"Health Insurance for a Bad Economy" | Arthritis Information

Health insurance for a bad economy

Tough times justify national health care plan

by PHIL KADNER

October 16, 2008

I suggested to someone the other day that now would be a good time for the government to launch a national health insurance program.

"That would be socialism!" the person exclaimed.

Our government plans to spend hundreds of billions bailing out Wall Street, including 0 billion for ownership in private banking institutions.

But the woman I was talking to was worried that capitalism would be destroyed if every Joe Six-pack in America knew that he and his children were covered by health insurance.

I don't get it.

Listen, as this economy continues to tank, people are going to lose their jobs. Many of those folks are going to end up working for a lot less money for businesses that don't offer health insurance.

About 40 million Americans are already in that predicament.

But I can tell you three men who are not worried about that situation. George W. Bush, Barack Obama and John McCain have wonderful insurance plans. There's no better plan in America than that offered by the federal government.

And if Bush, McCain and Obama really believe that insurance is not important or that they can find a better plan for themselves on the open market, they should set an example for the rest of us and drop out of the federal plan.

McCain is proposing a ,000 refundable tax credit so American families can go out and buy their own plans. Try finding a really good plan, like the one McCain has, for ,000.

Better yet, ask a friend or neighbor who has tried to buy a plan on the free market what it really costs.

Most of the plans available for ,000 have huge deductibles. Many don't accept people with pre-existing conditions.

For rest of article see:

http://www.southtownstar.com/news/kadner/1224470,101608Kadner.article

Joie....We get it. Your for Obama. No 6t5, I think you missed the point here.

I got it Joie. Thanks for this article. A different way of looking at it.
[QUOTE=6t5frlane]Joie....We get it. Your for Obama. [/QUOTE]

If you took the time to read the entire article, you would have found the writer is critical of both candidates health proposals. The writer points out in this current economic times, more people would be joining the ranks of the unemployed and uninsured. The writer makes the point that a single payer system, national health insurance, would free up money that now goes to private insurance companies and redirect that money to actual medical care. The cost savings in reducing administrative cost with a single payer plan could be used to provide health care to the medically underserved.

I'm for increasing access to affordable health care. I think everyone is aware by now that the US is the only industrialized nation that does not provide health care to all its citizens. Since these other nations have found a way of delivering health care at sometimes less than half of what we pay for health care (leaving out 47 millions) surely we can design a more efficient, equitable, effective health care system. We have to. We can turn our backs on the moral issue of providing affordable health care, but we cannot ignore rising health care costs that imperil all of our access to health care, and also the health of our economy and country.

Joie2008-10-17 07:54:35My point really was this is joie 1000th article on health care etc. While it's certainly a hot topic I think she has made her point. That said everybody is free to read whatever they want With the public's fear of and focus on our country's and the international financial crisis, for some health care reform is now a lesser priority. If we do nothing, health care costs will continue to increase, more and more Americans will be left without adequate health care.

Health care is a complex issue, in addition to the candidate's proposals, there are other changes to our health care system that could be considered. On this forum and others, there are people that are uninsured and underinsured that cannot afford treatment for their RA or the drugs to keep them productive, in the workforce and from becoming disabled. Until such time as there are no longer people in such plight, I will continue to post about fixing our health care system -- for those that might care.