Although I usually don't go to MSNBC for major news, I just read an interesting article written from a journalist who had the pleasure of experiencing both sides of the coin: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26794291/ What do you think should be done about the healthcare in the US? Should it be socialized or not? Has the current US economic crisis (read: the US has no money) changed your thoughts on healthcare? Could we even afford to socialize healthcare now? Thoughts? Opinions? Looking for a good debate here....
Socializing healthcare I have a problem with on one hand and on the other I don't. We are socializing health care for a few now in the lower income levels. Those that pay cash and have health insurance pay inflated prices due to some peoples failure to pay. Health care needs to be addressed to find a solution to get everyone covered.
Before the bailout I was all for an effort to try and extend health care coverage. I was also for mechanisms to be put in place that would try and create market pricing. Right now and for years there has been none. It is why health care costs have risen incredibly faster than most other items. I would still look at it. In my mind passage of a program as vast as Obama or Clinton wanted is highly unlikely due to its cost. Assuming the big kahuna of health care for all or a majority isn't available I'd still try and rip into costs to make it more price responsive--and work towards making it more achievable for more folks. Gotta look at it along with 1,000 other things.
It is very hard to do it now Unless we use the assets that we just bought. Trade AIG parts for health insurance companies. Run it as non for profit and allow people to buy health Insurance for cheap.
AIG is already done. you own 80% of an insurance company. The bailout is a different issue. There is a thread on that if you want to talk about it.
Doesn't sound like such a crazy idea. I mean if you like the idea of socialized health care. The thing is, is that the Government probably wouldn't want to make any deals using the wounded assets they've bought anytime soon. And if they wait, they could be worth even less. Who knows what the assets the Gov has taken will be worth.
Should we be doing the bailout Logic? We have to much debt now. The inflation caused by healthcare would be astronomical.
I do not see how they would have a choice.It would be a take it or leave it approach. They can refuse and stay in the market and that would be even better. At the end we separate it and make it a non Government but not for profit organization.
Don't ask me, I'm an idiot when it comes to that stuff. All I know is there's smart people on both sides of the debate, like there usually is in economics. The rationale amongst those that want it is if action isn't taken now to get the bad debt out of the system it will start to seriously bleed into the "real" economy. It's probably already started but many are surprised that regular people haven't felt it more. If AIG would have been allowed to fail, it would have effected a lot of ordinary people. http://forums.digitalpoint.com/showthread.php?t=1035073
you are the one that is mixing it up. Bush does not have to deal with it. Heck i wouldn't hire him as a contractor. Obama can take care of it. Hillary can be involved. maybe the CEO of this company.
Obama? Obama is on the road trying to brainwash morons to vote for him. Bush is your daddy for now. Since you said Obama I now am against it.
I will be the first to admit our current health care system in America is broken. However, I do insurance billing, have worked directly with both Medicare (the federal insurance program) and Medicaid (state funded insurance). My work with these two entities, and other government run programs, is the biggest deterrent to national/socialized health care. Both of these programs suck, showing once again the government can't run anything effectively.
I rather wait that let him touch it. Obama and Hillary can quickly put a competent group of people to start the process.
It is not the govt. It would be AIG. I think the bailout of AIG just made the health care issue a done deal.
I think from a financial point of view, it would actually lower taxes if we had universal preventative care instead of forcing everyone to go to the ER and have huge bills that either bankrupt them or get written off for the government to pay for. From a personal viewpoint, if I could afford it, I would much rather have full control over what doctor I saw and make sure they have a little reason to want my repeat business. I'm not rich though, and most people aren't, so I lean toward universal health care as a standard service like the fire department, even though I'm libertarian leaning. I mean, it makes better financial sense for everyone, plus there could still be private doctors for the wealthy. It might be annoying for the majority of people, but at least everyone would have the opportunity to catch bankrupting type problems early.
Damian: Why don't you tell us what s*cks about medicare, medicaid, and other government run programs, and what is better about private systems. That would be educational.
I would bet everything I owned and everything else I could borrow that Hillary would be robbing the system blind, lining her and her friends pockets from here to nowhere! That would be what is called a "sure bet", shoot, it would be so "sure" that it wouldn't even be called a bet or gambling for that matter. I just don't understand how some people have refused to believe some obvious things. Oh, and don't bother saying anything about Bush, he is showing his true colors when it comes to financial policy, he really is letting others pull the strings on that one.