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Healthcare march hopes to raise public awareness

Submitted by WWAY on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 11:11am.READ MORE:

As the healthcare reform debate continues across the country, nearly one-hundred people gathered in Wilmington Saturday to raise public awareness. Kay Zwan said every American should be able to get access to healthcare. She claims the American dream will be denied if the country does not reform the healthcare system. The group is targeting Blue Dog Democrats in Congress, including Congressman Mike McIntyre. The group is afraid the private insurance industry will destroy the house health care bill will loopholes. “We will not settle for anything else. So Congressman McIntyre, I hope you hear us now and Senator Kay Hagan we need you to vote on the side of the people and not the insurance industry,” said Zwan. The group walked from DC Virgo Middle School to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center on Eighth Street, all in the name of affordable healthcare for everyone.

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It is truly sad that so much

Submitted by smallbusinessowner (not verified) on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 6:56pm.

It is truly sad that so much disinformation is out there, and sadder that people are actually falling for it. A public option is simply an option for people to PAY for a government plan. Not everyone can get health insurance due to pre-existing conditions and cherry picking. That creates an environment where ALL of us pick up the tab in the most expensive place- the ER. We already have shared costs via premiums. I find it rather ironic that we have to subsidize ALL government employees to have health care via a government plan. I don't see ANY of the opposition turning that down and going into the individual market. As a small business owner, we also have to subsidize big business (they receive tax breaks for health insurance that small businesses cannot tap into). Since small businesses like mine employ more than 50% of the population, it is imperative we do something about the rising costs of care. Right now, it is such a daunting expense, if things continue down this road, we will no longer be able to provide health insurance for our employees. I hear this complaint routinely throughout the small business community. I am simply getting tired of subsidizing ALL government employees (and their families!) while we struggle to be able to provide insurance for our families and our own employees. Strip the government employees of their health insurance and let the market work if you truly want a free market system, take away the tax breaks for big business, but as it is right now, while we subsidize the largest employer in the country, the government, I am really tired of being told to keep quiet by those that aren't going out there building businesses. Sorry to be crass, but we are faced with these costs constantly and it is dire. Keep in mind that we have to stay competitive in a market where every other industrialized nation provides basic health insurance. If this trend keeps up, there will be very few on any employer based plan without heavy subsidies. I understand the fear that some have that this change is going to be huge, drastic and bad, but I simply do not see that at all. I am one of the people that has read through the 1,000+ pages of the house bill and the draft of the Senate's bill. Most things have been taken out of context by the insurance industry, and as a business owner trying to find the best plans for my employees, there simply is a serious lack of competition and over-bloated premiums and dwindling coverage. We are in such a crisis, I don't feel most employees understand this fact. Affordable health care for all, or all in the free market. No more subsidies for government employees and big business while families continue to suffer. Click here for the debunking of the snippets posted by the poster earlier (whom I can tell has not read the bills, BTW): http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/2009/07/deconstructing-the-righ...

Health Care Bill - smallbusinessowner

Submitted by Guest3 (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 9:22am.

So you don't believe I read the bill, go to the link and read it yourself. It is long and I doubt that our representatives in congress have read it, and they are trying to push it through before the citizens read it. http://patientsunitednow.com/?q=node/233

I know you haven't read it.

Submitted by smallbusinessowner (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 10:52am.

I know you haven't read it. The plan has been debated and discussed for many months, and you wouldn't have fallen for the talking points memo had you read it. They are blatantly false, and a quick read would have cleared that confusion. Secondly, there are issues I wish that were addressed that are not in this bill. For one, the AMA should not be allowed to continue the practice of limiting the amount of doctors coming out of med school. We need more doctors, not less, and the fact that the AMA has been successful at doing so is beyond me. Also, the cost of med school is getting to ridiculous heights. Most people going into medicine now go right into a specialty, even if they wish to be a primary care doctor, simply to pay off their loans. That is no way to create affordable care in this country. I am happy to see that there is relief in the bill for those that wish to work as primary physicians. I think it doesn't go far enough, however, especially since the boomers are getting ready to retire. Lastly, I'd like to see nurse practitioners utilized more heavily. They can be the first line of defense in mild cases. Please do go and read the bill and think of ways of improving what you don't like and log what you do. We have to get over this partisanship and really start looking for solutions. We are in serious trouble, even if you think you are safe in a job somewhere. I suppose the only place you can be completely isolated is if you work for the government. I suppose that is why those that oppose the public option have yet to give up their tax subsidized plan and move to the individual market.

healthcare bill part 2 or is it 3?

Submitted by Guest3 (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 1:00pm.

1 TITLE I—QUALITY, AFFORDABLE 2 HEALTH CARE FOR ALL 3 AMERICANS 4 Subtitle A—Effective Coverage for 5 All Americans I am now reading another version of the health care plan, that has been cut down from the original have you read it yet?

smallbusinessowner

Submitted by Guest3 (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 12:30pm.

Thank you, I feel so much better. It's so nice to know that there are people like you that know what I have and have not done. Thanks for letting me know that I have spent long tedious hours reading the health care bill just to tell me I have not done so. There are things that need to be addressed in our health care system, but having the government intervene with a whole new system is not the answer. If you think government health care will be any better, than why are Medicare and the VA so inefficient? Have you ever dealt with the VA? Have you ever dealt with Medicare? I am not knocking the health care providers that work in the VA, their hands are tied because of all the government red tape that tells them what they can and cannot do. Do you honestly think it would be any better for the rest of us if this bill is passed? Why are the democrats not listening to the many, many ideas that have been presented to them about addressing the problems of our present system? Why did the democrats have closed door meetings about this bill (no republicans allowed) and try to push it through without it being posted for the citizens to even read it? Why is Nancy Peloski not allowing time for our own representatives to read it before they have to vote on it? Why, because Obama wants his program pushed through and will not listen to any alternatives. If they had our best interest at heart they would not try to push this through without going through the bill line by line and having open discussions about the good point and bad points of the bill. What about the cost, just where do they plan on getting the money to pay for this bill? In the wonder, wonder land of Obama, where you just print more money than you have coming in?

Guest3, If you want to have

Submitted by smallbusinessowner (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 3:05pm.

Guest3, If you want to have a serious discussion about this, and I hope you do, you are going to need to stop with the talking points that are just flat out bogus. As far as the VA, you are going to have to do some recent research as most people in the VA system actually really like it currently. As far as Medicare is concerned, most seniors also like their care. They certainly do not want to do away with it. In fact, not long ago, there was a report where seniors were calling their representatives saying that they wanted to keep the government out of their Medicare! LOL! I thought that was pretty funny considering it IS a government program. In any case, there is waste, no doubt about that and it can be dealt with pretty easily. Most of our problems have been with over testing due to the horrific way in which we log patient records. One thing that I did applaud Bush in doing is setting up the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology (in 2004), and I applaud Obama for continuing it to help cut out waste (for some reason people didn't know this originated with Bush and were heavily against it when Obama kept it going). Again partisanship getting in the way of supporting something that is actually a good idea. It also creates electronic data that can be easily accessed between doctors, which would streamline the system (in fact, it already is). People keep saying "something needs to be done," yet I am hearing absolutely nothing that would change a thing. The only option I see that will add competition and take on people with pre-existing conditions is a public option. If you want to go the free market route, then fine, state that and let's end all subsidies. No subsidies for government workers, no subsidies for big business, no subsidies for the elderly or poor, and no subsidies for children. Let everyone deal in the free, individual market. Let me warn you however, your costs will at the minimum double, and your coverage will be less, and they will be able to discriminate and drop you fairly easily. There is no protection in the individual market, sadly. I know, I left a corporate job 8 years ago and started my own company. A decision I do not regret, but I was appalled at the realities in the individual market. It really is a sham, and it makes it really difficult for small businesses to employ and compete. I really don't see that as an option. So what you have now is a few of us, small business owners and those in the individual market TRULY subsidizing government workers, big business while we are offered absolutely ZERO relief. We cannot sustain that. Outside of the government, which is the largest employer, we have small businesses that employ more American workers than anything else (over 50%!). We have to have relief, Guest3. That is just a fact. We cannot keep subsidizing our competition and government workers and stay in business AND give health benefits to our employees. It is simply rising too quickly. I hope you can appreciate this. We've got to get smart about this. We waste so much money NOT insuring people. BTW, this discussion has been going on, YES WITH REPUBLICANS!!, since March, at the link I am providing. Here is the latest: http://edlabor.house.gov/blog/2009/06/health-care-reform-house-dems.shtm... I would also like to add that the insurance market fought Medicare as well, but they are actually doing quite well in the supplemental market. The public option is rather basic, and there is room for the private sector to come in and pick up slack for those that DO choose to go on the public option. Seniors and health insurance providers have formed a wonderful marriage that is creating a good system of health care for our seniors. We can cut out the waste, we do so in our police forces, fire depts, all over this country. Tell me what you like about the bill (as there are a ton of free market solutions in there) and what you dislike. Look forward to having a great discussion about this. I have never doubted the ingenuity of the American people, and I doubt I will be let down at this point. Take Care, SBO

apparently

Submitted by SurfCityTom on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 11:37am.

no one understands there is only so much fat on the bone. Cut too deeply into the carcas, and the carcas will roll over and die. Apply the same principle to small businesses. Increase Taxes and Expenses, one day the small businessowner will shut the door. Then what happens to his former employees -- in this economy they may become entitlement recipients. Of course, when the carcas bleeds out, there is nothing to feed the entitlement issuers; thus entitlements will end. They just do not get it

Irrational plan

Submitted by befuddled1 (not verified) on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 6:49pm.

The federal government's "Cash for Clunkers" program failed in less than a week. White House and Congressional officials said they underestimated how popular the program would be. They also estimated it would take over $700+ billion to right the economy, yet, now declaring the recession is "over", they've only spent around $80 billion. How do we know that they're right on the numbers for health care? What if they're wrong? When they put all the private insurance companies out of business (it will happen, it's in the bill) and the program fails (it will happen, because there is no way to pay for the program, you can't tax the American people enough to pay for it), then what? There is no do-over. You can't just suspend or cancel the program. You're stuck with a broken system. If Obama and lawmakers could actually think realistically instead of idealistically, they would see this. It's a stupid plan that the democrats are hell-bent on passing. This will be Obama's Iraq. This will fail, and he will prove himself to be worse than Bush. At least Bush passed on bad intel to the American people; Obama is content on downright lying. He's saying things about the Bill that just aren't there. It's time you realize Obama is nothing more than a lawyer. Despicable.

You've got that wrong. "Cash

Submitted by Guestmommy (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 4:20pm.

You've got that wrong. "Cash for Clunkers" didn't fail, it was an overwhelming success!

No, it does not say that in

Submitted by smallbusinessowner (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 9:33am.

No, it does not say that in the bill. I have combed through this bill (I am assuming you are talking about the much debated House bill). That is just the spin that insurance agencies are using to scare you. You have to remember that they are not wanting things to change. Please read information from all sides and also take the time to actually break down the bill. And please speak with businesses owners here in Wilmington. Oh, and for the record, because this is being said as well, small businesses will not be fined if their payroll is less than $500,000/ yr. That means that about 90% of small businesses will be exempt, so this bill will help offer relief by giving an alternative to the high premiums and lower coverage most small companies have, if any at all. We desperately need something like that for the small business community. Here is a debunking of the claim that private insurance is dead: "Could a public insurance plan spell the end of private insurance companies? Summary A new ad from Conservatives for Patients' Rights says that a public health insurance plan now being proposed in Congress "could crush all your other choices, driving them out of existence, resulting in 119 million off their current insurance coverage." That's misleading. The 119 million figure comes from an analysis of a plan that would mirror Medicare and be open to every individual and business that wanted it. But that's not the type of public plan President Obama has proposed. Nor is such a plan gaining acceptance on Capitol Hill. The author of the study says that while some have backed the Medicare-like proposal, using the 119 million number "overstates the impact of what now is being considered." The ad also falsely cites the New York Times as the source of a statement that what's being proposed would leave no consumer choices and "government in control of your health care." The Times didn't say that at all. The newspaper was just quoting claims made by insurance companies and members of Congress." http://www.factcheck.org/politics/more_health_care_scare.html

No private corporation...

Submitted by GuestHassa (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 2:24pm.

...that has to make a profit to exist can compete with a governmental non-profit health insurer who can remain awash in red ink. Take a look at Medicaid and Amtrack - bottomless wells of red ink, and all they do is print up more money to pretend they're paying for it. 5 out of 6 Americans ARE insured, and over half the estimated 45 million without health insurance simply choose to divert their money to other expenditures. They choose to be un-insured. This is an IMAGINARY crisis created by an administration that wants government to determine the scope, course, and pace of the American economy. "Health reform," cap and trade, and the various attempts at apponting bureacratic "czars" to focus on specific industries clearly indicate an attempt to change us into a European style Socialist state.

Ok, what I thought, one of

Submitted by smallbusinessowner (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 3:23pm.

Ok, what I thought, one of the two. You are going to have to explain to me why I should be subsidizing your health insurance.

You subsidize nothing more...

Submitted by GuestHassa (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 6:19pm.

...than I have to subsidize. I am also a taxpayer....and I pay BIG taxes. Strange that you don't seem to have a problem with the wealthy being taxed excessively to "subsidize" Obama's healthcare plan. That's okay, right? But if you're dissatisfied with the current system of taxation, deductions, and credits, feel free to write to your legislative representatives and support a flat tax or The Fair Tax. Then you can stop subsidizing health insurance WITHOUT allowing the government to take over one-fifth of our economy.

Hassa, The difference

Submitted by smallbusinessowner (not verified) on Wed, 08/05/2009 - 12:17pm.

Hassa, The difference between you and me paying taxes, is that you get to receive tax subsidized care and I do not. No one has explained to me why I should be forced to subsidize my competition's employee benefits AND pay, full price for mine. Seriously, think about that. I wonder why you think I am not part of the wealthy. Not all of us are opposed to spending money, if there is a benefit in doing so. These skewed tax subsidies for health care to ALL government employees and ALL big business is really costing the small businesses and individual tax payers waaaaaaaaaaay more than it needs to and it is simply unsustainable. I run the numbers all the time. As far as the flat tax, I have researched that and I found some major errors in the flat tax. First of all, they have had to amend the percentage from 23% to 34% as they realized that there simply wouldn't be enough revenue. Secondly, it would hit the middle class pretty hard (and that's my bread and butter), as ATF's Burton admits: "Burton agreed that those earning more than $200,000 would see their share of the overall tax burden decrease, admitting that “probably those earning between $40[thousand] and $100,000” would see their percentage of the tax burden rise." Also, you have to keep in mind that you would be taxed on ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. Here is what would happen if you were to pay for a home under the "fair" tax: OK, so here is a $200,000 home. You put down $40,000*. You purchase the home and have to pay 34% on that, which adds $54,400 to that price! LOL So, then, you'd have to pay taxes on the interest on your mortgage which is $214,400. At 4% interest. So, you have 1023.58 + 34% (348.01) + insurance (once a year $1,000 + 34% ($1340/12=$111.22/mo) + county and city taxes ($90). Payment: 1572.81 X 30 years= $566,211.60 Compare that to buying a home at $200,000 with $40,000 down. You'd need a loan of $160,000. 4% interest $763.86 + insurance, once a year 1,000/12= 83.33 + $90= Payment: 937.19 X 30 years= $337,388.40 Add in lawyer fees- $1000 + 34% (1340) Loan origination fee= $1500 + 34% (2010) Inspection fee= $250 + 34% (335) Appraisal fees= $350 + 34% (469) pest inspection= $100 +34% (134) 3200 vs. 4288 HECK NO, I would not be happy with that at all. *If you couldn't pay 20% you'd also have to pay PMI + 34% Here is more info on the Fair Tax: http://www.factcheck.org/taxes/unspinning_the_fairtax.html At first I thought it may be an interesting option, and I would actually benefit under it, however, it would cause a halt to the economy because as much as people hate paying taxes, they would be having to do it with every single aspect of a purchase. That would get old very fast and as a business owner, I wouldn't benefit overall from a 34% hike at every angle of a purchase (just think of returns- eeekk!). It would be an absolute nightmare for us.

What part of NO INCOME TAX confuses you?

Submitted by GuestHassa (not verified) on Wed, 08/05/2009 - 4:22pm.

How often do you buy a house? How often do you buy a car? Then consider how often you have to pay tens of thousands in income tax, year after year. The trade-off would be well worth it. Especially when you consider the pre-bate to offset food purchases, based upon the number of people in the household. The only people who wouldn't like the fair Tax are the worthless sponges who currently pay no taxes at all. I'm more convinced than ever that you are not a small business owner, but rather a schill for the Liberal Democrats. Good luck. Your health deform is destined for failure.

Other benefits

Submitted by guesty on Wed, 08/05/2009 - 9:51pm.

A flat tax would also do away with the benefit of working under the table as well as bring all the cash the drug dealers make into the tax system. The slugs on welfare don't want this because they currently don't pay anything into the system at all.

BTW, Hassa You have yet to

Submitted by smallbusinessowner (not verified) on Wed, 08/05/2009 - 7:43pm.

BTW, Hassa You have yet to explain why I need to continue to subsidize your health insurance. If you are so opposed to tax subsidies, walk the walk and pay for your own insurance instead of relying on businesses like mine to prop up your care.

LOL

Submitted by Guest7969 (not verified) on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 3:47pm.

"Kay Zwan said every American should be able to get access to healthcare" YOU CAN...you just have to pay for it like everyone else that has it...I KNOW that is hard to fathom...a service that you have to PAY FOR...I mean whats next...I cant afford a car...the government MUST BUY ME ONE... I think Mike IS LISTENTING to the people and I don't think he is stupid enough to vote for this...

I hate to tell you this, but

Submitted by smallbusinessowner (not verified) on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 7:31pm.

I hate to tell you this, but you already DO pay for people that cannot pay, only it is in the most expensive place- the ER. Along with it being the most expensive, multiple tests are given because the patients that cannot afford care do not routinely see the same doctor. We all pay for that in higher costs. That is an economically silly way to deliver care and have the rest of us pick up the tab. Secondly, you also highly subsidize government employees and their families. You also kick in extra taxes to make up the short fall on the tax breaks big business receives to provide insurance for their employees. Additionally, you also pay higher premiums with lower coverage (unless you are a government employee or work for a large corporation). I also want to make an extremely important point about how people are locked to their jobs due to insurance. That puts a serious dent in our ability to produce entrepreneurs in this country. Small businesses are the backbone to this country and we are being drowned in rising health care costs. I understand that so many like to pretend politics is a big football game, but the reality is, we are in serious trouble. I really wish that people would talk to the small business owners around town and learn how bad it truly is out there.

Be "aware" of this

Submitted by Commonsensenotc... on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 1:15pm.

Your healthcare is YOUR concern, not mine. Pay your own way through life and don't try to loot from the productive, functional members of society.

I don't have children, why

Submitted by And.. (not verified) on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 3:25pm.

I don't have children, why should I have to pay for education? I don't own a car, why should I have to pay for road construction and repair? I don't use the mail, why should I pay for the postal service? I grow my own food, why should I pay for the FDA? I have a problem with many of the laws on the books, why should I pay for law enforcement? Or the judicial system? If I LIVED for only MYSELF, this country would be a disaster in about 15 minutes. We live in a society not for the good of one, but for the good of all.

And...

Submitted by Das Weibstück on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 9:07am.

"If I LIVED for only MYSELF, this country would be a disaster in about 15 minutes. We live in a society not for the good of one, but for the good of all." It is nice that YOU feel that way.....Now please tell me just what all the welfare recipients are doing? They live for themselves and they have no concern for you, me or this country. Here is another for the list: I do not draw welfare why should I be forced to pay for it? Have a day This is not a recession, this is a correction.

Thanks for that flowery rhetoric, Karl

Submitted by Commonsensenotc... on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 8:22pm.

What you fail to understand, however, is that the functioning, productive half of society cannot afford to keep carrying the worthless, the inept, and the lazy. EVERYONE has to contribute to that society you mentioned. The same people you want me to pay for AREN'T paying their way at all. Only half this country pays taxes. The other half rides for free. "There is no such thing as society: There are individual men and women, and there are families." - Margaret Thatcher

mail

Submitted by Guest 2 (not verified) on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 7:58pm.

If you don't use the mail, then you don't pay for the postal service, it has been that way for over 30 years. The worst thing about the postal service are the mandates from the government, poor management, and because of the unions the inability for the boss to be able to put his/her foot down and force some of the dead beats to either do their job or get he heck out so someone that will do it can do what ever it takes to get the job done, and do it right. But I know what you are saying. Why should my health insurance cover maternity, I am a man and can't get pregnant? Why do I have to pay for sports channels, 99% of the news channels, and most of the other channels on my cable tv, I don't watch them, but in order to get the few channels I do want, I have to pay for all the others I never watch? I have no children in school, so why do I have to pay for other children to go there? I pay for my own healthcare so I can be covered, so why do I have to pay for others that have no insurance, especially the ones that choose not to have it, or for the illegal people in this country? Will Mexico or Canada give you free health service if you go there and get sick? I doubt it. I thought Bush spent a lot of money until Obama got the job.

Yes, you do get care in

Submitted by smallbusinessowner (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 10:10am.

Yes, you do get care in those countries without having to pay. In Mexico it is the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social or IMSS. Of course, Mexico has a mixed system with private and public, so you can also choose to pay out of pocket. In Canada, you can also receive care as a visitor through the Medicare system, and since their doctors are private, you can also choose to pay out of pocket. Again, you do not pay for your health care completely unless you have an individual plan (most do not) or are an owner of a small business. Our big businesses and government employees are highly subsidized as it is right now. Plus, the premiums you do pay are over bloated with less coverage due to the uninsured going to the ER, when their health is poorer and they are unable to pay. We do not turn people away at our state hospitals (nor does any state), as they receive funding from taxpayers of the community, state, and federal government (via medicare and medicaid). We are just doing this in the most expensive way possible. Add to that the burden placed on small businesses to have to pick up the shortfall in higher premiums and lower coverage. Keep in mind, small businesses are the backbone to our economy and are unable to tap into pools and security like big businesses are able to do. Add to that that small businesses must achieve massive growth to continue, so their profits are usually so low, that the tax breaks that big businesses receive are unavailable to small businesses. We need a public option that can offer better coverage than what the private sector is willing to offer the small businesses in our country. We employ over 50% of the population, but because we are viewed as small individual pools, we do not have the massive pool of a federal small business community. Big businesses have something akin to that and the government does as well. We need that option so we can continue to offer benefits to our employees.

LOL

Submitted by Guest7969 (not verified) on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 3:52pm.

have you actually SEEN the state of Social Security, Medicade, Medicare, border protection...the government doesn't HAVE the ability to SUCCESSFULLY run programs...why in the WORLD would I want them digging around in my health care? MARK MY WORDS if this passes, which I don't think it will....what will be next is a COMPLETE profile of our bodies and telling us what we can and cannot eat...how much sleep we must get, etc, etc...it will know NO bounds

Declaration of Independence

Submitted by Guest3658974 (not verified) on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 12:55pm.

"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness."Nowhere is healthcare mentioned. However, there is one keyword that stands out here. Pursuit. In other words, you have the right to persue your own happiness with no interferance from the government. The american dream will not die with the vetoing of the healthcare bill. However, the lazy, inept and disorganized will. Let me break down the american dream for those who don't understand....America is a place where one can choose to succeed without oppression from the government. It is NOT a place where we are entitled to other things, only the three outlined in the declaration. We, as Americans, are not entitled to what we do not earn. And this is a fact, although lazy people would have you believe otherwise.

healthcare only for the fortunate ?

Submitted by wayne (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 8:56am.

so if i read you correct , the carpenter you may hire to work on your home , the waitress who brings you a meal , etc. etc. are lazy and do not deserve health care ? right ? let me give you an example along with a math lesson . a friend works for a small company doing data entry and clerical work . she makes $10 per hr and brings home less than $300 per week . thats $1200 per month . she lives with a room mate so her housing costs are around $550 per month . that leaves $650 for gas , food , clothing and other living expenses . she saw an add from bc&bs (emphasis on the bs ) for insurance for around $275 per month and applied . after the physical exam the rate went to around $650 per month . (note here what she had left to live on referenced earlier )reason ? her body mass index was to high . she's a little overweight . she is 39 years old and is in good health , never had a major medical event in her life . there are other companies out there , selling cut rate insurance , but by the time she pays the premiums (little over $300 per month ) she cant afford to pay the deductibles . so just pay as you go right ? an average doctor visit is $150 an office visit if your uninsured . thats half a paycheck for someone making $10 per hour . and that would not include any testing or meds she would need . so you just let these people go without healthcare until they have to go to the hospital , and then let medicaid pick up the tab , right ? we don't need government healthcare , we need affordable healthcare . government corruption and beurocracy isn't going to help . the insurance and medical crooks already know how to pay off and sidestep the government . the big problem is greed . to many people making huge salaries in the healthcare and insurance industry . many of whom probably look snobbishly down their noses at the have nots and say , let those lazy people do without .

You make valid points, but

Submitted by Guest36589741 (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 10:13am.

You make valid points, but all of this is irrelevant when you consider that you made your career choice, you chose where to live and you chose who to work for. You may not like the choices you made, but they are still your choices. I have been in a situation where I didn't have health insurance. No, I did not expect you to pay for it; it is my responsibility. It's all about personal responsibility, something bleeding hearts know nothing about. There are good jobs available with good insurance. But, you have to move and you are not going to get them with a GED. By the way, FYI, every carpenter I've ever hired is charging more than enough per hour to pay for their health insurance.

Right. If you want great

Submitted by smallbusinessowner (not verified) on Tue, 08/04/2009 - 10:40am.

Right. If you want great health care insurance, just go work for the government! Problem solved! Sorry, Guest36589741, but I have a feeling that wouldn't work out so well for our country. After all, we need inventive people that will generate revenue. Oh, perhaps you mean to work for a big corporation. Well, guess what, your employer subsidizes your health care and they receive tax money to do so. So, your excellent career choice is costing the rest of us as it is. It is also cutting into the competitiveness of your employer's business. The cost to provide you and your family has more than doubled the past 7 years. It is more daunting than wage increases. Something has to be done, or you may be finding your company asking for more tax subsidies or you will be in the individual market yourself. Secondly, I am disheartened to hear the conservatives use this rhetoric. Is it not the power of freedom and entrepreneurship that has made this country so great? I certainly think that is the case. I do not want to lock people into government jobs or corporations if they have a vision to go out and make a better product or create an environment with better services. Yet, that is exactly what is being proposed by those that DO have tax payer subsidized care. I don't understand that at all. Without small businesses, there wouldn't be a company like yours in business. Giving relief to those willing to take risks and succeed in life is not a BAD thing, rather it is something that creates the backbone of our society. I really don't think the argument that if you want great health insurance, go work for the government or be job locked in a big corporation is the answer. America can and MUST be better.

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