Big Business for Health-Care Reform

Why must we come to such emotional conclusions about everything?
Insurance companies do not have an obligation to do charitable work anymore than any person does.
They simply provide a product that they want to sell at a price they would like to sell it at. We choose wether or not we would like to buy the product at their price with the available resources we have.
If you really think people sould get cheap or free medical care, you should become a doctor (or a nurse) and give your resources away for free. You could even fight to deregulate the health care industry so you can save costs and help more people.

Matt, you are so right! We need to remember that "health care" and "health insurance" are 2 different things. There's nothing wrong with health care in our country - it is the best in the world, and no one is being denied health care flat out by doctors refusing to serve them - it's pretty much against the law. Our system of paying for it is what's screwed, just because you can't pay for the health care you want doesn't mean you're being denied. Health care is not some intangible ideal like life, liberty and pursuit of happiness that we are all entitled to by God. One of the reasons we work and make money is so we can have access to tangible goods like health care. The problem is that health care costs in this country have gotten outrageous for many reasons, mostly government interference and lack of torte regulation, and thus not having insurance pretty much equates to not having health care if you're less than a millionaire. The smart people in this debate are talking about how to drive down the costs of health care so it is more accessible to more people. We will never be able to drive down costs enough to rid us of the need for insurance, private or public, but we need to find a way to curb them so that insurance itself is more accessible to people and can still be profitable for the insurance company while being able to grant more expensive services to more people.

M & M.
Emotional conclusions? Yep! You don't truly believe Ins Cos got into business to provide a "service". C'mon.

Let them get into home Ins (then, they can drop us here in FL like they did last year; they didn't care for hurricanes).

Nothing wrong with the system?? And, nobody's denied owning a Beemer in this country, either.

If an Ins Co accepts 30 years of your monthly premiums and then you fall ill, do they have the right to use some unrelated ailment you had 20 years ago to avoid covering your present situation? That's what they're doing. Their profits have quadrupled the past 7 years thru recission (or am I missing something, did we suddenly get healthier?).

We gotta take the current massive profit out of health and use those billion$ to educate the obese.

Medicare works: just ask Seniors if they'd like it to disappear (regardless if they actually know it's govt-run). The reason it runs a deficit is because it services our OLD PEOPLE. If we all get into the same prgm, we can make it feasible and cover everybody.

FACT: without insurance, you will die earlier than those with insurance.

Has anyone else noticed the rapid multiplying of drug stores and banks. A few yrs ago I was struck with the awareness of banks and pharmacies on every street corner. Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid .... within walking distance of each other. Now I realize that the only product that the USA will be manufacturing is medicines. Without a doubt, the pharms and insurance co. are running our economy. The state of health care is in the muck because of these industries. medications are priced way too high, and the insurance co. dictate who, what, when and where an individual will or if they will receive proper care.

Do people realize that they can READ the terms and conditions of their insurance policy before signing and paying?

Do people realize there are thousands of insurance companies? Pick one that you like!

Do people realize that their employer isn't the Big Bad Wolf out to hurt them? Your Human Resources Department will be willing to pursue other insurance options if enough employees prefer other reasonable alternatives.

People should learn to pursue other means before begging to suck the gov't teat.

John,
I get it that BP (Big Pharma) is in on the BHO OneCare, but I only get it partly when it comes to BI (Big Ins). Yes, they can influence the plan, but in the long haul they are out. BHO and his health care cronies are on record as working for a single payer system, however long or as many steps as it takes to get there. Why would BI be in favor of this? The only thing I can think of is that as they are on the way out they are on the way in through the revolving door. I have not yet seen anyone write on HOW BG (Big Government) would execute this plan. Of course they would force all the doctors and hospitals/clinics to accept BG patients. But they also have to have a huge workforce and infrastructure to collect premiums, process claims, etc., etc. to make this work. I'm sure that is part of the huge price tag, but where are they going to get all these people? I can only surmise they are going to get the workforce in large part from the existing insurance companies, and lo and behold they will also need middle managers and executive management, et al, with all the new commissioners, etc., etc. Can that be one of the reasons BI is supporting this notion? I would be grateful if you could think on this (how BG could actually pull this off practically) and publish your opinion. Thanks.
P.S. Not that it makes a difference, but personally I see no way in hell that BG could ever do this efficiently given their track record on almost everything. Those that say Medicare is great -- "look at how many people are being helped" -- are obviously ignoring the financial aspect. That's just being plain stupid.
P.S.S. I am sympathetic to those who cannot afford or get insurance, but why couldn't BG limit itself to being the BI for only those people? Have BG compete in the private arena for those people, and, if they can, compete for those insured by current BI to "force" them to be more competitive if BHO really believes what he spouts? But there must be a level playing field. BGI may not have to make a profit, but they must not run any deficit at any time either, i.e., they cannot dip into taxpayer pockets to fund the enterprise.

"Do people realize that they can READ the terms and conditions of their insurance policy before signing and paying? Do people realize there are thousands of insurance companies? Pick one that you like!"

Easier said than done, most people have zero influence on the insurance company chosen by their employer, and good luck trying to find an insurer that will give you the same coverage as your employer's policy but with lower premiums, there's no such thing (I've been laid off twice, I know what it's like to go on your own for health insurance).

I do think the government should stay away from health care (and just about everything else really), but your argument doesn't help the cause.