David- get your facts right. He chose not to be covered by Health Insurance because he felt it was too expensive. He gambled and lost.
I normally don't respond to comments because it can be like sticking your hand in badger hole. But this point above about the man from Joplin is an opportunity to further discuss why universal health care is needed.
This is exactly the problem — the unaffordability of health insurance. The man made just above minimum wage, according to news articles. Depending on how much his employer paid, buying health insurance could mean the difference between owning a car, paying rent, supporting children, etc....
With universal coverage, safety nets are put in place to help this man not have to face such perverse decision.
In 2014, if health reform survives, this man would 1. either be picked up by his employer, who might be eligible for tax credits, or 2. get a direct gov. subsidy to afford premiums on his own. At his level of pay, he might be able to go directly onto Medicaid, depending on his total household income.
To say he gambled and lost might be true, but what a cruel game of craps people are forced to play with their lives.
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David you stated the following- "To say he gambled and lost might be true, but what a cruel game of craps people are forced to play with their lives." The problem with universal health care is that the Federal Government will become the house in the crap game of life and will determine you gets what care and when. If you look at the bill the House, Senate and Executive branch are exempt from participating in the plan. If it is so great why did the politicians opt out?
If you look at the bill the House, Senate and Executive branch are exempt from participating in the plan. If it is so great why did the politicians opt out?
Not only is the above true - but look at all the exemptions that have been granted already and the program hasn't even started!
I really can't believe that Universal Healthcare will turn out any different then the mess they have already made of SS and Medicare! (They certainly haven't stopped the massive misuse and Fraud!)
Then Medicaid??? - there are Several States that are already BK - If they actually are ever forced into receivership? Who decides then a Judge(s)?
I agree that health insurance is way too expensive. There are ways to make it cheaper! But that means loosening the "grip" that Government has on Healthcare! Not tightening it!
The point that people don't really get is that in most places in the US, the doctors and hospitals charge a much higher rate to the uninsured than they do to the insured. That is charging as much as 7 times as much for exactly the same procedure on large procedures to the uninsured as to the insurance companies.
This is very regressive and unfair and puts the uninsured. Most people who are uninsured are uninsured because they can't secure a job that pays insurance or can't afford it. Think about the people that work at the local restaurants and hometown businesses.
Imagine if a car dealer chose one category of customer and charged 7 times as much for financing charges to one group as to another. This would be against the law and they would be put in jail.
When doctors and hospitals do it it is just normal business.
The first step is to make sure an MRI is charged fairly to all patients, no matter what method of payment they use.
An MRI should not be $6,000 to an uninsured patient and $900 to an insured one. That should be illegal.
If this is fixed, most of the health care cost problems go away.
The US health care system is in bed with the insurance companies and cheat the poor. It should stop.
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