individual health policy, because of his pre existing conditions, yet he is eligible to receive "cadillac care." Shouldn't other Americans with pre existing condtions also have the same right to "access" to health care, to be able to buy insurance?

Obama's health care proposal would prevent insurers from excluding those w/pre existing conditions. McCain's health care proposal would move away from employer based insurance, group insurance, and make the individual responsible for shopping for an individual health plan. That's fine if you're healthy, but those w/pre existing conditions would be relegated to a high risk pool, which for those who can pay would be costly, and those who cannot pay, would be subsidized by the government.

Cheney is a bad example because he is a current employee of the Federal govt elgible for coverage under that group plan even if he wasnt he would be covered, including his preexisting conditions, under medicare. A better example is someone like Bill Clinton who also has a history of heart problems and at 61 is not currently elgible for any other medical plan other than that he receives from his Presidency.

And I'm not arguing the point that health care needs to protect those with preexisting conditions but those with "Cadillac Care" go across party lines and it polarizes people when examples are only chosen from one side.

My intent is not to polarize people about health care but to awaken them to a discussion of what's at stake. I have posted other threads about health insurance issues and get little interest sometime. If it takes using Cheney, a figure in the news, as a hook to get people to focus on our health care problem, then so be it.

But the main point, is that anyone belonging to an employer based group insurance plan, like Cheney, like any federal, state or county worker, or employee of a large business or corporation, would most likely not be discriminated against because of pre existing condition. That is not the case for an individual trying to buy an individual health plan or an employee of a small business, but thats the way for profit insurance companies work, sick people are a fiscal liability -- the risk and cost can be spread out in a large pool, but not in the individual plan market or the small group plan market.

So all of us here with a pre existing condtion like RA shouldn't we care about this? If not for ourselves, shouldn't we be empathetic toward others w/pre existing conditions locked out of buying health insurance? How many are aware that McCain's health care proposal would relegate folks w/pre existing conditions to a high risk pool, that would cost more and possibly cover less?

Whether or not Cheney or Clinton is used as an example, the heart of the problem is our health care system is unraveling. How can we allow ourselves to be "polarized" on this issue when we all have RA and will be dependent upon our health care system for the rest of our lives? We need to do better, we can do better, but we better start.

As I said I don't disagree with the subject but I believe that anytime a single example is used you risk polarizing the supporters or detracters of that person and right now we don't need that. The discussion ends up being a discussion about that person. Note that Lorster wasn't concerned with what you said but only about what benefits that Cheney would receive. The overall argument gets lost. Keep the example more broad encompassing more people that the reader can relate to then concensus starts to be built. People have been bitching for years about the medical benefits people in Congress receive and look how far its gotten us towards insurance reform

buckeye2008-06-12 10:43:38

I hear ya Buckeye, I hear ya.

Lorster was responding to the beginning of the Nurses Association video. I didn't use Cheney as an example, it was a part of the their program.

I don't know what the reader will relate to as I get few viewers to my post, posts by DONN and LevLarry draw hundreds of hits.

But I do know this, there seem to be some very vocal conservatives on this forum, but when I've asked (nicely) about McCain's health care proposal I get little response.

It sorta upsets me that you suggest I am polarizing after some of the posts I've seen on this forum.

Well, I'm very tired now. Gonna take a break.

[QUOTE=buckeye] Cheney is a bad example because he is a current employee of the Federal govt elgible for coverage under that group plan even if he wasnt he would be covered, including his preexisting conditions, under medicare. A better example is someone like Bill Clinton who also has a history of heart problems and at 61 is not currently elgible for any other medical plan other than that he receives from his Presidency.

[/QUOTE]

Buckeye, I did not choose a person from one side. The article was about him. That is why I asked.

Joie

I didn't think you were trying to polarize people but as you pointed out there are vocal people on both sides of the topic who would take any opportunity to allow themselves to deviate from the argument

Your posts are informative and do hit an interested audiance dont worry about how many views other posts get..many of those people read for the shear amusement

hi joie i do read your posts i find them interesting but like many topics
on the forum i find it hard to participate .. coming from the uk a lot of topics
i am simply lost on.. but i still enjoy the read
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