First of all, there was already an exemption worked into the “requirement” for health care coverage, so is Bob just grandstanding? States rights vs federal rights is an ongoing fight, in many ways the civil war seemed to address that ying and yang, didn’t it?
How about those who are opposed to social security or medicare being taken out of their pay checks because they oppose that “government” intervention into their lives. There are credible arguments for ensuring that all Americans are insured, my issue with the requirement, is that you are just lining the pockets of insurance companies if you don’t also allow for a non profit public option! Anyway, there are lots of federal laws that we all abide by, and I would say that if the state can opt out of healthcare, what else can the state legislative body, at the behest of whichever party is in control, “opt” out of, if the opposing party happens to be in power at the Federal level.
Many extemists argue that the income tax is “unconstitutional”, but that argument has been resoundingly rejected!
The simplest question, with the simplest answer. If you pay into an entitlement, you get out of the entitlement. But starting in a certain year, folks can stop paying in and the entilement can eventually end. I always hear that simple question asked……”So you’re not going to accept Social Security? So you’re not going to take medicare?”. As if there is such a concept as a beginning with no end. Anything that begins can end. In the case of entitlements, once begun, they are harder than cockroaches to get rid of, though. So will social security and medicare ever end? No, that’s about as realistic as expecting abstinence teaching to work.
So we don’t mind the government placing controls on insurance companies, but we don’t want them sticking their noses into our health business. That’s what the Republicans have suggested, simple controls such as pre-existing conditions, etc. The Democrats won’t even hear what the Republicans have to say because they need the other part, the intrusion, the power over your lives. For the left, you can’t have one without the other, and that’s what conservatives want, reform without greater central authority.
I am not suggesting that government is the cure all, but the government is not suppose to be this alternate reality of some etheral body of abstract people. They are our fellow citizens and we elect them to ensure the health of our econcomy, health of our defense, and I would argue, health of its citizens. If we are a sick and feeble society, we cannot grow economically nor can we protect ourselves. It isn’t just a moral imperative that you don’t allow people to die because they cannot afford treatment for their disease, it is a survival imperative.
Miriam, I am sure you understand the point I am making regarding care for people with chronic diseases. If you don’t have health care and you get cancer, who is going to pay for your treatment? NOT the ER is my point. Do you recall the little boy that DIED from an abcessed tooth in Maryland? If that were your child, I doubt you would say that the government has no interest in ensuring the well being of its citizens, especially its most vulnerable ones.
Wolverine,
It sounds like we agree then, I don’t believe in handing power, carte blanche, over to the government, not matter what the issue.
Emma,
I agree with you, I am VERY disppointed that Obama has not re-evaluated all the wiretapping allowances within the Patriot Act. Who ever thought Bob Barr and I would on the same side of an issue!
You know, there was a time when there was no social security or medicare, and somehow life went on, people went about their daily business. When they needed to see a doctor, they saw a doctor, they paid the doctor directly, and there was no insurance middleman involved, surving no real purpose other than to drive up costs.
Torte reform is NOT going to solve all our medical woes but I would agree, its a start. Doctors practice too much defensive medicine in fear of being sued. However, people also need to take a pro-active role in their own medical care and basic well being. Doctor’s aren’t some sort of God, they are human like the rest of us.
Slowpoke,
My grandfather, first generation Russian American, became a doctor. He went to people’s homes, he bartered often times for his services, he wasn’t in it to be rich. He was a family doctor, treated young and old alike. Why did that way of practicing medicine die off, I wonder. That sounds like some very interesting research.
I think you would find some things like:
1. Medical profession has not kept up with population growth.
2. Startling findings have produced longer lifetimes but also complex strategies for healing.
3. Unlike manufacturing which can recover the cost of equipment through government contracts and over a wide national purchasers, doctors have to spread the costs over their audience.
4. Rather than having central diagnosis centers with the expensive equipment shared by many doctors, people want immediate diagnosis and pills before they leave the doctor.
5. Medical schools cost $200 thousand and more which are usually covered by loans. My son got a grant of about $9 thousand I think for medical school. (yep, a little over $2 thousand per year).
6. We are no longer an agrarian society where an animal or crops would substitute for money so the doctors need to have money to live.
7. I will bet that litigation probably has played a big part as well.
Just some random thoughts. When I was kid, the one thing you didn’t want to see was old Doc McMahon coming up the walk with a black bag–it was shot time!
Doc Holiday (I think it was called–starring Michael J. Fox) was a great contrast as part of its plot.
Another thing comes to mind–specialties. it has improved the quality of medicine as people can concentrate on one area of the body but it means you have to see 2 or more doctors for a lot of ailments.
@SlowpokeRodriguez
And you are aware that the Democrats say the same thing about the Republicans? They say that the Republicans will not hear of any of the compromises. So what happens? No one gets anything.
@SlowpokeRodriguez
That was way before your time also. (Before mine too) Check out the mortality rate. People who were poor didn’t see doctors often. It was also a time when there was only so much doctors could do. No Penicillin, MRIs, etc. That really isn’t the best comparison.
Rez, shots hurt a lot more then than do they do now also.
Well I was convinced that Doc McMahon had dull needles.
Moon: Medicare? Not as long as I can stay away from it. I have a younger brother and two nephews who are docs and service Medicare patients. Sometimes it works out o.k. and sometimes they are driven to distraction by it. Too many other docs are already refusing to take Medicare and Medicaid patients. Now come all the predictions that health care reform might cause Medicare payments to go down. And then there is the prediction that Medicare is on the way to imploding fiscally. I decided to take the other road, even though it costs me out of pocket. That’s a choice I was able to make; but I do believe strongly that we are going to have to find a good way to help those who have no insurance coverage without — and I couldn’t emphasize this more strongly — negative repercussions on those who have coverage and are happy with it. Also agree that we must find efficient ways to lower overall costs of medical care.
Agree Wolverine.