American health care bill

[Drazic<3]

Seriously I don't know why it has to be complicated, why can't people just pay income based contributions towards it like they do in UK?

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I have thought this too. It seems so insanely complicated in the US I don't understand why everyone just doesn't pay a proportion of national insurance based on income. Everyone puts into the pot based on ability to pay and then all healthcare is free at the point of use. To me, that just seems logical but then I am used to that I suppose!

 

[Minstermind]

Agreed with the above. That would be a much better approach. Unfortunately, there is a lot of opposition to a government-run health system. The bill they are passing now is actually not a public health bill at all...it'll still be run by private insurance companies.

Here's a great article with more of the reasons why so many people oppose the bill. You can skip the top section of the article and go to the bottom where it lists the ''myths and truths'' of the health care bill. It explains more about why it isn't just about being ok with universal health care..there's a lot more to it than that...as said above, it's complicated, LOL

https://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/03/19/fact-sheet-the-truth-about-the-health-care-bill/

 

[Nic1107]

That's what I think a lot of people- here and overseas- don't understand: the bill isn't about a government-run free universal health care program. I don't know why people are comparing it to the NHS for any reason, as the whole set-up is entirely different and unrelated. It's not free health care by any means, and we'd still be going through insurance companies for care. Very few people are actually opposing the idea of paying to provide access to health care for everyone (though they are a very vocal few), which is a big reason Obama was elected in the first place. But people are opposing how it's being done; basically good idea, bad execution.

I'm just praying that this bill lets my family stay on TriCare and doesn't change how it works for us.

 

[Minstermind]

That's what I think a lot of people- here and overseas- don't understand: the bill isn't about a government-run free universal health care program. I don't know why people are comparing it to the NHS for any reason, as the whole set-up is entirely different and unrelated. It's not free health care by any means, and we'd still be going through insurance companies for care. Very few people are actually opposing the idea of paying to provide access to health care for everyone (though they are a very vocal few), which is a big reason Obama was elected in the first place. But people are opposing how it's being done; basically good idea, bad execution.

I'm just praying that this bill lets my family stay on TriCare and doesn't change how it works for us.

Well said. I completely support a universal health care system but this really isn't it, and I am concerned how it's going to affect things, to be honest. I do think it's a step in the right direction, but as you said, there's a lot of badly executed aspects to it as well. It's not going to be providing the universal health care coverage that was the main point to begin with. What Obama wanted out of it in the beginning isn't really what has resulted, after all the opposition, compromises, etc.

As someone else said, it's more of an ''insurance package'' than it is a ''health package''. I do think it will help a lot of people too, hence my general support for it. But I do have both eyes wide open and will be keeping my eye on how it develops as it gets implemented. I'm open-minded.