Whats your take on the health care bill?

It's but one step in the right direction. Perhaps a comment from a friend of mine, that I received in my E-Mail this morning might help.

My grandson had a stroke when he was born...he will need some help as he grows up, and although covered under his mom's insurance at this time, he would be out of luck if she lost her job. But now, thanks to the Dems in congress that pesky little "pre-existing" clause is gone!!!

I don't like that the federal government got into the debate. It is unconstitutional, and it should be left for the states to decide what to do.

However, my views on the bill are:

1. The subsidies are a waste. We are basically implementing single-payer without using the term. The subsidies are going to come from tax money, and taxes will raise.

2. The mandate is unconstitutional and should be removed. The federal government has no right to force anyone to purchase anything. Car insurance is different. It is at the state level, not the federal one. If you don't have auto insurance you threaten everyone. Who else do you hurt other than yourself when you don't have health insurance? Maybe the tax payer eventually, oh but hey, this bill does the same so nothing has changed! Also, no one forces you to buy a car. Driving is a privilege.

3. I can deal with the ban on pre-existing condition denials. Yes, I hate government regulation, and yes I am against this at the federal level no matter how liberals spin it, however this isn't my biggest complaint about the bill. This will help the consumer, although they may see hikes in premiums to counter liabilities.

It takes 1/6th of the economy, thus growing government control over the people instead of the people in control of the government. It will increase taxes and unemployment which will decrease government revenues. It will be far more expensive than predicted, and everyone will be impacted by higher taxes. This in itself will take your liberty to spend your money the way you want to. You are being forced into this. it is not voluntary.

Charity should come from the heart and not through taxes!!

Western European countries implementing such a program have found it much more expensive than predicted, requires rationing of care, paves the way for the government to assume decision making privileges its citizens once had. It drains the energy from the private sector through increased taxes, and regulation for all. It also encourages the counterproductive progressive philosophies such as redistribution of the wealth.

The middle class most certainly will be hit, not just the wealthy. The health care bill has the government taking over the regulation and distribution of student loans. Do you see where this is going? This is our slippery slope toward the kind of moribund and stifled economies of Western Europe.

It is a power grab, pure and simple.

Welcome to the U.S.S.R.!!

MR

Well, around 1/4 to 1/3 of primary care physicians (family doctors) have stated they plan to quit the practice if the bill passes. So the first thing we will enjoy from this bill is a serious shortage of primary care physicians. Not just because of the ones quitting, but also because the bill forces millions of people onto the system without increasing the supply of PCPs. The reason for the shortage is that becoming a PCP is still nearly as expensive as specialty doctors, except the pay is a lot less and they still need to pay for malpractice insurance (which can be up to $100,000/year or more just for the insurance). That will lead to a significant increase in emergency room care, because people won't be able to wait a week or two to see their PCP. That will more than offset any savings from shoving uninsured people onto the system to prevent them from using emergency rooms.

Secondly, by forcing insurers to take on high risk people (pre-existing conditions) while prohibiting them from charging higher premiums for those people it results in an unsustainable system. Why don't we just start forcing GM to sell Cadillacs to the poor for $2500 each or force McDonalds to charge no more than $0.25 to the poor for Big Macs? It just does not make sense. I'm okay with not allowing denial of people with pre-existing conditions, but you have got to let insurers charge a fair price considering the super high risk of exploding costs. But based on what the bill requires, we will either see high premium hikes for all of us or reduction in care coverage in order to offset forcing those costs onto insurance providers.

Thirdly, it's entirely un-American to force the entire public to purchase a specific product just because they exist as a person.

Fourthly, it doesn't save money. It merely shifts costs elsewhere so that the federal government can claim deficit reduction. Health care costs are still going to rise, but now the costs are going to be hidden in the form of additional taxes and additional burden on states for medicaid/medicare costs. So the reality is that the deficit will likely not be reduced because the states won't be able to afford the burden placed on them. And the tax burden increase will likely result in lower overall tax revenue for the federal government so that will also increase the deficit.

In the end, the bill only targets availability and not cost. With cost being the number one problem with the current health care system, this is likely to result in higher costs for 85-95% of the population in order to offset the insurance provider losses included in this bill or else significantly longer wait times to get care. Only a tiny portion of people will see any benefit at all from this bill. And that's why it should never have been passed.

It is pretty much illegal since it takes away your freedom and rights, b.c maybe someone doesn't have health care and just want to pay money will be thrown in jail. Plus, I bet you this is going to keep screwing up our country. I bet you 100% that the democrats will be kicked out this Nov. and in 2012 election, so will Obama!

You should understand that it is now ILLEGAL to not have health insurance. And, the IRS is the agency who will enforce it. This is NOT like auto insurance, where you can also choose not to drive if you don't want to pay for insurance. Liability insurance is waaaay less expensive than health coverage. What difference does it make if there is 'something' in it for you. Your parents, and all liberals just handed the federal government more control over you. I don't understand it.

Why do liberals rage against all authority (especially God, and their employers) with fangs showing ... but beg to be under the growing, total authority of the government? Why?

*** pre-existing clauses could have been removed without making it illegal not to have coverage.

Removing rights of Americans is never good whatever you call it. There are 1990 pages in the bill. I've read most of it. The section that disturbs me the most is about forcing all Americans to buy health insurance. I buy it for me and my son, not for my husband. Now we will be forced to buy it for my husband or be taxed. It is our friggin choice to pay cash if he is sick. It should not be the mandate of the government to force me to buy a product. Such BS. The tax could be up to 6% of your income. I'm already paying 35% in taxes. They should focus on tort reform and fix the broken pieces before forcing me to buy a product I don't want. Currently the federal govt (Medicare) denies more claims than private insurance companies. Why not focus on fixing themselves? Such idiots.

If you like paying for 10 years worth of taxes to get six years worth of crappy service, then by all means. Be happy.

The final stages of the 1936 USSR Constitution was voted on in the US House of Representative last night. Stand up and cheer.

whether i disagree/agree with the health care bill or not it is a historical day for us all. the sad thing is that the health care bill is forcing people to share. and SOME people in this country don't feel the same way. i think that if i have to pay higher taxes to help other men, women, and children get better health care, then its a good thing.

It will help my household - I am now paying $209 a month to cover my 20 year old son. He can go back on my family policy with no cost.

It will help my sister, who would retire because she has a job standing all day that makes her arthritis worse - but needs to keep the job-provided health insurance. When the age limit is lowered, she will be able to. She knows not to trust individual policies because that is what they had when her husband died of cancer.

I mean the gov is doing so well running welfare and whatnot why not let them run healthcare...harharhar