What's the truth about U.S. health care reform?

Question

In light of all of the misinformation out there, I decided to provide some real information to counter the non-sense that's circulating around this site; as well as, the rest of the net. Let's first discuss what the current health care proposal does and what it doesn't do. I understand that many of you do not have time to read a 1000 page bill. I don't either but I made it a point to read the areas where there is a lot of bad information. 
  First, let's clarify that the current proposal is not for socialized medicine. This is a typical talking point for the Cons, and it is simply not true. I can only think of 2 examples of true Socialism in health care. The first is the United Kingdom and the other is the VA. These are the only systems where the government actually runs the hospitals and hires doctors. As a side note, both of these systems run much better than our current, profit based system. To compare the health care proposals in congress to socialism would be faulty analogical reasoning. In other words, you can't compare two things that are not alike. The government would set up a Government option which would compete with private insurance companies. It specifically states in the bill that this public option would be subject to the same regulations as private insurers. The goal of this public option would be to provide quality coverage at lower rates. In theory, this would force private insurers to keep their rates low as well. 
  The second misconception that I would like to address is that seniors and disabled people would be provided inadequate care through a public health care option. This is simply a ridiculous concept. Let's first discuss that our seniors and disabled people are already utilizing public health care through Medicare. There are proposals to cut the cost in Medicare, but these cuts are mostly administrative. There is nothing in the bill that calls for diminished care through Medicare. To the contrary, the bill specifically states that people cannot be denied coverage due to preexisting conditions or be dropped because they become sick.
  Another false allegation is that the proposed bill will require tax dollars to fund abortions. Completely untrue!! As a matter of fact, there is nothing about abortion in the entire bill. 
  The next incorrect statement that I am hearing is that illegal immigrants will be provided free health care under the new health care plan. This is completely fabricated. No one, let alone illegals, will be provided free health care.
  I am also hearing a lot about "death panels" and end of life counseling. There is nothing which even remotely insinuates that the government will choose who lives or dies based on their value to society. This is a scare tactic being used to deliberately misinform.
  I hope that this has shed some light on the current bill and put to rest some of the fraudulent information being touted as truth. Let me make it clear that my intent is not to defend the bill, but to correct lies that are being spread about the bill. I feel that the bill is watered down, and does not do enough to reform our broken system. 

Thanks all!

prusa1237 · Accepted Answer

Thank you  for your version of the "truth".

sohale_canadian · Answer

You really wanna know the truth? 
I don't think the general public can handle the truth; but anyways, here goes.

I'm from Canada, people complain about public health care, but frankly I find it works. The Canadian public healthcare system and the U.S. public healthcare system will both be completely different.

As far as the Obama health care system goes, Obama is not lieing, typical Americans are pathetic, I know Canada is apart of the continent of America but you get the point. You guys have had liers running your country for so long, you don't know the difference between a lier and an honest person. Did you forget George Bush, "O, I didn't help Osama conduct 9/11" and Bill Clinton, "I did not have an affair with my secretary," haha. And you think an African American, the only hope for minorities all across the world would lie to ruin America. 

Obama's the one that oppened your eyes to the fact your debt is over $10 trillion, soon to be $20 trillion. 

I've done 2 weeks worth of research on Obama and 3 days worth of research on Obama's public healthcare, which isn't as public as you think. 

Your tax dollars are being wasted by the p

wj · Answer

Abortion is not mentioned which means it is covered because it is not specifically excluded. The president says it is budget neutral the CBO say it is not. Illegal immigrants are not specifically excluded and because of current law and practices it means they will be covered. Panels of bureaucrats will be deciding what the best care is not your DR. Your Dr will be asked to give you counseling on end of life issues (Living wills ect) Why should your doctor need to get a degree in law? Please do not say you have read bits and pieces of the bill when you have not read the whole bill. You have to remember that sometimes by specifically excluding items in a bill it means they are covered like abortions and illegal immigrants.  The thousand page bill does not list all the medical procedures that are covered that magical board will do that. So unless congress specifically state abortions and illegals are not covered the board can say they are. Whether that is a good thing or a bad is up to you. But to say this proposed bill does not allow those things to happen is just plain wrong.

as.erwin · Answer

>First, let's clarify that the current proposal is not for socialized medicine.
Here is where you are wrong... FROM THE BILL :

 According to Section 102(A)(1)(a) of the bill...

"IN GENERAL- Except as provided in this paragraph, the individual health insurance issuer offering such coverage does not enroll any individual in such coverage if the first effective date of coverage is on or after the first day of Y1"

...once the law is enacted, insurance companies that are not sanctioned (in other words, not part of the government system) will not be allowed to enroll new clients.

And if you have employer provided care?

 According to Section 102(b)(1)(A) of the bill...

"IN GENERAL- The Commissioner shall establish a grace period whereby, for plan years beginning after the end of the 5-year period beginning with Y1, an employment-based health plan in operation as of the day before the first day of Y1 must meet the same requirements as apply to a qualified health benefits plan under section 101, including the essential benefit package requirement under section 121"

...your employer will have 5 years to move you over to a "qualified" plan...

Sorry! But you should take the time to read the bill... It is important!

Mysterious Racer P · Answer

Yup, basically.

I'm well aware that having government-run healthcare is not the be-all, end-all cure for our society's healthcare woes.  It's also NOT socialist in the sense that its detractors use the word, because it is NOT replacing private healthcare!  Your beloved HMO or PPO (which, FTR, will drop you the first chance it gets if you have a REAL problem) is not going to disappear or be taken over by the government.

It sickens me that so many people are so unflaggingly ignorant of what is being proposed, and how many of them TAKE PRIDE in their ignorance.

Anonymous · Answer

It's nice to see there are some people on this site willing to do their homework.  Unfortunatley for most of the Cons that means listening to FAUX news or Rush Limpballs.  If they honestly bothered to read the bill or even check out factcheck etc... they'd realize that what they're saying is total BS (that's the really pathetic part - they're just parrotting what they hear from the right - which is totally wrong!)

Blueberrygal · Answer

Its the govt having the right to force vaccinate you and population control. They don't like so many on social security-the more dead the better. Have you ever known a government to 'like' its people? We are the slaves and they want to vaccinate us 'against' the swine flu which is a big hoax-they want us to be afraid and act out of fear. Don't be vaccinated. Really there is no where to run-this government healthcare is coming and they will have their way-we have no rights anymore. Does rioting ever stop wars? no-no amount of rioting ever stopped anything the government wants to do. Its coming and thats it, folks-its all over for us. Get off the big American 'hay-ride'-time to push the wagon ourselves.

Anonymous · Answer

From all of the  uproar, I had thought it would have been a bigger change than that-  I had thought that what was being considered was a hybrid care system (like those seen in Australia or France).

Induced_Reality · Answer

To bad it will fall on deaf ears to some of the people who need it the most.

Anonymous · Answer

No the illegals will get it six months later in 0bama "path to citizenship" nonsense.  Another 15 million on the dole.

Mack · Answer

Or just read the bill:
http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h3200ih.txt.pdf

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What's the truth about U.S. health care reform?

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