nat4900
Diamond Member
- Mar 3, 2015
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- #1
We are about to witness another convoluted, poorly planned, costly and ineffective HC proposal (note that I used he adjective "another" since the ACA was a major step in the right direction but also has many, many flaws.)
Now think back on the controversy when a bit more than a half century ago, LBJ signed into law Medicare.....It was labeled a socialistic monster and, today, virtually no US citizen, approaching retirement would dream of abolishing this valuable program (although the lack of dental coverage is a major flaw for seniors.)
Why has Medicare worked so damn well???....Simple,it is a plan that requires ALL workers to chip in through a payroll reduction......it requires contributions from the healthy and the not so healthy and requires contributions even when someone has already retired from the work force....
In essence, Medicare is a SINGLE-PAYER HC program that 52 years later has proven mostly successful and has helped millions and millions of our fellow citizens be healthier in their old age and avoided the bankruptcy that were so common before the program,
Somehow, however, many Americans would rather send a check to some private company whose purpose is to AVOID costly coverage payments and maximize its profits, RATHER than sending a check to the Federal government.....
Private health insurers (and big pharma and hospital conglomerates) spend MILLIONS to either bribe elected officials or propagandize that it is they who care for common Americans...and such strategies have worked extremely well since most republicans would STILL rather subsidize a HC company's CEO's private jet than be subjected to sending a check to a government that they've been bred to hate....
meanwhile, the rest of the civilized world laughs or shakes its head at our own stupidity.
Now think back on the controversy when a bit more than a half century ago, LBJ signed into law Medicare.....It was labeled a socialistic monster and, today, virtually no US citizen, approaching retirement would dream of abolishing this valuable program (although the lack of dental coverage is a major flaw for seniors.)
Why has Medicare worked so damn well???....Simple,it is a plan that requires ALL workers to chip in through a payroll reduction......it requires contributions from the healthy and the not so healthy and requires contributions even when someone has already retired from the work force....
In essence, Medicare is a SINGLE-PAYER HC program that 52 years later has proven mostly successful and has helped millions and millions of our fellow citizens be healthier in their old age and avoided the bankruptcy that were so common before the program,
Somehow, however, many Americans would rather send a check to some private company whose purpose is to AVOID costly coverage payments and maximize its profits, RATHER than sending a check to the Federal government.....
Private health insurers (and big pharma and hospital conglomerates) spend MILLIONS to either bribe elected officials or propagandize that it is they who care for common Americans...and such strategies have worked extremely well since most republicans would STILL rather subsidize a HC company's CEO's private jet than be subjected to sending a check to a government that they've been bred to hate....
meanwhile, the rest of the civilized world laughs or shakes its head at our own stupidity.
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