If Obamacare is struck down...

[lspencer534]

Republicans have said that they want to dump the whole law and do something about health care in increments. I don't want to get into politics in this thread (so please don't) because it's not about politics. My question is this: What (if anything) should be done to reform health care in this Country?

And...do any of you have personal experience with government-run health care? Call it socialized medicine if you want. I'd like to hear from our Canuckistanians and also from CuzzinJack in England and any others who have it. What do you think of it? Pros? Cons? Personal experience can include things that have happened to your friends or relatives under such health care.

[Blademaker]

Would you want govt health care to fix that nasty thing on your arm?

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by Blademaker

Would you want govt health care to fix that nasty thing on your arm?

Personally I don't want government health care to even wash my jock strap. But one of the questions is, does health care need fixing?

[Stangkiller]

First and foremost, allow health care to be national and sold across state lines, this will help diversify risk, as well as allow people to shop insurance companies. Insurance pools should be allowed. Not required, not government run, but allowed.

Non-paying hospital visitors should face legal charges if they seek services they can not pay for. (this is different from incapacitated and rushed to the hospital, I'm talking about having the sniffles or a belly ache and going to the ER instead of a doctor)

Oh and last but not least, start deporting illegals, as they are a major drain on our health care system.

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by Stangkiller

First and foremost, allow health care to be national and sold across state lines, this will help diversify risk, as well as allow people to shop insurance companies. Insurance pools should be allowed. Not required, not government run, but allowed.

And last but not least, Non-paying hospital visitors should face legal charges if they seek services they can not pay for. (this is different from incapacitated and rushed to the hospital, I'm talking about having the sniffles or a belly ache and going to the ER instead of a doctor)

Whether they're U.S. citizens or not?

[Stangkiller]

Originally Posted by lspencer534

Whether they're U.S. citizens or not?

Absolutely. Nobody is entitled to somebody elses services for free. Travel insurance is relatively inexpensive for foreigners vacationing abroad.

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

But one of the questions is, does health care need fixing?

Yeah, but I have no idea how.

[vetteman9368]

Health CARE doesn't need fixing, so much as health INSURANCE needs fixing. Medical professionals shouldn't have to play dodge the lawyer, and run tests/do treatments based solely on the fear of being sued.

[Kevin_73]

Originally Posted by Stangkiller

First and foremost, allow health care to be national and sold across state lines, this will help diversify risk, as well as allow people to shop insurance companies. Insurance pools should be allowed. Not required, not government run, but allowed.

Non-paying hospital visitors should face legal charges if they seek services they can not pay for. (this is different from incapacitated and rushed to the hospital, I'm talking about having the sniffles or a belly ache and going to the ER instead of a doctor)

Oh and last but not least, start deporting illegals, as they are a major drain on our health care system.

Originally Posted by vetteman9368

Health CARE doesn't need fixing, so much as health INSURANCE needs fixing. Medical professionals shouldn't have to play dodge the lawyer, and run tests/do treatments based solely on the fear of being sued.

I think the entire billing system needs to be simplified too. It seems health care providers have a myriad of different rates (charges) for any given procedure depending on how the bill is being paid. I am sure this is because of the regulations by medicare, medicaid, and insurance companies that say they will only pay X amount for that procedure.
I think Doctors should be allowed to charge whatever they need to (or want to) for their services, but they should charge the same amount to every customer no matter how the bill going to be paid. If insurance company will not pay the full amount of the charge then it is up to the patient (customer) to either go to a doctor who charges less, or make up the difference.
If the billing were simplified so the customer could understand it, and each doctor had a list of his/her prices (like a menu ) it would be much easier for patients (customers) to make informed decisions about their own care.

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

as they are a major drain on our health care system.

So are smokers and the obese. You wanna engage in unhealthy behavior? Pay more.

[MrPeabody]

Originally Posted by Thomas

So are smokers and the obese. You wanna engage in unhealthy behavior? Pay more.

Having just purchased a health care policy, I can assure you I would be paying more if I was a smoker.

[Stangkiller]

Originally Posted by Thomas

So are smokers and the obese. You wanna engage in unhealthy behavior? Pay more.

I have no problem with this.

[lspencer534]

Originally Posted by Thomas

So are smokers and the obese. You wanna engage in unhealthy behavior? Pay more.

Can't deny what you say. But should we all be under a mandated system to pay for such people? After all, everyone will be covered.

[Blue 92]

This

Originally Posted by Stangkiller

Non-paying hospital visitors should face legal charges if they seek services they can not pay for. (this is different from incapacitated and rushed to the hospital, I'm talking about having the sniffles or a belly ache and going to the ER instead of a doctor)

and this

Originally Posted by Stangkiller

Oh and last but not least, start deporting illegals, as they are a major drain on our health care system.

Let INS pickup them up as they leave the ER and provide a ride to the border.

Together would most likely resolve about 75% of the problem.

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

But should we all be under a mandated system to pay for such people?

There should be a way to say;

"Listen you fat, bovine, gravy sweating tub of puss, we'll only pay for 50% of your health care because it's obvious you don't give a shit about your lard caked fat roll. You wanna go on a diet and lose 100#? We'll pay 70%."

Or something like that.

[Joecooool]

Some of us would very much like the SCOTUS to strike this law down because "Obamacare" IS a conservative, market based approach. If this happens, it is a defeat for the conservative alternative to health care reform.

Please remember that many of us had opposed the PPACA exactly because it was based upon the private sector, the insurance industry. We wanted a “Single Payer” program more in line with how most other countries provide these services. The basic idea behind both “Obamacare” and its model “Romenycare” was developed by the Heritage Foundation as “Free Market” alternative to the “Single Payer” plan.

The next time this issue comes up, Democrats can say “Well we tried the conservative approach, it was unconstitutional”. Medicare has withstood constitutional challenges and is still standing after two generations. Simply extending Medicare to all Americans irrespective age or income (the Single Payer Plan) is therefore clearly constitutional.

A defeat for the PPACA is a defeat for any future conservative, market-based approach to health-care reform.

[BuckyThreadkiller]

If you want a national healthcare program - make it optional.

Every five years have an open competitive bid process for insurance companies to provide a national plan - make it painfully simple - $1000 deductible, major medical with prescription coverage. Do it by head count, no - family coverage vs singles coverage.

The winning corporation then provides the national program for the citizens that want to join in at nationally standardized rates.

If you don't want to join then, you can go to another group if you so desire, or even access additional coverage that the national plan doesn't - contraception, cancer, disability...

If you aren't covered by a plan and you go to the ER then you are automatically enrolled in the Federal program for the next 24 months to recoup some of the costs you foisted on the federal system.

[lspencer534]

Here are the facts: Medical care cost is rising much faster each year than income and inflation, about 6% a year. Medical insurance premiums rose 113% from 2001-2011. I know every one of you has his/her reasons as to why these costs rose so much, and those reasons are not likely to be fixed (illegals, unneccesary tests, free use of ERs, etc.) by our Government anytime soon, if ever.

I think we're looking at a fundamental difference in the future on how to make medical care available to everyone and how we pay for it...without curing the existing problems of illegals, unneccesary tests, etc. To me, that's the reality of it.

That sounds like I'm in favor of socialized medicine. I'm not. But...do you agree that something has to be done?

[Burnt C6]

Originally Posted by Thomas

So are smokers and the obese. You wanna engage in unhealthy behavior? Pay more.

I have no issue with the Smokers paying more. The term Obese needs to be clarified though. Not everyone who is overweight or Obese is due to their own fault. My mother has Lupus she weighted a little over 130# for the first 40’s years of her life. All the medication the doctors gave her made the weight pack on. She eats as healthy as a she possibly can. So is it right to charge her more because she is over weight?

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

So is it right to charge her more because she is over weight?

Absolutely not. But one's inability to drive by a buffet is NOT a medical condition.

Not everyone who is overweight or Obese is due to their own fault.

I agree.